Personal Statement
Applied Program: Biology

Ever since I was in high school, I found that Biology was my favorite subject of learning-it captivated me with the wonders and the unfathomable mystery of life. Right before taking the National University Entrance Examinations, I learned that my father had had liver cancer. Nothing else could have motivated me more to devote my whole life to the cure of this kind of terminal disease. My wish to pursue a career in medical science was well fulfilled when I was admitted into the best medical school in China-the Beijing University of Medicine, which later became part of the famed Beijing University. From then on, Biology and Medicine have become an essential ingredient of my life.

Because of the burden of the tuition and fees, and my father‘s medical expenses, I was compelled to take some part-time jobs, which to some extent affected my grades in my undergraduate years. They were not, however, a waste of time, as I later found out, because they afforded me valuable social experience, and made me stronger and mature. They also provided me with a unique opportunity to improve myself professionally, since I was lucky enough to work as a library clerk and a lab assistant at the university. My work involved classification of medical books and documents, as well as browsing over the internet to gather newest information of medical research. I was able to learn a lot about the general trends of medical development far beyond regular university curriculum, and also improved my English considerably since much of what I read was written in English. In the academic courses, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Physiology interested me the most, and I was particularly fascinated by the regular lab experimentation. Gradually, I found myself attracted more and more to Biomedicine. Meanwhile my father‘s condition exacerbated and he left me before I finished my college education. From this tragedy I learned that medical treatments, however advanced, also have their terrible limitations. I began to pay close attention to gene therapy, when I was exposed to the concept in the courses in Biochemistry and Heredity. I spent many hours in the library delving in the scientific literature; I also established close contacts with Professor Song Jichang and Dr. Liu Lichuan (he later went to the State University of Alabama at Birmingham for post-doctoral work) who treated my father. In my spare time, I participated in their research projects on immunosuppression in liver transplantation with animal models, and on the effect of artificial liver with animal models of liver failure. I also assisted researcher Zhu Zhengyan in a number of projects.

We did research on the ras, p53 gene mutation of hepatocellular carcinoma, and also tested on the p53 gene mutation in hepatocellular carcinoma, and carried out a molecular biological research on the connection between hepatitis virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma. We also probed into the possible connection between helicobactor pylori infection and the mutation of some of the carcinostatic genes on one side, and carcinoma ventriculi on the other. On the other hand, in my graduation thesis The Application of Hydroxyapatite in Mandibular Defects, I sought to give further proof to the usefulness of hydroxypatite as a promising biomaterial in Oral Medicine. The thesis received favorable remarks from my professors for its topical interest and its potential to lead to fruitful research.

While my major was in Medicine, I also paid focused attention to Biology. With the increase of knowledge and work experience, I found myself more geared towards biological research. I had closer contacts with eminent professionals in this field, and worked better with their help. After graduating from college, I gave up a possible position in dental service, which promised good pay, and turned to preclinical medicine research. I began to work as a research worker at the Tianjin Institute of Hepato-Biliary Diseases and the Center of Artificial Cell Engineering and Technology Research affiliated to the Ministry of Public Health. My assignments included DNA and RNA testing of hepatitis virus, immunohistochemical staining, cell isolation, and tissue culture. I also assisted researchers in molecular biological study of liver tumor and in lab experimentation with artificial hepatocyte and artificial liver. Since the institutes where I work are made of complex networks of research labs, they are wonderful places for a beginning researcher to develop a feel of the field and to absorb the newest knowledge in Biology and Medicine. The present project I am working on in collaboration with Ms. Zhu Zhengyan is a research on the formation of a representational eucaryotic carrier for adeno-associated virus and gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Much as I have benefited from my last year‘s work experience, which significantly enhanced my knowledge in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and sharpened my skills in lab experimentation, it has also made me more keenly aware of my own limitations. The more knowledge I have, the more conscious I become of the bewildering progress that is being made in the world of medical science and technology today, especially in advanced countries such as the United States. On the other hand, in my specialized area of hepatic diseases, much of the carcinogenic mechanism remains to be understood, since the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma is a complex process involving the mutation of a sequence of proto-oncogenes and suppressor genes. I am convinced that pursuing an advanced degree in Biomedicine will allow me to make significant contributions to the research on hepatic diseases and gene therapy, possibly a breakthrough. My special interest will be in Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Immunology, although the topics of my research projects will by necessity concentrate on a narrower area.

If entering the Beijing University of Medicine may be considered an important step towards attaining my career goal, the step I am trying to take to study abroad is an even more important one. Your university has been known for its excellent programs in Biomedicine; its outstanding faculty, first-rate lab facilities, and active student involvement in teamed research work, will make it an ideal environment for me to advance my career in biomedicine. It will in fact be far superior to anything that a Chinese university has to offer. With all I can learn from a graduate program at an American university, I will be able to play a key role in China‘s future development in medical research and public health service.

I have also cultivated a special love for learning English. It has helped me professionally, and has also helped me make friend with foreigners-to some of them I talk and write in email on regular basis. This language ability will stand me in good stead in my new academic environment, where I need to write papers in English. As a person, I am independent and strong willed, and find myself easily adjusted to new environments.