Shery Huang

Dr Shery Huang is a University Lecturer in Bioengineering in the Department of Engineering and Director of Studies in Physics at Homerton College. Her research is highly multi-disciplinary in nature, focusing on tissue engineering and biomaterial printing.

It’s relatively rare for an early career researcher to have four PhD students and it’s not common to get a lectureship before thirty. I feel that I have achieved this because I am very focused and extremely passionate about my research. I am also good at seeing opportunities and grabbing them.

I came over from China as an overseas student at the age of seventeen. After school in Loughborough, I moved to London and initially found it pretty isolating. I was quite a shy person, but I gradually gained my confidence through various experiences, such as undertaking voluntary work around London and performing on stage with the university contemporary dance company. During this time, I also discovered my passion for research and realised that I liked having the time and space to explore scientific problems. I guess you can choose whether to spend your time in college or in the lab, and for me it’s all about having a passion for science. I have a lot of curiosity and I want to know why something happens rather than just accept that it does.

“I have a lot of curiosity and I want to know why something happens rather than just accept that it does.”

After my undergraduate degree, I came to Cambridge for a PhD and by my third year I had decided I wanted to pursue an academic career. I applied for lots of fellowships but was not able to secure any of them. Through that experience I learnt I had to improve myself and be more focused on my work in order to be more prepared the next time around. This approach led me to obtain an Oppenheimer Fellowship jointly with a Homerton College Junior Research Fellowship. How did I cope with the initial knockbacks? I guess it’s my personality. You just have to tell yourself that you believe you can do it, and you have to persevere. If I face a challenge, I may initially complain, but in the end I get on and do something about it. I guess I am resilient.

I currently hold a University Lectureship in Bioengineering. I lead a group of four PhD students, as well as a number of project students, and I have high expectations of their academic and research performance. I don’t have a particularly formal management style, and I don’t fix the times when they come into or leave the lab. I want to encourage them to take personal responsibility for how much they are going to get out of their PhD. I think an open working style leads to more creativity, so I guide them for about 20 per cent of the time, but for the other 80 per cent I like them to explore by themselves.

“If you believe in what you want to do, then you need to retain the commitment, focus and motivation to do it.”

In terms of role models, I admire Professor Athene Donald and Professor Lisa Hall. They are both pioneers in their scientific fields. Previously there weren’t many female scientists, but they were able to hold on and get to where they are today through hard work and outstanding research. Dr Kate Pretty, the previous Principal of Homerton College, is another role model of mine. Despite having held very prominent positions, Kate remains very down to earth, and she is very giving to the college and its students. Throughout her tenure she continued to conduct supervision and teaching in college. In my view, education is one of the ways you can really change people’s minds and ideas. If you can educate a person, then they educate others, and this can have a great knock-on effect. Education really has the potential to make a significant positive change to society.

When I become more senior, I shall try to hold on to my core values. Even if the environment is competitive, I still want to focus on helping people. In some ways I’m quite idealistic. I know the world is imperfect, but I guess it’s good to hold on to an ideal in order to improve it. If you believe in what you want to do, then you need to retain the commitment, focus and motivation to do it. I feel that in my role as a scientist and a lecturer, I can potentially make a difference to society through my research and the students I teach. This is what makes my job satisfying.