Lead nominator: Dr Catherine Nobes, Reader in Cell Biology, School of Medical Sciences
Ming came to Bristol from Thailand in 2009 and is sponsored through a prestigious award from the Thai Government based on academic achievement. Her doctoral studies are focussed on using X-ray crystallography to determine the structures and mechanisms of several key enzymes found within pathogenic organisms. This is a complex field that requires a broad and interdisciplinary approach combining biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and computing. Her studies are both academically challenging and require extensive collaborative working. Ming’s work requires her to do experiments at the advanced Diamond Light Source facility near Oxford, which has involved dealing with complex operating and safety requirements.
Ming’s achievements are made all the more remarkable by the fact that she has been profoundly deaf since birth and, consequently, also has a degree of speech impairment. Despite this, she has reached the very highest and most competitive standards in her chosen field. Ming relies extensively on lip-reading to meet the language requirements for studying at Bristol and to be able to progress her research studies, Ming had to learn English by lip-reading. It is a tremendous tribute to her determination that she has overcome these challenges and, at the same time, worked closely with her department to devise and implement effective and safe working methods for laboratory studies, and means by which she can readily communicate her findings. Ming’s achievements are truly inspirational.
Her nominator says: “Ming is eminently worthy of recognition in view of the tremendous role model she offers to others.”