Birth Annoucement - Atticus

Libretto Script Blue Birth Announcement

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Graduation and Beyond

Five years ago, I started a journey that was more challenging than I had ever expected -- gave up my work in IT and began a study in a subject that was totally new to me. I guess the most difficult thing is that, as a PhD student in the States, you will never know when exactly you can graduate until the very last minute. Knowing the nature of research, it should not be anything surprising; however, getting through it is really another matter. Like what in the PhD comics, it is absolutely not easy to see all the achievements (buying houses, getting promotions, having children, etc) of your friends in the same year while you are still a student at the ground level :-P

I wasn't sure I had made a right decision, and I am still not sure yet. Nevertheless, I have certainly learnt a lot in many aspects throughout the years, which I am sure I would not have time to learn or even think about it if I were still working in Hong Kong. With no doubt, doing a PhD is definitely a tough process. But in retrospect, its certainly an unforgettable and fruitful experience for life. So yes, by the time of this writing, I have basically graduated or otherwise I would be still complaining this and that :-) I am delighted to annouce that I successfully defended my thesis on May 20 followed by the submission of it on May 25.

So what's next? there must be a reason for taking one and a half months to update this blog :-P In the past two months, I was super duper busy not only with preparing for my graduation, but also with packing things for relocation -- because I got a Postdoc offer at Stanford starting from June. (Postdoc is actually a postdoctoral training for one to three years after a PhD degree.) So yes, I am still sort of a student, and looking forward to get a permanent job some day :-)

Last but not least, my graduation would not be possible without the support from all my friends, families and especially my dearest wife. Thank you!

My Graduation Progress

Just submitted the first draft of my thesis and the presentation for the defense to my advisor. Now waiting for confirming the date of defense and I will be all set for my PhD! Can't wait to move on and start something new in somewhere new :-)

New Way To Locate Big Genetic Variants

Finally published my paper. And its on Yale News too!

New Haven, Conn. — Yale University researchers, analyzing hundreds of billions of bits of genetic information, have collated and standardized 2,000 signposts that mark the boundaries of large blocks of human genomic variants.


See more...

Citation: Lam et al. Nucleotide-resolution analysis of structural variants using BreakSeq and a breakpoint library. Nature Biotechnology. 2010 Jan;28(1):47-55. Epub 2009 Dec 27.

PubMed ID: 20037582

The Dolphin has arrived

My wife has finally come to the States. After separating for almost two years since our marriage, we are now experiencing the same 'honeymoon' period like the couple months after we just got married. It's sweet, it's life. Of course, I started to have a pretty 'up-scale' catering provided, as you can see from her new blog, Dolphin-icious:

http://dolphinicious.blogspot.com/

Good Science vs. Bad Science

I find the following article quite interesting, but it is quite true. So good or bad, its up to your choice.

http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200908/zerogravity.cfm

The most high-tech flight

Yes, the most high-tech flight I have ever taken - Virgin America. Not to mention the romantic blue light of the cabin, just the touch screen of the LCD display is what I have been longing. But more surprising is the Internet service on the flight! Yes, its Internet, the one that now you are using to read this blog. Can't believe? me too. I can't even believe in the quality and the pricing. How much? its 5.95 (promotion, originally 12.95) for the long haul. Just can't beat. With such a service and convenience, it's worth every penny. What more is that the whole entertainment system is so nice. Not only you can watch movie and some TVs, but also order food and drinks electronically. And for Google fans, you definitely can't miss it because it uses Google Map for GPS, fancy enough? Richard Branson, you are really changing the world! At least the way people do business.

Written on the plane from San Francisco towards New York, while flying over Iowa.

再度蜜月

兩個月的假期很快便過去了,一轉眼就離開了香港四年多的時間,實是一段很不容易的日子.這幾年間發生了很多大大小小的事情,亦有一些很大的人生轉變,包括暫停了五年多的IT工作,攻讀博士學位,結婚,等等等等.回想起結婚的種種,就好像是昨天的事一樣.今次的旅程又把我帶回了三藩市,令我不禁又想起跟太太的夢幻蜜月之旅,起點就正是三藩市.已經是兩年了,但感覺仍像昨日.雖然今次暫不能跟太太一起回美國,但相信好快就可以團聚.今次回港,不同的是幾乎沒有跟朋友會面.原因有二,一是真的希望再聚的時候可以知道自己何時畢業和未來去向,二是希望可以多一點時間跟太太相處.很開心的是令次可以跟太太慶祝生日和兩週年紀念,而且我們的週年慶祝是到廸士尼,就好像再度蜜月,浪漫非常.事在變,人也在變.一樣的三藩市,不一樣的人...這更教人要珍借所擁有的,為擁有而開心,為相聚而感恩.