What did you study at A-level (or equivalent) and why did you select those subjects?
I studied Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. There were not many course options for me to choose from as I did my A-levels in China; the only two streams at the time were STEM and Business/Economics. However, I have always been more interested in STEM subjects.
What degree/PhD did you study?
I studied General Engineering for my undergraduate degree. I really enjoyed both physics and mathematics while studying A-levels and could not decide which one I would like to pursue further. I also enjoyed hands-on activities and Engineering combined all three elements.
I discovered my interest in research when I did a summer internship as a research assistant during my undergraduate studies. This led me to undertake a Master by Research degree in Engineering rather than continuing the path toward an integrated MEng degree. As I have always been fascinated by biology, I chose to study Biomedical Engineering for my PhD.
What jobs have you had during your career?
While studying, I was a demonstrator for first-year undergraduate computer labs and a tutor for third-year undergraduate Biomedical Fluid Mechanics course. Towards the end of my PhD, I co-founded a startup company called Beautiful Voice, where we are developing a transformative platform for efficient and effective speech and language therapy.
What is your current job and what do you enjoy about it?
I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate working on an EU-funded project - ARISTOTELES. Being part of this project allows me to apply my existing expertise as well as acquire new knowledge and skills. I also enjoy traveling to new places for the project and meeting collaborators.
Do you have an area of expertise / research?
My research interests lie in employing mechanistic models and numerical analysis to understand both healthy and diseased biological systems. For my PhD, I developed a computational model describing oxygen transport in the human brain to study the response of oxygen distribution to ischaemic stoke. For my current post, I am constructing in silico clinical trials to evaluate new AI-powered risk assessment tools for the better management of atrial fibrillation.
More resources:
Profile: Innovate UK Women in Innovation
Article: Winner of National Innovation Award for AI Speech Therapy Platform
Keep up to date with Yun via LinkedIn