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Track: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Age: 24
Hometown: Madison, Wis. |
Born in Harbin, China, Jin Cui immigrated to Madison, Wis., as a 6-year-old with her parents, who are scientists. Jin is a third-year Ph.D. student in Mayo Graduate School. Every three to four years she returns to China to visit family and friends.
"I had the opportunity to travel to China recently with my fiancé," explains Jin. "My family in Harbin expressed much pride over what I have achieved. Culturally we place a high value on education, and when I contrast the possibilities I have here at Mayo Clinic with the lack of facilities and opportunity that my family has in China, it inspires me to do more and go even further with my research."
Jin works in a vascular trafficking lab at Mayo Clinic. Her thesis project examines proteins that regulate cellular transport.
"I really enjoy the area of cellular trafficking," says Jin. "I feel like it will lead to a lot of interesting drug findings. Eventually, I hope that some of these drug findings will provide possible answers for cancer."
Jin has always been fascinated with scientific research. She loves to figure out how organisms work, as part of the process for finding answer to the health problems of today.
"We live in a complicated world and research enables me to examine small pieces of the puzzle," says Jin. "As part of my training, Mayo has done a great job preparing me by providing a broad exposure to medical science in addition to training in my specific field."
Jin loves the personal nature of the research community at Mayo Clinic.
"I wanted to be at a school where high-quality research is built out of a close-knit research community," explains Jin. "I found what I was looking for here in Rochester. Mayo has great facilities and continually offers opportunities to expand my research. The equipment is up-to-date, and the lab environment provides plenty of space. And, thankfully, funding is not an issue for Ph.D. students who study here."
Jin and her fiancé Jonathon plan to marry in the fall of 2006.
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