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Siyu Chen is a final-year PhD student in Epidemiology at the School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine.  She is currently advancing her research at the University of Oulu in Finland.  

Below, Siyu shares her unique experience in braving extreme weather conditions to uncover the clues in life through her research.

I am conducting research on the early life determinants of type 2 diabetes. Using omics data coming from both the ‘Children of 1997’ Hong Kong Chinese birth cohort (a study established by researchers at HKU that collects data on those born in April and May 1997) and publicly available genome-wide association studies. My supervisor, Professor Ryan Au Yeung, and I aim to identify metabolites and proteins that can explain the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. This is a serious disease, and East Asians are more likely to have type 2 diabetes compared with Europeans at the same body mass index level. I would say I am like a data scientist but with a detective mindset. When epidemiologists analyse data, they not only care about the associations among different variables, but also the biological relevance and potential bias, through which we can orchestrate all the clues to map a possible causal inference. 

Siyu in Finland enjoying new experiences during her research exchange.  

In early 2025, I went to Finland for my exchange research trip, with the recommendation from my supervisor to learn from experts at Oulu. The reason why I choose Finland as the first destination to continue my research work is also full of ‘clues in life’. Finland has a lot of birth cohorts, including the famous Northern Finland Birth Cohorts, NFBC1966 and NFBC1986, which enrolled and followed up people who were born in 1966 and 1986 in this region, administered by the University of Oulu. Birth cohorts usually need a lot of research funding as well as dedication from researchers, but they will generate precious research evidence to improve population health. For example, the ‘Children of 1997’ birth cohort contributed to the evidence for the universal smoking ban in indoor workplaces as well as in many public places in Hong Kong since 2007 based on the effect of second-hand smoke exposure in utero and in early life on the health of infants.  The Research Postgraduate Student Exchange Scheme and the Bau Tsu Zung Bau Kwan Yeu Hing Research and Clinical Fellowship from the LKS Faculty of Medicine provide funding for PhD students to do an exchange overseas, and I appreciate this opportunity and support a lot. 
 
During my time in Finland, the weather was extremely cold – I had never imagined that I would go there for my research. I thought to myself that if I can survive these tough times, I can continue to persevere through anything in the future.  

It turns out that the experience was very fruitful. Researchers here really live up to the phrase ‘work hard, play hard’. They are highly focused at work but also love to spend a long coffee break in the pantry with colleagues. The research environment is friendly but also very independent. Researchers in Finland are extremely driven, self-disciplined, and go at their own pace. I am grateful that I found a CrossFit community in Finland as well, so that I can continue my passion of Olympic weightlifting in Hong Kong with new friends in Finland, and make it through the weather at that time. My exchange supervisor there has even offered me a research position.  

Siyu enjoying weightlifting and CrossFit in Hong Kong.  

I have just passed my viva in mid-November 2025 in Finland. I would be lying if I said that I do not miss life in Hong Kong: I really enjoy the fresh seafood and weather in Hong Kong, but now I have to adjust to Finnish frozen meats. I also miss windsurfing in St. Stephen Beach and the CrossFit gym in Kennedy Town. Nonetheless, it is the experience in HKU that has propelled me to take on challenges and grasp opportunities. HKU has nurtured me into a brave and bold researcher in taking a step to explore the unknown and do what has not been done before.