Tian Qin traded a traditional medical career in China for a journey across the world, all to pursue a specialized research career decoding how individual memories connect and break apart.

Where are you from?
I grew up in a small city in China. The size of St. John's is pretty much like my hometown, which makes it easy for me to adapt to the lifestyle here.

What do you enjoy doing for fun?

In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities, like fishing, camping and hiking.

Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?

I studied clinical medicine for my undergraduate studies, but instead of becoming a physician, I found myself more interested in research. After graduating from medical school in China, I decided to go to graduate school.

Why did you choose Memorial University for your graduate studies?

When I looked through the website for potential opportunities, the biography of my current lab just caught my eye. Their studies focused on Alzheimer's disease and learning, which is the area I am interested in from my undergraduate studies. So I wrote an email to my professor, and she kindly replied. After a review with one of her postdocs, I decided to come here.

What is your research/thesis about? How do you describe your research to a general audience with no background in the field?

My current research focuses on learning and memory, I am especially interested in how one episode of memory is forgotten, and how one piece of memory is associated with another one. We use a lot of cutting-edge techniques to manipulate the activities of neurons in rats and observe their molecular changes. We are trying to understand how things work in memory-related diseases, like PTSD.

How would you describe your experience as a graduate student at Memorial?

Life as a graduate student at Memorial University is satisfactory in general; I made many friends on campus. Moreover, there are also many activities I enjoy very much.

What scholarships or awards have you received?

I received the Dr. Detlef Beiger Neuroscience Award.

Have you faced any challenges in life that you've overcome to pursue graduate studies?

I faced some challenges at the beginning; Everything was new to me. I didn't have any friends here; my life was full of study and work. However, as I got in touch with more people, my life became more enriched. I now have friends that I can play with, clubs and communities that I can feel I belong to.

What career path are you interested in pursuing after graduation?

I want to go into the industry after graduation. I am aiming to become a bioinformatician and neuroscientist with my training. The pharmacy company and the biotech company are my first choices.

What advice would you give to current or future graduate students?

Be patient, and be hopeful. The research work does not always have good results, and it's normal to feel anxious and confused. Just be patient; once you have accumulated more data, gone through more reviews, and presented more at conferences, the future path will be lit.

Anything else you would like to share?

Work-life balance is also important, as it largely contributes to the endurance of your work.

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