Timothy Suen, a PhD candidate at the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, took a different path to HKU from his classmates.
After failing to be admitted to university, Timothy refused to give up his passion in science and undertook a higher diploma programme at IVE. With determination and the support of various scholarships, he was able to obtain a first-class honours Bachelor degree and Master degree with distinction in the UK.
Even from a young age, Timothy has the aspiration to cure Nasopharyngeal Cancer (鼻咽癌), a deadly disease common in South China.
“I experienced the helplessness and sadness of being with a cancer patient when my relative died from this illness. I believe that research is the way out and there is always hope in scientific research.”
Timothy was one of the first batch of PhD medical students to be awarded the L’Oréal Research Scholarship, which allowed him to undertake an internship at the world-class Institut Pasteur in Paris.
“I have been introduced to and trained with lots of cutting edge techniques and new ideas. It was an invaluable experience to work with the many excellent and famous scientists there and getting first-hand experience in cancer research.”
After graduation, Timothy plans to stay in the field of academic research, aiming to find better treatments for cancer.
“Without the financial support of donors, I would not be able to concentrate on my studies and pursue my goal. The scholarships influence many students’ lives. I feel much confluent with science now and believe that I can be successful in future!”
November 2013
