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Integrating chemistry, molecular biology and experimental oncology

Principal Investigator

 

Dr. Masha Babak

Country of origin: Russia
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: University of Vienna (PhD), Harvard Medical School (HICR scholar)
Hobbies: singing, dancing zouk, art-house movies, learning languages
Research Interests: drug discovery, cancer cell signaling, proteomics, brain metastases
My unusual desire: I want to do my sabbatical in Brazil and dance zouk all night long
My life credo: If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters!

PhD Students

 

Meng Rui Chang
Cosupervised with Prof Wee Han Ang, NUS

Country of origin: Singapore
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: National University of Singapore (BSc)
Hobbies: Jogging, watching drama
Research Interests: Inorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, proteomics
My unusual desire: Sometimes I want to be a rock
My life credo: Life does not always work out but if you never try, you will never know

 

Jemma Arakelyan, MD
HKPFS scholarship 2021
Belt and Road Scholarship

Country of origin: Armenia
Majoring in: Medicine
Previous Affiliation: Yerevan State Medical University (M.D.), Harvard Medical School (HICR scholar)
Hobbies: water sports, books, travel, binge-watching, coffee, learning foreign languages, writing short stories, running, shopping, skiing
Research Interests: cancer biology, drug discovery, translational research
My unusual desire: scuba diving with sharks
My life credo: As you take another breath, someone takes their last. Stop complaining. Appreciate life.
No matter how educated, talented, rich, or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all. Integrity is everything.

 

Anna (Kira) Kirsanova
HKPFS scholarship 2022
Belt and Road Scholarship

Country of origin: Russia
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: Lomonosov Moscow State University, Chemistry Department
Hobbies: house plants, music, books, art, Asian cultures
Research Interests: organic and organometallic synthesis, chemistry of heterocyclic compounds, cross-coupling reactions, drug discovery
My unusual desire: achieve enlightenment
My life credo: Each cuttlefish backs away in its own way

 

Daniil Rusanov
HKPFS scholarship 2023
Belt and Road Scholarship

Country of origin: Russia Majoring in: Chemistry Previous Affiliation: Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Hobbies: running, music, films, games, art Research Interests: organic and organometallic synthesis, chemistry of heterocyclic compounds, pericyclic reactions, drug discovery, natural products, computational chemistry
My unusual desire: ever go to distant galaxies
My life credo: per aspera ad astra

 

Tamara Petrovic
HKPFS scholarship 2023

Country of origin: Serbia
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: University of Belgrade-Faculty of Chemistry
Hobbies: learning languages, reading, coffee
Research Interests: drug discovery My unusual desire: to live in Spain and read books by the sea
My life credo: Carpe diem

 

Chengnan (Andy) Wu

Country of origin: China
Majoring in: Biology-Biotechnology
Previous Affiliation: Copenhagen University (MSc)
Hobbies: Tennis, badminton, traveling
Research Interests: Cancer research
My unusual desire: live in where can see stars, sea, prairie and mountains.
My life credo: Life is blank in the beginning, so we should collect nice clips as many as possible. And we only live once, you should go and love yourself.

 

Samah Mutasim Alfadul

Country of origin: Sudan
Majoring in: Molecular biology
Previous Affiliation: Ahfad Center for Science and Technology (ACST) (BSc, MSc)
Hobbies: Crochet and table tennis (Ping Pong)
Research Interests: Cancer research
My unusual desire: Cooking the sweetest chocolate cake
My life credo: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.

Research Assistants

 

Egor Matnurov

Country of origin: Russia
Majoring in: Fundamental and applied chemistry, Medicinal chemistry
Previous Affiliation: Lomonosov Moscow State University, Chemistry Department
Hobbies: volleyball, coffee, Netflix
Research Interests: Drug discovery
My unusual desire: Become a vampire from Twilight.
My life credo:
If you think that your work is useless, remember about pipettes for 1 ml which just exist.

Undergraduate students

 

Choi Hojung
BSc student

Country of origin: Republic of Korea
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: City University of Hong Kong
Hobbies: Watching movies, drawing, listening to music
Research Interests: Cancer research, Medicinal chemistry
My unusual desire: Become a magician
My life credo: Seize the day

Past Members

 

Shiv Mistry
MSc exchange student

Country of origin: United Kingdom
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: University of Bath
Hobbies: Football, Photography, Fashion
Research Interests: Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Discovery
My unusual desire: To go skydiving
My life credo: If you only do what you do, you will never be more than you are now.

 

Sasha Kramer
MSc exchange student

Country of origin: UK
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: University of Bath
Hobbies: Music, photography, travel
Research Interests:  Synthetic chemistry, inorganic chemistry
My unusual desire: Move to Australia and live by the beach
Life credo: better an oops than a what if

 

Tsui Miu Ying Candy
BSc student

Country of origin: Hong Kong
Majoring in:
Chemistry
Previous Affiliation:
City University of Hong Kong
Hobbies:
listening music, watching Youtube, watching movie
Research Interests:
Chinese medicine decovery, medicinal chemistry
My unusual desire:
I have my own "zoo"
My life credo:
where there is a will there is a way

 

Maryana Yarshova
BSc student

Country of origin: Belarus
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: City University of Hong Kong
Hobbies: tennis, Wing Chun, swimming, piano, reading
Research Interests: Medicinal Chemistry
My unusual desire: Be a dragon
My life credo: Век живи, век учись. (Live and learn)

 

Bekir Pashaliev

Country of origin: Turkey
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: Pharmaceutical company R-Pharm
Hobbies: Watching movies
Research Interests: Cancer Research, Medicinal Chemistry, Nanoparticles, Drug delivery, Artificial Intelligence
My unusual desire: Stop time
My life credo: Not like everyone

 

Mary Fanian

Country of origin: Iran
Majoring in: Medical Biotechnology
Previous Affiliation: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Hobbies: Hiking, Camping, Swimming, Biking, Laughing.
Research Interests: Cancer research,  drug discovery.
My unusual desire: Biking all along the Nile River. To have a space tour for the Earth residents.
My life credo: Living Life To Its Fullest. Experience every moment, and cherish life for all that it is. Life is all about how you deal with the puddles. 

 

Luk Ka Ho Jacky
BSc student

Country of origin: Hong Kong
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: City University of Hong Kong
Hobbies: Playing Guitar, Listening to Music
Research Interests: Cancer research, Medicinal chemistry
My unusual desire: Swim in ocean made out of bank notes
My life credo: Let bygones be bygones

 

Szeto Yan Ting Caitlyn
Summer Internship Programme student

Country of origin: Singapore
Majoring in: Life Sciences
Previous Affiliation: National University of Singapore
Hobbies: reading, dancing, watching anime, eating cake
Research Interests: cancer research, ageing, drug discovery
My unusual desire: To someday live in a quaint town by the sea with an actual bookshelf with my books
My life credo: Happiness is where you are!

 

Sheryl Mak
MSc student, 2021/22

Country of origin: Hong Kong
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: City University of Hong Kong
Hobbies: listening to music, playing piano
Research Interests: Inorganic chemistry, Metal-based anticancer drug
My unusual desire: Sleeping all day long
My life credo: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

 

Winnie Koon
Summer Internship Programme student

Country of origin: Singapore Majoring in: Chemistry Previous Affiliation: National University of Singapore (BSc) Hobbies: reading fiction, DIY manicures, flexibility stretching Research Interests: Inorganic chemistry, drug discovery My unusual desire: I want to visit all the Disney parks in the world My life credo: Don't compare yourself with someone else today; compare yourself with who you were yesterday

 

Zhuolin Ye
MSc student, 2021/22

Country of origin: China
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: City University of Hong Kong (MSc)
Hobbies: Coffee, alcohol, TV drama, movies and music
Research Interests: Inorganic Chemistry, Metal-based Anticancer Drugs
My unusual desire: Skydiving and paragliding
My life credo: Don't worry, don't cry, drink vodka and fly

 

Yee Kiat Soh
Summer Internship Programme student

Country of Origin: Singapore Majoring in: Pharmaceutical Science Previous Affliation: National University of Singapore Hobbies: Gaming, listening to music, anime Research Interests: Oncology, Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry My Unusual Desire: Sleeping and gaming all day until my troubles go away My Life Credo: 歩いて行ける、大丈夫 (Keep walking forward)

 

Viktoria Besprozvannykh
Summer Internship Programme student

Country of origin: Russia  Majoring in: Chemistry Previous Affiliation: Higher Schools of Economics  Hobbies: basketball : free-diving, surfing  Research Interests: organic chemistry, medical chemistry  My unusual desire: I want to visit all the most significant places with coral reefs  My life credo: do what you should and come what may

 

Ahn Dohyun (David)
FYP student, 2021/22

Country of origin: Republic of Korea
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: University of Indonesia (BSc), City University of Hong Kong (BSc)
Hobbies: Reading books and articles, drawing illustrations, watching pet videos, listening to music, spacing out for a while
Research Interests: Medicinal Chemistry, Proteomics, Pharmaceuticals
My unusual desire: Having a pet raven
My life credo: Believe in Jesus and try all my best within the given situations.

 

Eon Luo
FYP student, 2021/22

Country of origin: China
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: City University of Hong Kong
Hobbies: Playing basketball, stay in library, hiking
Research Interests: Cancer cell research, metal-based anticancer drug
My unusual desire: Fly in the sky and rest on the cliff
My life credo: ‘Board man gets paid’, and ‘Children without umbrellas will run faster’

 

Dr. Kelvin Tong
Research fellow

Country of origin: New Zealand/Hong Kong
Majoring in: Chemistry
Previous Affiliation: The University of Auckland (BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD)
Hobbies: hiking, eating, coffee, gaming, exercising, movies, collecting diecast models
Research Interests: metal-based anticancer drugs, DFT calculations, cancer cell work
My unusual desire: Wish a day has more than 24 hours to have time for everything I like doing.
My life credo: There is so much to learn in life, so stay humble and keep improving.

 

Jiaying Zou
Summer Internship Programme student

Country of origin: China
Majoring in: Biochemical engineering
Previous Affiliation: University College London (BEng)
Hobbies: Gardening, painting, reading novels, photographing, playing instruments.
Research Interests: cancer biology, synthetic biology
My unusual desire: Wish to understand plant’s language and communicate with them
My life credo: Always learn something new and if it is not the end, keep smiling and moving on