Researcher & Builder
Hello
So… Who am I?
Instead of just listing out my experiences, I would like to present my philosophy, because the principles define me much better than any noun can.
Let us explore who I am through the lenses of these principles.
Three Guiding Principles
There are three guiding principles that I follow:
1. I believe in the power of interdisciplinary knowledge and cooperative thinking
2. I stand by pragmatism when it is needed, but I am a scientist at heart.
3. I endeavor to improve the human condition, or better to help humanity move towards a higher platform.
1A. I Believe in Interdisciplinary Thinking
Since childhood, I’ve been curious about many subjects—math, physics, chemistry, biology, history, and more. Each gave me a different way to understand the world.
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I like to think of reality as a cake. Every subject offers a different slice. Some slices have more icing, some more base, but no single slice gives the full picture. Only by combining slices do we see the whole cake.
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Though my current research focuses on optimization, causal inference, and machine learning, I continue to explore beyond. I study epistemology, am a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, an amateur astronomer, and once produced the first Chinese drama in Cambridge. My thirst for learning never stops.
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Where this passion comes from, I don’t know. Maybe my multicultural upbringing (Canada, USA, UK, China), maybe my parents, who showed me how education changed our lives. But what I do know is:
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I love learning.
1B. I Value Teamwork
Because I value different perspectives, I love working with others . Everyone has a unique skill or insight that can unlock problems I can’t solve alone.
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While I’ve earned individual awards (like AIME, AMC), I’m prouder of team efforts—like helping fast-track a COVID-19 vaccine by 8 weeks, or co-developing a patented water-filtering nanotech with a 3-person team. Together, we achieved more than we ever could alone.
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I learn from other viewpoints and enjoy the variety they bring. After all, it takes many slices to understand the full reality.
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I’m a team player—and always will be.
2A. I Balance Science and Practicality
As a mathematician BY TRAINING, I love understanding ideas deeply. But in the real world, we often don’t have the time or resources for full mastery before acting.
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When needed, I shift to a practical mindset: find what works, test it rigorously, and move forward. I return to the science later, because I can’t leave questions unanswered.
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Still, I believe in constant progress. What’s cutting-edge today may be outdated tomorrow. I aim to explore new ideas early, so I’m ready when change comes.
3. I Want to Help Humanity Move Forward
We live in a time of abundance and innovation—but also of urgent global challenges: climate change, AI risks, biotechnology, and more. Solutions must come within our lifetime.
I can’t solve these alone, but I want to contribute.
My key focus areas are:
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Scalable optimization for complex ML problems
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Applying AI in high-stakes areas like healthcare and policy
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Building trustworthy evaluation tools to ensure real-world impact
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My goal is to help build systems that improve lives and lay the foundation for a better future.