Yitian is pursuing a PhD in pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet

What did you study as an undergraduate (bachelor)?

I studied pharmacy in the first two years of my bachelor and then focused on pharmacology in the last two years at the China Pharmaceutical University.

Why did you choose the Master programme in Toxicology?

We had Toxicology course during my bachelor and I found it's very interesting. The Toxicology Programme in KI has a long history and is unique in Europe. Although I found it's quite different from the Toxicology course I had before, it really provide comprehensive knowledge (for both theoretical and practical aspects) in toxicology field. I feel really lucky that I had chosen this programme.

Where did you conduct your MSc thesis and what was it about?

I conduct my thesis in Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at KI. It's about genetic predisposition of pharmacokinetic genes and in vitro assessment of drug toxicity in liver. The nice thing is that the Master programme in Toxicology gives you an idea of what you want to do in the future and provide you the resources to really do it.

Looking back on your time at KI and the Master programme in Toxicology, what is the most valuable thing that you learned?

The most valuable thing that I learned from the Mater programme in Toxicology is how to learn as a team and realization of how important my teammates are.

Where are you and what are you doing now?

I'm still in Karolinska Institutet and pursuing my PhD degree at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. I found the research environment here is excellent and all the effort you made will pay off in the end.

What made you decide on this career?

Studying as a PhD student has been my target for many years. I think the experience of doing research during PhD is necessary to really understand this field and underlying the future career of both inside or outside academia.