“Once I choose my career, I will do my best.” Having received a PhD offer from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Li Xinbei was so gentle and modest when we met her on campus. She is a down-to-earth person who attributes her achievement to her efforts in exploring the biological sciences rather than good luck.
Be curious, agile and inquisitive
Li Xinbei is good at applying different skills to solve problems in various fields. In her freshman year, she found it difficult to do well in mathematics and science. Despite working hard, she found herself in the middle of the class. She examined her learning methods and believed that learning should also foster strengths and avoid weaknesses. When she realized that she had very good memorization skills, she opted to major in biological sciences which she believes requires a lot of memorization.
She is highly passionate and very willing to spend time restoring lengthy scientific terms and complex biochemical processes. Whenever she encountered a new problem, she would find the solutions. She believed every little effort would make a miracle.
When she first entered the laboratory, she could not use the simplest machine PCR. She often asked senior students the operational procedures, basic principles and the purpose of new machines in order to become a junior scientist. She attributes her questioning spirit to her later success.
A girl that takes nothing for granted
Li Xinbei is highly self-disciplined and plans her schedule very carefully, not only in her daily life but also when she goes on holiday. She usually has a fully schedule combining her experiments with her English classes. After preparing for the TOEFL exam since her freshmen year, she finally scored 107.
In terms of scientific research, Li Xinbei has been a member of Professor Ji Shengjian’s research team, specifically focusing on neurodevelopmental biology. Professor Ji Shengjian’s teams provided her with a positive and sustainable research environment. The senior students are willing to help junior students, and everyone exchanges their opinions in order to progress together. Li Xinbei took time to find her interest in neuroscience. She admitted that, “All beginnings start somewhere, but as long as you love the choice you make, you will find interest.”
In 2018, Li Xinbei joined 7 other students of the Department of Biology in a trip to the JHU School of Medicine to participate in summer research projects. She was responsible for a small project related to neuropathic pain. She believed that her experience at JHU will lay the foundation for her future independent research work. On top of the improvement to her scientific research skills, she was attracted to JHU’s efficient scientific research atmosphere. She was amazed to find that no one works overnight at JHU’s lab for they take full advantage of their lab time during the day.
No fears for future, no flights of fancy
Li Xinbei is accustomed to completing her research work efficiently, something she learned at JHU. Returning to SUSTech, she relaxes after a whole day of work through walking on the greenway in Shenzhen and chatting with friends. This is how she entertains herself.
When thinking about the future, Li Xinbei summed it up simply: “I have no fear for the future, no flights of fancy.” She believes in whatever choices she makes with endless passions and motivations. The biological sciences bring academic knowledge and skills, as well as shaping her knowledge and appreciating nature and life.
She thinks that while the 21st century is a century of biology, it is difficult to make abstract biological concepts truly practical if they simply conduct biological research. In her experience, she hopes to devote herself in interdisciplinary research to come up with new ideas in the future.
