As a pre-medical student, I am deeply committed to the intersection of research and patient care. My undergraduate experiences at UCLA—ranging from my involvement with research on Alzheimer’s disease to my clinical work in emergency medicine—have fueled my desire to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and its real-world applications. However, as an international student from China, I do believe that to truly make an impact, it’s essential to engage with medical communities worldwide, sharing knowledge, resources, and innovations.
The Hong Kong Laureate Forum offers the perfect opportunity to interact with leading scientists and innovators. By engaging with laureates and young scientist from across the world, I hope to gain new insights into how research can address pressing health challenges, especially in underserved populations. I am eager to learn from thought leaders who have shaped the future of medicine, and to contribute my perspective as someone committed to making healthcare more inclusive and globally accessible.
Attending this forum would be a meaningful step in my journey to becoming a physician who not only practices medicine but also drives meaningful change to reach diverse communities in need across the globe.

In many mice models with Alzheimer’s disease, a buildup of beta-amyloid plaques has been found in the subiculum area. In Dr. Hong-Wei Dong’s lab at UCLA, I strive to understand how Alzheimer’s disease affects these areas by observing the morphology of neurons in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. My task primarily includes tracing and modeling neurons from mice brain 3D imaging and comparing the morphology of wildtype and Alzheimer’s neurons. I also worked on other projects in the lab, including training auto-tracing AI programs and reconstructing cell microscale connectivity in the brain atlas project, all of which allowed me to gain proficiency in imaging and modeling techniques.