Pembroke offered a vibrant academic community, fostering my interest towards Cognitive Science. Now, as I am preparing to start my postgraduate course in Brain and Mind Sciences at UCL and at Sorbonne Paris, the college’s Jeremy Forty Scholarship is what supports me in continuing my studies. Providing me with a generous contribution towards funding, this scholarship by Pembroke College is what allowed me to take the next steps forward in my academic life, for which I am deeply thankful.

In a sense, my “Oxford journey” was not a “journey” at all. The pandemic condemned me to virtual learning, so I ended up “going to Oxford” from my Hong Kong bedroom. Even so, the Oxford experience did not disappoint. The visiting programme’s flexibility meant I could diverge from the History and Politics degree’s formal requirements and study Greek and Roman history with the Classics Faculty.

History gives us an opportunity to combine narrative, experience and identity into several modes of knowledge. I am always very interested into how interdisciplinary history can be, allowing space for a variation of interpretations of the same topic or event. 

When I left school I had absolutely no intention of going to university. I didn't even bother filling out an application form because all I wanted to do was play tennis. And yet here we are, many years later, and now the university can't get rid of me! 
 

I am a medical doctor specialising in diseases of the nervous system (brain and nerves). I am also a neuroscientist, and my research is focussed on understanding the mechanisms and finding treatments for motor neuron diseases, like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

My current passion is exploring how militant jihad groups use 'soft' culture (poetry, literature, song) and harness local grievances, not only to recruit, but – equally crucially – to win toleration in the broader community. My research is mainly focused on Arabic-language materials. I spend significant time in the field, particularly in war-torn Yemen, where I have struck up strong relationships with various tribes and follow the evolution of the ongoing war closely. However, my research did not always revolve around why terrorists write poetry!

I joined Pembroke in 2018, where I serve as a Tutorial Fellow in Ecology. In addition to the vibrant conversations with other academics and staff in college, I deeply enjoy interacting with my undergraduate and postgraduate students.