Andrew's experience with scientific research began in high school when he helped in his brother's lab by refilling pipette tips.

In biomedical laboratories, pipette tips are one of most commonly used items. Loading the tips into racks is a simple but repetitive task.

Andrew was then attending St. George's School in Vancouver, Canada, and his older brother was studying for a PhD in biomedical sciences in the same city. Every weekend, Andrew accompanied his brother to the lab, where his brother conducted experiments in the clean room, and Andrew assisted by refilling pipette tips outside.

Prior to studying in Canada, Andrew attended kindergarten and primary school at YCIS Shanghai, where he was part of the first class of YCIS Shanghai Pudong. Andrew's academic performance was unremarkable, and he describes himself as one of the school's naughty students. 

"Probably none of my teachers or classmates, including myself, would have guessed that I could end up in the scientific research industry," he said.

His early school memories are vague and limited; he remembers only a few specific scenes. Because he is from China's Taiwan region, he had learned traditional Chinese characters. In Chinese classes, Ms Mary Yu, his teacher, therefore wrote simplified Chinese characters on one side of the board and the corresponding traditional Chinese characters on the other side. At that time, the school often invited artisans to campus so that the students could experience Gongfu tea ceremony and make mooncakes. During the World Cup, the school's football coach arranged for the students to watch the matches together.

At the end of Year 7, Andrew went to Vancouver for secondary school. His interest in STEM subjects grew as a result of his exposure in his brother's lab.

Andrew explained, "When I found a new research direction, I felt something very exciting, especially since the discoveries were the result of my own experiments, and I could proudly say, 'Look at my beautiful data.'"

In 2013, Andrew enrolled at the University of California, Santa Cruz, majoring in molecular biology. After graduating in 2017, he began his work at Stanford University School of Medicine as a life science researcher. In 2019, he returned to Shanghai with his brother to establish Omni Biologics, focusing on biomedical research and the commercialisation of research findings.

He reconnected with his alma mater, YCIS, and became a Job Shadow Programme partner.

As part of the school's career and university guidance, YCYW students can apply to participate in the Job Shadowing Programme after completing their IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams. Through the Job Shadow Programme, students can gain experience in a real-life work environment and thus explore their suitability for the industries that interest them.

Andrew strongly supports the goals of this programme. Having participated in laboratory internships since the summer after his first year at the university, he understands the unique insights and learning experiences that internships can provide beyond the classroom.

"Making mistakes on an exam would affect your grade only slightly, and this would have no real impact on the world. However, during an internship, when you make a big mistake, it will affect not only your own work, but also that of others in the lab. This is when you realise that there are consequences of your actions, and you must have a sense of responsibility," he said.

This realisation came from a mistake Andrew made during his first internship. One day in the laboratory, Andrew needed to perform an experiment dissolving an animal bone, but he carelessly used the wrong chemicals. As a result, corrosive gas was generated, and this caused the plastic film of the ventilating equipment to corrode.

The PhD student supervising Andrew did not scold him harshly, but Andrew still remembers what the PhD student said, "Everyone makes mistakes, and the mistake you made this time is very serious. If you don’t understand my instructions, you must ask me. I won't be angry at you for not knowing, or blame you for doing it wrong, but you must not make this same mistake again."

Andrew has the same rigorous yet tolerant attitude when working with interns from YCYW schools.

The internships at Omni Biologics laboratories can last for one or two months, and Andrew hopes the participants will make good use of this time to experience the joys and challenges of scientific research, rather than squandering their time. Therefore, if he notices that some students are lax in their time management, he will address the issue carefully and help the students to re-examine their internship schedules.

Through their internships, students can gain a clearer understanding of their professional goals and what they want to study at the university, for example, whether they are more interested in clinical medicine or laboratory research. 

"I think internships are rewarding because students can find out what interests them. When they tell me that they don't like something, I think it means that the internship was not in vain—they have tried something early," he said.

Students do not need to have all the answers when they start thinking about their future plans, but the sooner they start, the better. This is the message Andrew hopes to convey to the students.

He explained further, "We don't have to follow a path that seems 100 per cent foolproof. While students are still in school, they might want to explore something that interests them, such as art or music, even if others would not regard these as the best choices. After trying, you might realise that such fields are not right for you, but at least you have gained some experience. During this process, if someone can support you when you stumble, you would undergo only a minor setback rather than a major one. Students should seize and cherish such opportunities."