Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my interest in joining the Hong Kong Laureate Forum in 2025. With a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, I hold over 6 years of oncology and experimental therapeutics experience. Since 2024, I have been eagerly anticipating the HKLF 2025, where I hope to engage with International scientists in the Life Sciences field.

As a local Hong Kong resident who immigrated from India 20 years ago with my family in pursuit of better education and quality of life, I am now establishing myself as an independent scientist in the field of prostate cancer. The Hong Kong Laureate Forum will provide me with the unique opportunity to not only connect with world-class scientists but also generate novel research ideas, which is crucial for my career development. Beyond my primary focus on biomedical sciences, I have always been fascinated by astronomy. In my free time, I study the theoretical aspects of black holes and time travel.

I am confident that the Forum's cross-disciplinary exchanges will inspire new ideas and create long-lasting connections that will benefit my research collaborations. Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely,
Ria Chopra

As a dedicated cancer biologist with a Ph.D. in oncology and experimental therapeutics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, I bring over six years of extensive research experience with in vitro and in vivo cancer models. During my Ph.D., I initiated a project focused on the time-dependent expression of circadian clock-associated transcription factors and nuclear receptors in advanced prostate cancer, which was published in AACR 2023. Furthermore, I developed a chronic jet lag mouse model to study the effects of disrupted light/dark cycles on mice to further validate my hypothesis that chronic jet lag conditions will significantly disrupt metabolism and advance PCa growth in mice. RNA-sequencing of these models revealed enriched genes in steroid biosynthesis and HIF-1 signalling pathways. Ultimately, I discovered that early morning Cisplatin treatments in TGMAP mice led to better tumour control compared to treatments in the afternoon or evening, demonstrating the importance of chronotherapy in cancer treatment.

Currently as a Research Associate, I am collaborating with researchers from China, on testing multiple in-house drugs, developed to target a specific nuclear receptor in treating the neuroendocrine prostate cancer phenotype, which remains largely incurable.