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Research and Development
I am interested in complex systems. A system consists of components interacting within its boundary with the rest of the universe (environment). A complex system has an extra constraint; its properties and behaviours cannot be predicted from those of its components in isolation. They arise from intercomponent interactions in a phenomenon known as emergence.
Four important emergent behaviours are self-organisation, hysteresis, adaptation, and nonlinearity. Self-organisation means unplanned order; hysteresis means a system's state depends on its history; adaptation results in resilience despite environmental changes; nonlinearity means a systemic output is not proportional to a relevant environmental input. They are possible because of properties such as agency, heterogeneity, control loops, nested structures, and open boundaries.
Complex systems are found in many disciplines. Prominent examples include chemical plants, embryos, immune systems, tumours, nervous systems, ecosystems, stock markets, social groups, and languages. I investigate biological, social, and intelligent systems.
Ongoing
- Artificial blood vessels for thrombosis, endothelial modelling, and artificial intelligence simulation (ARTEMIS).
- Modelling the effects of phenotypic plasticity on evolutionary and targeted therapies for neuroblastoma.
- 3D reconstruction from 2D human images.
- Miscellaneous artificial intelligence projects.
Completed
- Modifying Schelling's model of segregation to investigate linguistically diverse communities.
- A theoretical study of the MYCN enigma in neuroblastoma.
- Predictive in silico multiscale analytics to support cancer personalised diagnosis and prognosis, empowered by imaging biomarkers (PRIMAGE).
- Modelling neuroblastoma's clonal evolution during chemotherapy.
- Understanding neural crest development at the intracellular level.
- Development of a virtual immune system.
- Classification and clustering of paediatric cancers.
- Mathematical modelling of lymphangiogenesis.
- Earlier projects.
Social Justice Advocacy
Although I identify as aracial, acultural, and agender, I cannot escape being stereotyped as an East Asian male. My quest to understand life has taken me around the world twice and made me a global citizen without a home country, yet a persistent sense of alienation remains. It is the intersectional product of my first-generation immigrant background, minority ethnic background, nomadic academic lifestyle, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, social class dissonance, and discomfort with patriarchy. Motivated by my lived experiences of being an outsider, I advocate social justice. Linguistic justice is the cause closest to my heart.
Ongoing
Completed
- Eight minoritised individuals in scientific computing.
- Equality, diversity, and inclusion at the University of Sheffield.
Yoga
Since I first became a yogi in 2008, it has been a big part of my life. In January 2023, I started my 200-hour yoga teacher training with Ann-Marie Mainprize. In October 2023, 15 years after my first yoga class, I was certified by Yoga Alliance Professionals (now Yoga Pros) as a registered yoga teacher 200RYT. Please refer to my other website if you are interested in arranging a class with me: link.
Chess
My chess career began in 2015 when I was a PhD candidate. I represented the University of Southampton in the Southampton Chess League in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons. It took me nine attempts to win my first rated game. The experience taught me a great deal about resilience and self-belief. In 2018, I won my first nationally rated tournament in Nebraska (Cornhusker State Games, Open U1600 Section) thanks to an unconventional ranking system that favoured me.
After a four-year hiatus, my chess career resumed in 2026, when I finished fourth and earned a cash prize at the 63rd Hull Congress. I now represent St Andrews Chess Club in chess leagues run by the Hull and East Riding Chess Association. I aim to become a FIDE master, but whether I will make it is secondary. I just need a framework within which to improve my game.
Art
Under the pseudonym of 11250205, I attempt to communicate my inner world through art. I started painting poorly when I was a PhD candidate in Southampton, continued in Nebraska and Sheffield, and stopped embarrassing myself after moving to Hull. My plan is to explore digital art next.