Candice Fung is a postdoctoral researcher at KU Leuven studying the Enteric Nervous System – the nervous system found in the gut. She completed her bachelor's for biomedical Science, and master's and PhD for science at the University of Melbourne. The concept behind her passion project is simply to share her enthusiasm for art and science through different visual mediums.
By Candice Fung: The Gut-brain Axis.
1.) Understanding that you enjoy both illustration and the sciences, what is your career goal? Why do you find that goal appealing to you?
Until only recently, I’ve kept my art and science quite separate. I’ve always considered science as my vocation and illustration was more of a hobby, and I would like to continue pursuing scientific research as a career. Having said that, I’ve found that my artistic inclinations often inform my approach to science. I’m also gradually discovering ways of more actively applying my illustrative capabilities in my scientific work.
What appeals to me about research is that I’m constantly learning and being exposed to different things. I enjoy the freedom to explore new ideas, and although it is challenging, I also enjoy getting to apply my creativity in problem solving. From my perspective of working in academic research and personal experience, I’ve found it to be a generally positive and culturally diverse environment. There are also many opportunities to travel and meet new people, whether it be for conferences or to work abroad, so that’s always great fun.
2.) What is your story in pursuing science?
I think it stems back to having a general curiosity about things and enjoying the process of observation. Perhaps growing up in Australia with my parents not speaking English played a part in that. Not having a decent grasp on the language until the first year or two of primary school, I grew up striving to comprehend the world around me by piecing together fragments of information largely gathered from visual cues.
Conceptually, it was like working on a giant jigsaw puzzle; thinking about how things work based on observation was an interesting process. I also took to questioning why certain things are the way that they are and enjoyed seeing how different ideas come together.
Naturally, I was drawn to science. However, the critical element in all of this is the immense help and encouragement I’ve received from the multitudes of inspiring, talented, and generous teachers, mentors, and scientists I’ve so fortunately encountered at each step along the way.
3.) What is your story for your interest in art?
As far as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed drawing. I had some wonderful artistic influences in my childhood. Most memorable were the letters my cousin used to send me – alas, they were all in Chinese (which I couldn’t read) but always accompanied by beautiful drawings that were much easier to decipher!
It seems that I’ve been primed from a young age to depend more on visual information and perhaps unknowingly have had a great appreciation for the value of effective visual communication since.
4.) What has been a seminal experience for your passion project? Why?
It began with some figures I made and decided on a whim to include in a presentation for a lab meeting. It was at that point that I found people who really appreciated my illustrations in a scientific context and they encouraged me to do more of it. What was especially valuable was that I also found someone whom I can trust to give me honest and constructive criticism to help me improve.
It was through that experience and supportive feedback that I gained the confidence to apply my illustrative skills more actively in my scientific work. Since then, I’ve realized how useful it can be to be able to create my own figures for presentations and papers. They can often help in simplifying and communicating otherwise convoluted details and concepts. That experience in turn led me to also discover the joy in making more whimsical and lighthearted science-themed art which I hope appeals to a wider audience.
5.) What do you like the most about working on your passion project?
Illustration is a cathartic process for me; it’s something I can do to unwind. I also love the freedom of it – I can openly experiment with endless mediums and ideas. It is only in making scientific figures for work that can be somewhat limiting but part of the fun is in trying to push the creative boundaries as much as possible within the constraints of rigorous science.
6.) What are some major obstacles you encountered working on your passion project?
Mainly just a matter of making time for it. Sometimes, it takes a fair bit of brainstorming to decide on how to best convey a certain idea, but the great thing about it is that I can work at my own pace. Once I have a clear concept in mind, then the work comes with ease and my motivation to create something aesthetic and informative drives the process.
7.) How has your passion project benefited your studies?
A major part of PhD and postdoctoral work is communicating your research findings to different audiences. This might be in the form of an oral or poster presentation at conferences, or publications in academic journals, or it might even be to simply update your colleagues on your progress. In each case, being able to create and apply customized illustrative figures has been useful in conveying information to a range of people in a way that is more approachable, easier to understand, and visually appealing. Personally, I’ve never been a strong oral communicator, but I’ve found the use of visual aids to be also helpful for myself in explaining content.
8.) What characteristics or aspirations do you think a STEM student should have?
Broadly speaking, to me the most obvious characteristics are to have integrity: to have a passion and motivation for learning, and to have a critical, yet open mind.
STEM can be challenging and requires determination, but with a fair dose of optimism I like to believe that where there is a will, there is a way. Resilience is key.
I’m sure many people wanting to pursue STEM are already strongly driven and excel in what they do, but a career in STEM can be incredibly competitive and increasingly so as you progress further. There can be a lot of pressure to perform well, particularly in academia.
However, encountering failure or rejection at one point or other is almost inevitable, whether it be a bad grade, a failed experiment, a rejected paper, or a rejected job or grant application, or even a number of these things all at once. Regardless of the situation, if you manage to find just one positive and learn from the experience, then I think it is enough. The ability to cope with setbacks in a healthy and constructive way is important. There will be chances to try again or alternative opportunities you can pursue as long as you keep an open mind, and you may even discover new possibilities you would’ve never considered otherwise. Be open to exploring different things and taking chances. Also know that it is ok to make mistakes and that it is simply part of the learning and experimental process. While this may be easier said than done, it can come as a great relief if you can come to terms with it.
By Candice Fung: Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep ‘cycling’.
Obviously, everyone is different, so I feel it’s also important to be able to critically assess your own strengths and weaknesses. Play to your strengths, but also strive to step out of your comfort zone to improve on things you aren’t so good at. Again, it’s easier said than done, but it’s something I try to work towards. The most interesting results can come from adversity. In any case, STEM is so diverse, we definitely need an equally diverse range of people with different characteristics and skills to come together and learn from one another in order for us to advance.
Interviewer's Takeaway:
Candice describes the characteristics of a STEM student quite well: it requires grit, determination, and the sacrifice of temporary fall-backs to be strong, stable, and impactful in the STEM field.
Like everything in life, being born with a talent isn't enough; so many factors come into play to make a person successful, such as outside support and individual mindset. Candice is, without a doubt, talented in science and art, but the driving force towards her success was the fact that she experimented with ideas, fearlessly striving for her goals.
Through the process of victory and failure, she gained experience and started understanding what her audience needed or wanted to see, what things she could change for her next experiment, etc.
The moral of this interview: just go for it. Don't let failures pull you back from your potential!
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Thank you Candice Fung for agreeing to this interview. Please follow her on instagram: @science_visuals and check out her other works!
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