It was a close family member\u2019s cancer diagnosis that catapulted Po-Jui (Ray) Lin (BSc \u201926) onto the path of oncology.<\/p>\n
A competitive athlete in his home country of Taiwan, Lin initially thought a career in kinesiology would make good use of his skills and expertise.<\/p>\n
He arrived at Brock University four years ago with dreams of becoming a sport physiotherapist \u2014 but life had other plans.<\/p>\n
His growing awareness of injustices in the health-care system shifted his focus to public health studies. Lin even earned a Harvard online certificate on Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care, taught by faculty from Harvard Medical School.<\/p>\n
Then came the devastating news.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe type of lung cancer she has is rare,\u201d Lin says of his loved one who was diagnosed. \u201cThere aren\u2019t a lot of treatment options, and the current standard of care doesn\u2019t really work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fuelled by a desire to help his family and others whose cancer treatment options are limited, he scoured Brock\u2019s research landscape for cutting-edge work in cancer medicines \u2014 and found it in Newman Sze\u2019s lab.<\/p>\n
Sze and his team investigate cancer immunotherapy, an emerging field harnessing the body’s immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, providing the potential for long-lasting therapeutic responses.<\/p>\n
The Professor of Health Sciences and Canada Research Chair in Mechanisms of Health and Disease took Lin on as a full-time undergraduate thesis researcher for one year.<\/p>\n
In that time, Lin gained valuable experience that will serve him well in the next steps in his educational journey and throughout his career.<\/p>\n
He crossed the stage at Brock\u2019s 119th Convocation<\/a> on Tuesday, June 9 and is now pursuing graduate studies at McMaster University with a continued focus on cancer research.<\/p>\n Lin says his time in Sze\u2019s lab \u2014 and at the University overall \u2014 nurtured his professional and personal growth.<\/p>\n \u201cBrock made me a more rounded person who understands and appreciates other people’s stories, struggles and the ideas they bring to the table,\u201d he says. \u201cI was able to get out of my comfort zone and pursue my passion because of all the support Brock provided along the way. I would not be where I am without the support of Brock.\u201d<\/p>\n Sze says Lin joined his laboratory with a \u201cstrong desire to develop research skills in this area and has consistently shown enthusiasm for learning new experimental techniques and scientific concepts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThroughout his time in the lab, Ray has been a dedicated and positive team member who works well with colleagues, and I am excited to see how he continues to grow in his future career,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n During his time at Brock, Lin presented his work at several conferences, including Brock\u2019s Health Sciences research symposiums and Mapping New Knowledges, and at the Niagara Health Knowledge Institute Research Day.<\/p>\n He also brought his passion for health care into the community. As a long-time volunteer in Niagara Health\u2019s Comfort Cart program, he brings supplies and companionship to patients in hospital beds.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of patients experience one of the most traumatic events in their lives by lying there alone, staring at the ceiling with nothing to do all day,\u201d he says. \u201cI go in the rooms, and I treat them as a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n Lin continued his volunteer work on campus, spending three years working one-on-one with a participant in Brock\u2019s Supporting Neurodiversity through Adaptive Programming (SNAP)<\/a> education-based initiative.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve developed such a good friendship,\u201d he says. \u201cWe talk about life, we sing together, we do our tasks while laughing together; it\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Lin also made an impact on campus as an international student ambassador<\/a>, assisting and presenting at orientations, recruitment events and campus tours and hosting cultural events to combat unconscious bias in discrimination.<\/p>\n