GBR Spotlight – Ryan
In this edition of GBR Spotlight we are interviewing Ryan. Originally selected as a LoT in 2022, he was one of the organizers of GBRs Voices of Tomorrow Competition. We have asked him to tell us more about his involvement with GBR and what he would do if he didn’t go into science.
Hi Ryan, could you please describe yourself in a few sentences?
I am an extroverted Aquarian who loves the rain and gloomy weather. I’m a daddy of two lovely cats, and a family man. I’m passionate about research, and I enjoy cooking for my chosen family and friends.
Speaking of research, what did you study and where are you from?
I’m originally from the Philippines. My undergraduate degree was in Microbiology. My Master’s was in Environmental Engineering: Aquatic Toxicology, and my doctorate was also in Environmental Engineering with a focus on Wastewater Treatment.
Why did you choose environmental engineering?
I wanted to do be a medical doctor, but studying Medicine in the Philippines is quite pricey. If I didn’t do PhD and have means to do Medicine, I’d be a gastroenterologist now or a Michelin-star chef.
In the near future, I want to work for an MNC that does translational skin research, where I can apply what I’ve learned during my postdoc. Ten years from now, I’ll be a director of research or a CEO of my own company.
Moving on to what you do within GBR, what is your role here and how did you get involved with us?
I’m currently working as one of the organizers for the consulting track for the Voices of Tomorrow Competition 2024.
In 2022, I was selected as a Leader of Tomorrow but wasn’t able to attend the in-person event at the University of Cambridge due to visa issues. My team won 1st runner up at VoT for our solution on the monitoring of markers for transplant rejection.
I like organizing international events and bringing people together so I decided to join GBR to set up the 2024 VoT competition! I’ve done event organization a couple of times on both national and international scale. Since all these events are just part of my volunteer work, it gets a bit stressful at times because I have a full-time job which is also quite demanding.
What do you like most about working for GBR and where do you see the benefit of GBR?
As a postdoctoral researcher, you don’t get to talk to a lot of stakeholders, and you don’t manage a team. Most of the time, we only meet peers who do similar things during conferences, and we’re not exposed to a lot of other fields/professions. Volunteering with GBR exposes me to different things and experiences. I’ve learned that I have a lot of other options to go for, if I decide to leave academia. I’ve never thought of meeting CEOs and other executives, which felt daunting at first, but now, I talk to them and reach out for potential partnerships and collaborations. So far, my experiences with GBR are quite memorable and I look forward to creating more core memories and organizing more events with the team.
You mentioned that you enjoy cooking what is your favorite and what is your least favorite food?
Yes, I think, if I weren’t a scientist, I’d be a chef and have my own restaurant.
My favorite food is probably Sinigang—It’s a Filipino pork dish that has a lot of veggies in it. The broth is a bit tangy from either tamarind or guava. It’s best paired with fish sauce and red chili, and of course, eaten with cooked white rice.
My least favorite food would be insects, and I will never eat them (again)!
That sounds very tasty!
And which three items would you take with you on a lonely island?
Assuming the lonely island has all other things like food, electricity, and other necessities (including internet connection, of course), the three items I’m bringing are the following: my phone, a book I haven’t read yet but have been wanting to read, and a knitting kit.
Ryan, thank you so much for talking with us today and all the best for the rest of the VoT this year!