Spotlight in SWE
This segment seeks to spotlight a member of Yale SWE community and share their story.
This week, we are following Shuozhen Bao, a Co-Chair of the SWE Diversity Committee and a 3rd year PhD student in the BME department. Her research focuses on spatial transcriptomics and epigenetics in glioblastoma.
What has your experience been like as a 3rd year Ph.D. student?
While entering the 3rd year of my Ph.D. study, I am at a watershed. On the one hand, it marks the first half of the Ph.D. study of unaimed and non-specified exploration to be summarized; on the other hand, a more organized and systematic journey for scientific research begins. At this stage, I feel very excited about my research project and nervous about facing real challenges more independently. What’s more, I became more involved in the activities to build up and contribute to a diverse and inclusive community for women engineers and scientists. Since I came to Yale, being supported by this community for a long time has inspired me to try my best to support and encourage others. I really enjoy my study and life here.
What is your research topic?
I have experienced very diverse training in the engineering field. I was a biomedical engineering student who took many electrical engineering courses in my undergrad. During my master’s studies, I studied cell interaction and vessel development in hydrogel for tissue regeneration. After I entered my Ph.D. studies, I shifted my research interests to the interactions of perivascular niches for glioblastoma. My current research topic is spatial transcriptomics and epigenetics on glioblastoma to better understand the disease’s mechanism and spatial heterogeneity.
Why a PhD in Engineering?
My father is an electrical engineer, so I have been fond of engineering since childhood. Growing up, I became more interested in biological and medical findings. I want to improve the clinical translation of biomedical engineering research to help patients. Therefore, overall training for my Ph.D. will allow me to investigate more thoroughly since biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary and front-edge field.
Any favorite moments in Science/Research?
My favorite moment in science is discussing the research updates or spotlight with my colleagues and my PI. Every time we have discussions, I feel enthusiastic about exploring new things. The sparks when people exchange ideas are the most inspiring and exciting moments for me.
Favorite books - what do you think is essential to read?
My favorite book is The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig. It’s a book that always reminds me that a peaceful world is never earned quickly. The delicate and smooth narrative gives a vivid description of daily life in Europe before world war I. Sometimes I feel it’s super difficult for women to make a living back to the 19th century, which always motivates me to do a little bit more to make the world a better one.
Any advice for younger women in STEM?
A Chinese saying says, “Women hold up half the world. Be brave; women in STEM can hold half the world of STEM too.