CPS Grad Spotlight - Matthew Tung

Name: Matthew Tung

MSc or PhD Candidate: PhD Candidate

Location of Undergraduate Education: Joint HBSc. in Chemistry and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University

Name of the Lab at CPS: Beharry Lab

Selected Awards: Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (x2); Ontario Graduate Scholarship

Selected Research Contributions: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ezViAQoAAAAJ&hl=en 

Matthew, please tell us about yourself and your journey as a PhD Candidate!

How did you come to UTM? What interested you to join a lab here?

Nearing the end of my undergraduate degree I wanted to move to a new city to pursue my graduate studies and develop more independence. There were generally four points I considered before joining a lab: the professor, the lab environment, the project and finally the location. With these in mind, the projects Dr. Beharry’s lab was pursuing aligned with my interests (small molecule synthesis and characterization) and I decided to come to UTM initially as a Master’s student to see if I would like the work. Fast forward to now, and I can say that through the ups and downs, I am glad to have stayed for my PhD.

When did you realize that you wanted to pursue a graduate study?

During my undergraduate degree, I volunteered at an inorganic chemistry lab and started to enjoy research but it wasn’t until my co-op at a pharmaceutical company that I decided I wanted to pursue graduate study. At my co-op, all team leads and many of my coworkers had graduate degrees, and it became evident that I would need a graduate degree to continue doing the research that I wanted. In my final year, I completed an honours thesis to further confirm that research is something that I enjoyed and then started to apply to graduate programs in Canada. 

What are your research interests? Tell us few exciting things about your research.

I wanted to do organic synthesis of biologically relevant molecules and in the Beharry lab, we focus on cancer treatment and diagnostics. My projects in particular focus on a cancer treatment called Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). PDT requires a chemical compound called a photosensitizer, and upon shining light onto a photosensitizer, it can fluoresce for detection and react with oxygen to create reactive oxygen species that kill cancerous tissue. With this, most of my projects required some organic synthesis to make the photosensitizers and then testing their fluorescence and reactive oxygen species generation in vitro and in cells.

What is your goal when you finish your degree?

I am leaning towards applying to research positions in industry but at the end of the day, I just want to continue in a position related to science. 

What are some of your achievements you'd like to share?

I am appreciative of all the opportunities that I have had over the years. In particular, I am happy that I have had the chance to attend two international conferences and present my work. During those experiences, I felt that I could demonstrate the growth I’ve had and discuss with my peers. 

Do you have any advice for students considering to pursue graduate studies in research?

I would say to try to volunteer or get a research position in a lab first to see if research interests you. It would also help a lot when applying to graduate school. Other than that, consider if a graduate degree would help you get to do a job that you want, and if you plan your finances properly it can be a great way to live in another city for a couple of years.