Personal Statement

It is my conviction that the potential of an individual is virtually unlimited, but the unlimited potential can be brought into full play only when one is ready to confront constant challenges and make utmost efforts in surmounting those challenges. For me, this is the truth substantiated by my own experience.

When I just commenced my undergraduate studies, I failed to concentrate myself totally on my studies because, coming from a poor family, I had to work part-time in order to be financially independent, thus part of my energy was diverted. Fortunately, I became opportunely aware of this and really devoted myself to my studies, and with due efforts, I surpassed most of my classmates, ranking top 5th in my department throughout the rest of the 4-year program. Later, I passed a very strict screening test for an Advanced Experimental Class, which enabled me to undertake my undergraduate program in the first three years in an English environment. In this course, the textbooks were in English and most of teaching was conducted in English. In this highly competitive class, I was the top 3rd student.

In the second year, in order to support myself, I found a position to teach English at a foreign language training school. Though I had a relatively solid foundation in English, I lacked teaching experience, which resulted in my debacle. Though I was dealt a heavy blow, I did not despair or relinquish my efforts. I kept correcting my shortcomings and improving my teaching strategies until I became the best English teacher of that school.

The lesson(experience) that I derived from this experience (advanced program) was that, despite the importance of natural endowments, the exploitation of one‘s latent capacities is also vital. Just because I kept tapping my potentials, I was able to maintain a leading position in my academic performance throughout my undergraduate studies, receiving first-class scholarship every year. I was awarded the honor of Outstanding Student Leader and my class was designated as The Provincial Model Class. In June this year when I graduated from my university, at my university‘s invitation, I started to work there as a teacher because of my excellent qualifications. I have long cherished the desire to pursue further studies abroad, but I decided to undertake one-year teaching in my university so that I could accumulated sufficient teaching and research experience that can better equip me to adapt to the wholly new academic environment abroad and to have a well-defined objective. My present decision to pursue a more advanced degree program abroad is made with the determination to transcend my former achievements and to scale new academic heights.

In the first three years of my undergraduate study, my study of the basic medical courses significantly strengthened my interest in biology. I was especially fascinated by molecular biology which attempts to explore the essence of life on a new level. When studying genetic expression control, I marveled at the induction phenomenon of the colibacillus. Later, I discovered that this phenomenon is determined by the molecular mechanism, that is, the operon theory. Genetic expression is strictly controlled on the molecular level, with its tissue specificities and phase specificities. In order to know more about this, I consulted a large amount of technical literature. I found that the essence of genetic expression control, particularly the eucaryote transcriptional control, lies in the interaction between protein and DNA, and between protein and protein and that the changes in the configuration are the "living" expression of protein and nuclear acid. To my regret, I came to learn that, so far, the scientific understanding of the recognition among the large biological molecules, their interaction, their structural mutations, and their importance in the activities of life is rather limited. This means that, even after the human genome research plan and the testing of all the DNA sequence of human genome are completed, there is still a long way to go before scientists can clearly interpret the functions of all human genes, their interrelationships, and all the laws governing genetic expression control. In view of this, genetic expression control has become one of my special interests.

As I delved deeper into the study of molecular biology, I have derived a more comprehensive understanding of the prospect of its development. Molecular biology has greatly promoted the development of other sciences. Its theories, approaches, and technologies including PCR and in situ hybridization, have all been applied to other subjects, creating revolutions in medical field. Molecular mechanism is particularly vital in the treatment of diseases. As human genome research originated from reflections on diseases of complicated symptoms, its research findings will inevitably act on biomedicine, providing scientific foundations for explaining and illuminating the mechanisms of genesis and development of diseases, especially major diseases. These findings will be directly employed for the prevention and diagnosis of diseases. The "Central Method" has explained the transmission process of genetic information on the molecular level. After the completion of structural genome research, the next step --- functional genome research --- will focus on the functional behavior of the genome based on the "overall" level of the genome, thereby making it possible to interpret the genetic language of the genome structure. This is another sublimation in the concept of molecular biological research and is the reason why molecular biology can continue to maintain its charm in the 21st century. The study of functional genome will be the historical mission of molecular biology in the 21st century. So many problems remain unresolved. These unresolved problems constitute possible fields in which I may achieve some breakthroughs in my future research.

Academically, I am fully prepared for this undertaking. Apart from formal education, I frequently have access to the Internet for technical materials, being a frequenter of Medline. I have also read many technical books published in English in the West including Molecular Biology of the Cell--- Genetic Cloning. At the same time, I attended some seminars and oral presentation in our lab given by the distinguished lecturers and other scholars.

Empirically, I have accumulated an abundance of practical experience. From 1998 to 1999, I was involved in a research project on the tyrosine kinase p59fyn in induced signal transduction by interleukin-7 in CTCL, in which I was mainly responsible for the testing and detection of CTCL cells by means of Western blotting. During my internship at KaiFong Stomatology Hospital in 1999, I co-authored with Professor Wang an academic paper entitled Studies on Colorimetric Aesthetics in Prosthesis of Metal Baked Porcelain Crown of Labial Teeth, which was submitted for presentation at the 12th Conference of China Medical Society. From 2000 to 2001, out of my strong interest in molecular biology, I attended an advanced training class in molecular biology technology. On account of my distinguished performance in this training class, I was selected to participate in two other research projects, the Expression of hMSH2 mRNA in human gastric cancer tissues, and The Methylation of p16 Gene in Gastric Cancer Tissues. Both of these projects are the projects sponsored by the State Natural Sciences Foundation. In undertaking these programs, my hands-on abilities have been further improved. In addition, I have mastered such techniques as in situ hybridization, DNA methylation analysis, and PCR. The opportunity to work as a teacher after my graduation has enabled me to be engaged in professional research. At present, I am making preparations for research on the effect of 8-Br-CAMP on the p16 genetic expression in gastric cancer, on the methylation of the p16 genetic promoter, and on cell demise. Molecular biological approach and other related approaches would be employed in this research and the subsequent research results would provide important ideas for modulating tumor growth through the manipulation of signal transduction pathways.

I have long yearned to study in the United States because I have discovered that the research fund is seriously insufficient in China, resulting in poor research conditions. Many significant research projects cannot be carried out or completed simply because of the rapidly rising expense of the reagents or because of their inferior quality. Whereas the United States is technically very advanced in molecular biology and genetic science, China suffers from its backward technology and lack of a stimulating academic atmosphere. By studying in the United States, I will be able to develop a Western academic perspective which, when combined with my Chinese perspective, will enable me to better solve problems. Meanwhile, my theoretical knowledge and my technical skills will be significantly enhanced.

I am interested in applying for the University of ------------------, because it enjoys a long reputation and ranks among the top universities in the field of molecular biology. In particular, it has produced research results that capture the international attention. The advanced experiment technology and facilities, the education system and the academic atmosphere are far beyond their Chinese counterparts. Furthermore, the valuable instructions by accomplished professors there would once again make it possible for me to fully develop my latent capacities.

I wish to concentrate on molecular biology, with special emphasis on genetic expression regulation, oncogene and anti-oncogene, and signal transduction. I choose to focus on those three major fields because the projects I have undertaken are closely related to them. There are quite a few difficult issues to be worked out in those highly challenging areas. In this sense, my future research will be highly meaningful. My ultimate objective is to acquire the most updated knowledge and keep myself abreast with the latest academic development in the world. I am convinced that by tapping my full potential as I have always done in the past, I will develop myself into a highly qualified professional in my chosen field