Dr Tianyi Sun

What made you want to pursue a career in science?
I always think doing scientific research is really a cool thing. It’s full of unknowns yet full of realisations. Every little breakthrough will eventually contribute to the improvement of human wellbeing, which makes it really rewarding.

What drives you and excites you about your job?
I’m particularly inspired by the thought that, one day, my research could lead to new ways to treat cardiac diseases. This possibility motivates me to keep pushing forward, knowing that the work I’m doing could make a difference in people’s lives.

What are the high points of your career so far?
One of my high points during my early career stage happened in my DPhil study. In the first year of my PhD, I attended the BHF CRE conference and met a postdoc working on tissue clearing. This communication sparked the idea of applying tissue clearing techniques to heart tissue, which presented unique challenges due to the heart’s complex structure. I optimized the protocol specifically for cardiac tissue and reached out to Zeiss, initiating a collaboration to utilize their latest Lightsheet microscopy technology. This partnership allowed me to generate incredibly detailed images of the heart. Ultimately, this research led to a published paper.

The most recent high point in my career has been receiving the BHF immediate fellowship. I’m especially proud as this represents the recognition of my work in the past years.

What obstacles have you had to overcome?
One of the initial obstacles I’ve faced in my academic journey is the language barrier, as I’m not a native English speaker. Communicating complex ideas and writing academically in a second language presented challenges, especially early on. However, I’ve worked consistently to improve my language skills and continue to do so.

What advice would you give to early career researchers and students looking to develop their careers – what lessons have you learned? What would you recommend and what would you counsel them against?
I think it is important to talk to people at different career stages before making any career decisions. People at early career stage, intermediate stage and senior professional levels will give different reflection about how their experiences, gain and loss. Also, I think a career in academia requires persistence and patience – it will eventually give intellectually and is emotionally rewarding in the long term.