I would like to commit myself to the understanding and illumination of the human brain, psychopathology, and their neurological interactions with pediatrics, memory, disorders, music, and emerging technologies. As a third culture kid (with Danish parents, born in America, & having lived most of my life in Singapore), my existence has been a colour spectrum of experiences and perspectives. The more I learn about the deep wealth of diversity among places and people, the more I become captivated by how their environments and minds work together to create their individual person, and how that personality interacts and connects with the world's intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.
What is to give light must endure the burning
~Viktor Frankl
Die of nothing but a rage to live
~Alexander Pope
UCLA
Pre-Med Post Bacc 2017-2019
In preparation for the MCAT and my future medical career, I spent two years taking science classes through the UCLA Extension program. Sparked by my time working in clinical research at the Duke Hospital via the Pearson Lab, I realized that I would not ever feel fulfilled in my professional and personal goals if I didn't pour my heart and soul into pursuing medicine, in addition to research. As a result, I began a pre-med post bacc at UCLA, maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout the course of my studies. The privilege of taking these classes reinvigorated my love for scientific learning and served as a potent reminder that understanding the scientific principles underlying the nuances of neurobiochemistry are vital to conducting relevant and necessary research.
Home of the Blue Devils, Duke University has about 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students and a world-class faculty helping to expand the frontiers of knowledge. The university has a strong commitment to applying knowledge in service to society, both near its North Carolina campus and around the world.
My Activities: Research Associate (RA) for the Duke Lab of NeuroGenetics, Psychology and Neurosciences VIP Fellow, RA for the Hoyle Psych & Neuroscience Lab, Me Too Monologues actor, All of the Above Monologues actor, Small Town Records Executive Marketing/Creative Director, Blue Devils United (LGBTQ organization) Executive, member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority, DJ at WXDU Radio, LDOC Committee Member, Campus Tour Guide, Project PWAVES (orientation program) Staff Member, Undergraduate Neuroscience Major's Union member
The Singapore American School is a private school in Singapore. Established in 1956, the school offers an American-based curriculum from preschool through to Grade 12 for approximately 3,800 expatriate students, making it the largest international school in the world. Approximately two-thirds of the students at SAS are United States citizens, with the rest of the student body comprising more than 50 nationalities. Academically, SAS has the largest number of high school students enrolled in Advanced Placement Program courses of any international school in the world, delivering 29 AP courses as an integral part of high school course options. SAS is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in the United States.
My Activities: President of Executive Community Service Council, President of Habitat for Humanity, President of Thespian Society, Director/Producer/Actor for Theatre Department, member of National Honor Society, member of Peace Initiative, member of Spanish Honor Society
Research & VOLUNTEER Experience
California Hospital Medical Center
Research Assistant 2017 - Present
As a COPE Health Scholar, I spend a minimum of 8 hours a week volunteering at California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC), assisting nurses and doctors with tasks within my scope of practice, while simultaneously helping to improve patient experience and wellbeing while in hospital. I have rotated between several departments, including labour and delivery, pediatrics, general medicine, couplet care, antepartum, the emergency department, and the education department.
Having spent the majority of my time in the couplet care and labour and delivery departments, I’ve gleaned valuable knowledge about effectively and thoughtfully caring for mothers in labour, mothers in postpartum recovery, and newborns. I am currently working on a research proposal aiming to decrease incidence of mother-child separation due to maternal substance abuse, by providing high-risk, expectant mothers with a broader spectrum of info on the fetal and legal repercussions of substance abuse during pregnancy.
Thus far I have devoted over 500 hours to the patients at CHMC.
Clinical Research Associate 2016-2017
Research Assistant 2014-2016
The VIP Fellows (Vertical Integration Program) is a summer research program that provides advanced opportunities for undergraduate research leading to Graduation with Distinction. My research was conducted through the Duke NeuroGenetics Lab, under the mentorship of Dr. Ahmad Hariri, and explored the relationship between genetic impacts on neurobiological variability, and the functional and behavioral implications of this variability on psychopathology.
Using data collected through the Duke Neurogenetics Study (DNS), I tested the hypothesis that an individual’s SCN2A genotype has mediating effects on cognition, through variability in gray matter volume. Statistic analyses were conducted using SPSS, grey matter levels were assessed using voxel-based morphometry, and ultimately no significant effect was found.
In a separate, additional project, I worked on a meta-analysis exploring whether cognitive performance is a predictor of depression onset. The methodology included a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature, with a focus on longitudinal or epidemiological studies in which cognitive function had been assessed prior to depression onset. The analysis ultimately culminated in the calculation of an odds ratio of developing depression (or correlation coefficient if measures are dimensional) across studies, thereby establishing a quantitative relationship of any effect. The resulting article is currently being reviewed for publication.
I serve as a mentor and leader to incoming freshmen during a 10 day-long orientation program focused in outdoor water activities (such as surfing, kayaking, beach camping, and sailing). During the program, staff members form trusting friendships with freshmen (while pushing them out of their comfort zones), offering them advice for their future college experiences, while prompting them to reflect positively on their attitudes and lives prior to their Duke experience. The goal of the program is to become comfortable and reveal enough of your own vulnerabilities that others have the confidence to share theirs.
As president, I facilitated the logistical and organizational groundwork of all 47 service clubs operating under the Singapore American School, in addition to organizing emergency fundraisers for international crises (raised $145,000 for Japanese tsunami aid in 2011). I worked with administrators to help improve the Singapore American School service learning model, and was invited to present this model at the 2012 International Service Learning Conference in Singapore.
http://www.saseye.com/2012/03/service-council-attempts-to-regulate-service-hour-giveaways/
Research
I have explored and immersed myself in the cultures of over 30 countries, including Singapore, Denmark, Botswana, India, Tibet & mainland China, Japan, South Africa, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia, the U.K., Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines
Duke VIP Fellowship
The VIP (Vertical Integration Program) Fellowship is a summer research grant that provides advanced opportunities for undergraduate research.