Profile
Jason Chu
My CV
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Education:
University of Glasgow
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Qualifications:
MSci in Immunology
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Work History:
GlaxoSmithKline
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Current Job:
PhD student
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Name of MRC-funded unit/centre/institute:
University of Manchester MRC DTP
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About Me:
I’m a Glaswegian, who’s found himself wandering to Manchester to do science.
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After graduating from the University of Glasgow, I moved to Manchester to start my PhD.
When I’m not busy in the lab, you’ll find me running, taking photos, watching Netflix, or being a mediocre cook. My favourite tv show is probably The Office (US), and I have watched it far too many times it’s almost embarrassing.
As an avid fan of breakfast food, I am always keen to try out new brunch places – and it’s almost always Eggs Benedict.
This is incredibly biased as a Scotsman, but one of my favourite spots in the world is the Isle of Skye. I love it so much, I’ve got the island tattooed on my shoulder and I’m going to run a half marathon there this summer.
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I bet we’ve all been clumsy enough to have fallen over and gotten a wee cut or scrape. Everyone has been there. However, it’s never really a problem.
Within minutes it stops bleeding. Within hours we start to get a scab, which we pick at and starts to bleed again. Once we finally have the willpower to leave the scab alone, and a few days have passed we notice are skin starts to close up. By a week or so, it’s either completely healed or a we have a funny looking scar that always looks pretty impressive.
However, if people with diabetes get a cut or scrape – they don’t heal as well as others. This can be a serious problem if wounds get infected and eventually get so damaged that amputation is the only solution.
My job is to find out how this healing process works in healthy and diabetic wounds, and how the immune system is involved. To do this, I am going to use 3D imaging techniques to find out what’s happening inside wounds in real-time.
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My Typical Day:
No two days are the same. It varies between lab work, analysis, demonstrating, science communication and outreach programs.
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I have a tendency to start the day in a similar way. Turn up in the office. Brew myself a black coffee. Check my emails, and answer anything urgent.
After that it can go in any direction:
- Carefully planning experiments
- Running said experiments with skin cells or mice
- Analysis and presentation of results
- General lab duties (we all work together)
- Meetings
- Demonstrating – assisting undergraduates in their labs
- Science communication – blog writing, event management, presenting
- Outreach – schools, retirement homes, etc
- Attend seminars and classes (I don’t know everything, so I’m still constantly learning!)
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What I'd do with the prize money:
Further promote the “Have You Heard” project I am part of, which is aimed at clearing the murky haze we often see in science in the media.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
A "good scotch egg"
What did you want to be after you left school?
I wasn't sure, but I was keen to do something in science.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
I was normally a goody-two shoes but one time I got caught talking in assembly and had to write a letter of apology!
What's your favourite food?
Eggs Benedict
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
1) Own a cafe. 2) Have all my pals move and live in the same city as me. 3) Have a pet panda.
Tell us a joke.
What kind of cheese would you use to lure a bear towards you? Camembert.
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