Full name

Department where you did your PhD

Electrical Engineering

PhD supervisor

Dr. Chris Proctor / Dr. George Malliaras

Title of PhD thesis

Thick Conducting Polymer Coatings for Safe Electric Field Delivery to the Spinal Cord

Year of study

(start year – finish year)

2021 - 2025

Current place of employment

N/A

Position at place of employment

N/A

Email address

yoa21@cam.ac.uk

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Where are you at the moment? 

 I recently submitted my PhD thesis and successfully defended my viva. I am currently in a transition period, preparing to move into a new role in medicine and or engineering. In the meantime, I spend most of my time engaging in activities I enjoy, such as sports, leading my startups, and music.

Tell us about your time at the University

I am a licensed medical doctor by training. Prior to starting my PhD, I was working as a doctor while also managing my healthcare technology startup. I have long been deeply interested in the intersection between medicine and engineering, and I chose to pursue a PhD in Engineering, with a focus on neurotechnology, because it is a pioneering field with significant potential to improve the understanding and treatment of neurological conditions.

I chose Cambridge because it offered the right balance of academic excellence, entrepreneurship, sport, world class facilities, and mentorship. One of my most enduring memories from the programme was the moment I was finally able to demonstrate that the device I built functioned as intended. Prior to this, the existing literature suggested that such a device designed to scale electrochemical performance would not be feasible. This was a bold and uncertain risk, and I am fortunate that it ultimately proved successful. I still remember how excited my supervisor was when I should him the first preliminary results. We subsequently filed a patent for the device.

 Beyond my academic work, I was actively involved in entrepreneurship during my first two years at Cambridge. I founded and led the enterprise society at my college, Lucy Cavendish, where we organised several successful programmes. The society supported and mentored students interested in entrepreneurship through strategic collaborations and regularly hosted events featuring senior executives from leading organisations, including Apple and Google Health.

Music also played a significant role throughout my studies. I had the opportunity to perform at my college on a few occasions, but most often, I played informally with close friends and for loved ones or, for personal reflection in the music room. The music room was one of my favourite hideouts. Music remained a consistent part of my daily routine, and I spent considerable time in the music room.

Another major highlight of my time at Cambridge was boxing. The club became a second home to me, and I competed in university bouts, ultimately earning the Full Blue medal, the highest sporting honour, awarded to athletes at the University of Cambridge. Joining the boxing club was one of the most valuable decisions I made. I could talk all day about the benefits of boxing and why everyone should experience boxing.

Tell us about your experiences since leaving the University 

My immediate goal is to return to clinical and or engineering work. Alongside this, I intend to continue developing my startups.

 One of my proudest achievements to date is my health care technology company, Summer Health Limited. Although we are a small team, we have accomplished a great deal with limited resources and have formed partnerships with several reputable institutions. This journey has been both challenging and rewarding.

Looking ahead, I am excited about the opportunities that lie before me. I am committed to further advancing work at the intersection of healthcare and technology.

You would be surprised at how literally everyone in Cambridge is impressive. Almost every conversation I had left me in awe. You meet people working on life-changing ventures and individuals with exceptional skill sets. I cannot stress enough the importance of being intentional about speaking with others, with the goal of building meaningful connections. It’s Cambridge. Everyone is impressive.

 As for words of encouragement, I’d say always remember why you started the journey. Maybe it’s for your mum, or for yourself, or for another loved one. Whatever the reason may be, you’ll need that reminder in tough times. It helps build fortitude.

https://pubs.aip.org/aip/aed/article/1/3/036104/3352160/Thick-conducting-polymer-films-for-ultra-low

https://pubs.aip.org/aip/apb/article/7/4/046109/2919536/Finite-element-analysis-of-electric-field