Liu Xiangyi: Great Efforts and Passion for Academic Research

Liu Xiangyi has received offers from prestigious universities including Columbia University, New York University, and Johns Hopkins University. She is also the recipient of Zhejiang Government Scholarship, Research Scholarship, and Dean’s First-Class Scholarship, as well as multiple awards in the fields of biology and computer science. Over the past four years at WKU, she has been staying true to her original aspiration, that is, to search for knowledge and use it for the common good.

Graduate of 2023: Liu Xiangyi

Major: Cell and Molecular Biology

Graduate School: Columbia University

Origin: Dongying City, Shandong Province

01 Working Hard to Realize Teenage Dream

When asked about the choice of studying biology, Liu Xiangyi said, “Since childhood, my family and friends have been troubled by various diseases. I hope to do something for them and serve society with what I learn.” From then on, she determined to major in biology.

In high school, she was moved by the story of Yang Huanming, an academician and biologist from Wenzhou City, in a biology textbook. She wished to give back to society as Yang did. For her, biology is full of magic and excitement. The more she learns it, the happier she feels. She can get so much fun exploring the unknown realms of biology, commanding an army of biological cells, and addressing academic problems based on reality.

Liu’s passion for biology and hard work make her the best student in her major for years with a GPA of 3.8. She was also the recipient of the Dean’s First-Class Scholarship and the Zhejiang Government Scholarship. In October 2020, she was selected as a student representative at the World Young Scientist Summit. During the summit, she met the academician Yang Huanming, who came to deliver a speech. From the high school textbook to close contact with her idol, Liu makes it possible with passion and perseverance.

02 Sharing Enthusiasm with Research Partners

Four years ago, Liu knew nothing about scientific research and often felt nervous about that. Luckily, she made great progress at WKU because of the pure academic atmosphere and close relationship between teachers and students there. Liu said, “Professor Siew Woh Choo and Professor Aloysius Wong have been very patient with me when offering guidance. For me, they are more like my research partners.”

Liu mainly follows these two professors to do research in her extracurricular time. The research content includes the anti-cervical cancer effect of mammalian scale extract, identification of the potential of Xinjiang Bacillus as a probiotic in food and treatment, and the function of specific genes. She has to frequently work day and night to design experimental procedures, cultivate cells, observe results and process data.

In addition, Liu also interned at Wenzhou Institute of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) and participated in the research on the extracellular liver model of photo-cured protein-based hydrogel. Every week, she was responsible for presenting a scientific paper at the group meeting. This trained her to be a professional researcher, and she benefited a lot from communicating with her research partners there.

03 Making College Life Colorful and Wonderful

In the past four years, Liu has fulfilled two independent research works and also won the Dean’s Scholarship, the second prize in Zhejiang Yiming Biology Research Competition, and the Funniest Award in the Second Programming Hacker Competition. Her research findings were published in journals as well. She never stops the pace of scientific exploration. It is right at the moment of getting research results that makes her believe that she has truly realized her value as a researcher. She desires to solve biological problems with like-minded friends and aspires to keep moving on the path of academic research.

Apart from actively engaging in scientific research, Liu also joins all kinds of campus activities. She was responsible for the production of promotional posts in the school art troupe; she launched a Rubik’s Cube team and developed it into a club; and she planned a large food-sharing event in the French Club. Her life at WKU is quite enriching. The university offers her a stage to show the vigor of youth and make her life more wonderful.

Liu Xiangyi is looking forward to her postgraduate study at Columbia University. As planned, she will publish more articles and do market-based research in a more comprehensive manner. She hopes to apply for a doctoral degree afterward. It is believed that her future will be filled with endless possibilities!