When you enter the world of "Alice in Wonderland," you will see a rabbit, and around his neck is a clock. This rabbit is constantly running. If you ask him why he is always running, he will say to you, "the world is turning every second, if you want to stay at where you are, you will have to run with the world. If you want to be ahead of where you are, then you will have to run faster.”
I am a Ph. D. student in the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (final year)
Research Advisors (aka the bosses): Bill Gelbart and Chuck Knobler
Research Interest: Physics of DNA, RNA, and RNA-like Polymers
My Resume in PDF file!
My LinkedIn Profile!
Brief Biography:
Formal Education:
Elementary School:
Sept 1987 ~ June 1992, Shanghai East Beijing Road Elementary School, Shanghai, ChinaMiddle School:
Sept 1992 ~ Feb 1995, Shanghai 67th Middle School, Shanghai, China
Feb 1995 ~ May 1995, Marina Middle School, San Francisco, California, USAHigh School:
Aug 1995 ~ May 1999, Galileo High School, San Francisco, California, USAUndergraduate Institution:
Aug 1999 ~ May 2003, University of California, Berkeley, California, USABachelor's Degree: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Emphasis Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Notable Courses Completed:
Calculus II (Math 1B)
Multivariable Calculus (Math 53)
General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis I & II (Chem 4A/B)
General Biology I & II (Bio 1A/B)
Introductory Physics I & II (Phy 8A/B)
Organic Chemistry I & II (Chem 112 A/B)
General Biochemistry (MCB 100)
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (MCB 110)
Biophysical Chemistry I & II (Chem 130 A/B)
Biochemistry Laboratory (MCB 110L)
Microbial Genomics and Genetics (MCB C148)
Postgraduate School:
Sept 2003 ~ Current, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Notable Coursework Completed (chronological order):
Protein Structure (Chem 269A)
Biocatalysis and Bioenergetics (Chem 269B)
Nucleic Acid Structure (Chem 269C)
Gene Expression (Chem 269D)
Structural Molecular Biology (Chem M230B)
Protein Mass Spectrometry (Chem 266)
Membrane Biophysics (Phy 243F)
Statistical Thermodynamics (Chem C223A)
Classes TA'ed:
Winter 2004: Biochemistry Laboratory II (Chem 154)
Spring 2004: Physical Biochemistry (Chem 156)
Winter 2006: Physical Chemistry: Statistical Mechanics (Chem 110B)
Spring 2007: Biochemistry Laboratory II (Chem 154)
Summer 2007: Physical Biochemistry (Chem 156)
Winter 2008: Physical Chemistry: Statistical Mechanics (Chem 110B)
Fall 2008: Physical Chemistry: Quantum Mechanics (Chem 113A)
Winter 2009: Physical Chemistry: Statistical Mechanics (Chem 110B)
Fall 2009: Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics (Chem 110A)
Research Related:
Fall 2003: worked with Jay D. Gralla, on eukaryotic transcription factor 2E (TF2E)
Winter 2004: worked with Steven G. Clarke, looking for enzymes that catalyze the methylation of lysine residues on eukaryotic elongation factor 1A (eEF1A)
Spring 2004: worked with Robert T. Clubb, solving the structure of a protein Sortase B by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
Summer 2004: joined William M. Gelbart and Charles M. Knobler's Virus Research Group
Thesis Research: Physics of Bacteriophage λ InfectionSpring 2005: finished PhD candidacy qualification exam
Written Proposal and Oral Presentation was on the physics of prion formationSpring 2006: Midstream Seminar -- Biophysics of Bacteriophage λ Infection
Hobbies:
I like to play tennis, basketball, football, badminton, ping-pong, and probably a half dozen other sports I forgot to mention here. I started playing tennis in the summer of 2006, and quickly became addicted to it toward the end of that year. Now, tennis is clearly my favorite playing sport. I can throw a nice spiral in football, even though the velocity and distance are lacking. Speaking of football, you will know how much I love the sport just by reading some stuff I wrote for Cal Bears and UCLA Bruins football program when I should be doing homework!
If I had not majored in biochemistry, I would have majored in astrophysics. Knowing the beginning and the fate of the universe requires the understanding of the most fundamental laws of nature. Much advancement has been made in physics from Galileo to Newton to Einstein and Schrodinger. However, we are still ill equipped to grasp the most fundamental questions regarding our universe. When did it begin? Does it even have a beginning? When will it end? Does it even have an end? How large is the universe? Does it even have a size? Is it physically possible to travel beyond our solar system, our galaxy, or even this very universe? Can the theory of relativity be broken to enable faster-than-light travel? Can the theory be bent? Can the fabrics of the universe be understood? Can it be manipulated? Can it be broken or torn? What is to become of us? What is the fate of our universe?
Will graviton be discovered, or is it purely a theoretical object? Is String Theory the answer, or is it mere mathematical acrobatics? What is fundamental makeup of matter?
These questions are truly fascinating. It is mind-boggling that so much of Einstein's theories were proven true experimentally, when the theory was largely constructed in the absence of experimental motivation.
Want to read more of my general scientific interests?
:-)
Miscellaneous:
This is my favorite piano piece of all time, performed by Richard Clayderman. Unfortunately, this is perhaps not a very well known piece. I can't even find its title, so if you know what is this piece called, please tell me! Beware, this is a 4.5MB MP3 file. It might take a while to download if you have dial-up internet.