Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme

ISEP

Yvonne Tay

Nationality: Singapore
Current Job: Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Graduation: NUS Graduate School of Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), Year 2008
Undergraduate: National University of Singapore, Singapore

In retrospect, would you still have chosen to do a PhD? Why?

Definitely!  There are very few professions where you can do a different thing every day, follow your curiosity and potentially make discoveries that may impact how other people view the world.

On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research topic for your PhD?

Yes!  My research was on microRNAs, which were not well-known at the time and introduced me to the weird and wonderful world of non-coding RNAs. COVID-19 is caused by an RNA virus.. which is a very real example of how powerful (and dangerous) a little strand of RNA can be.

Briefly share something fun in your graduate journey at NUS that you remember

Trip to Sibu island with the amazing NGS staff and batchmates!