To further promote Macao students’ interest in health sciences and inspire their scientific perspectives, the University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) organises the “Laboratory Work Experience Programme” on an ongoing basis. With the guidance of different research teams, the students in this programme can participate in some research projects from a variety of fields, through which they can gain hands-on experience in conducting experiments and operating relevant instrument, both of which help broaden their academic horizons.
Thomas Ka Hon CHAN conducted live cancer cell culture and related anti-cancer drug trials under the guidance of Prof. Henry Hang Fai KWOK’s research team. He was sincerely grateful to Prof. Kwok and his research team for their guidance and patience. From the initial observation to the subsequent experiments, he gained useful experimental skills during these two months, including protein extraction and detection, cell culture, etc. According to him, these experimental experiences allow him to have a deeper understanding of scientific research, and are exceedingly beneficial to his future studies and research work.
Antonia Hak Kei WONG joined Prof. Edwin Chong Wing CHEUNG’s research team for more than one month. Under the guidance of PhD Student Bo LI, Antonia learned abundant basic laboratory skills, including cloning, plasmid extraction, Western blot analysis, etc. She said that she was empty-headed in scientific research before entering the lab. She conducted the experiments from scratch and learned from zero, and at the end, she could complete some basic experiments on her own. She was very grateful to Prof. Cheung and his team members’ authentic instructions, which help her improve herself, cultivate her scientific thinking and soak in the fun of research during the summer vacation.
The students all recongised the programme to be a very precious opportunity to take part in university research. The students conducted relevant research work, through which they obtained better experimental skills. They also further understood the essence and the progress of the research work by participating in the regular laboratory meetings. The flexible timetable of the “Summer Laboratory Work Experience Programme” allows the students to optimise their leisure time by participating in different research projects to obtain first-hand experimental experience and gain the fun of research in accordance with their own schedule.
FHS has been regularly organising various science popularisation activities for the past decade, including science talks, the Pursuit of Research, the Health Sciences Summer Camp, and a one-day camp for students in the Principals’ Recommended Admission Scheme. These activities align with the philosophy of FHS in these 10 years to pursue the sustainable development of scientific research and promote a close integration of science popularisation and education.
Thomas Ka Hon CHAN replenishes cell medium under the supervision of Prof. Henry Hang Fai KWOK
Antonia Hak Kei WONG observes experimental results through the microscope