Yuhao Chen, a visiting PhD candidate from Zheijiang University in China, spent six months honing his computational biology research at Pitt. Living and working in Pittsburgh was a transformative experience for Chen.
“I think the University of Pittsburgh has a very strong impact over the world, especially for me personally,” he said. “My PhD work is mainly focused on single cell biology analysis, and this topic is very consistent with Xing lab.”
While studying in China, Chen read papers published by Professor Jianhua Xing and was inspired to reach out about coming to Pittsburgh to collaborate. Xing was eager to welcome Chen, who arrived in April and left in October.
Chen and members of the Xing lab worked on creating a machine learning model of cell differentiation using single cell sequencing data.
“The Xing lab has very strong mathematical backgrounds,” Chen said. “And this is a very important skill for me because I graduated with a biology background. Now, I not only have to think like a biologist, but also like a mathematician.”
In addition to the mathematical prowess he gained in the Xing lab, Chen also enjoyed the collaborative culture of American universities. He recalled going to conferences, meeting with colleagues from other institutions like UPMC, and attending the department retreat at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in May.
“I met students and professors in other labs who gave me suggestions for improving my work and living in Pittsburgh,” he said.
He and his lab mates visited downtown Pittsburgh, explored local hiking trails and dined at their favorite restaurants. Chen also attended his first baseball game while rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC park. He considers himself more of a basketball fan, but he enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere of the game.
“It’s the people living in Pittsburgh that gave me a strong impression of the place,” he said.
Chen has returned to China to finish the last year of his PhD, but he leaves Pitt with new ideas and enduring friendships. He and the Xing lab have plans for future collaborations. They still meet remotely every week and are working on publishing their article.
He leaves prospective visiting scholars with one piece of advice: “They should just enjoy themselves while they’re here, because Pitt has very professional specialists in different areas who will give great guidance in their area. So definitely enjoy life at Pitt.”