A little bit about you:

Born in Taiwan, I moved to Canada when I was 11 and grew up in Vancouver. My career started as an MD in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. When I saw firsthand how rapidly kidney transplantation was able to restore the health of patients with organ failure I became determined to work in the field of transplantation and never looked back. Being a clinician first, Immunology always seemed like a black box, and yet influenced every aspect of my decision-making. With the support of numerous mentors and the UBC Clinician Investigator Program, I took the “path less travelled” in 2013 to cross-train in Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics at the UCLA Immunogenetics Center. I am fortunate that this unique training experience has allowed me to deliver transplant care in its entirety from bench to clinic. Today, my research focuses on the structural biology and immunogenetics of HLA, the role of these molecules in the graft response and immune disease, and the development of molecular assays to monitor immune injury coupled with a systems pharmacology strategy for renal transplantation.

Who inspired you to pursue the career you have today?

Dr. John Gill introduced me to kidney transplantation and continues to be one of my closest mentors today. Dr. Paul Keown has been an important figure in my career – his contributions to transplantation in BC, Canada, and internationally are truly astounding. His work ethics and imagination continue to inspire me every day. At the same time, he has left very big shoes for me to fill!

What do you like the most about your job?

Given the number of hats I wear (researcher, HLA director, clinician) I never have a dull day at work. It’s truly a special privilege and experience when I can contribute to every aspect of a transplant patient’s journey, from performing their pretransplant assays to executing the transplant itself, and to have the opportunity to bring in new technologies that can improve their outcomes.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Trying to be in 3 places at the same time, and coming up with new excuses at 5 pm to tell my wife/kids why I will be late for dinner.

What do you believe has been the greatest advancement for medicine in the last 50 years?

I think the ability to manipulate the immune system represents a tremendous advancement. Obviously I am very biased because of my area of interest, but organ transplantation has played a big role in this progress. The late Dr. Paul Terasaki designed a simple and yet elegant complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay in 1969 which made it possible to avoid hyperacute rejection, paving the path forward to perform organ transplants. This led to a golden era of rapid evolution in the understanding of immunity and parallel developments in diagnostic technologies and immunotherapeutics, which have since transformed the landscape of transplantation, autoimmunity, and oncology.

Going into the future, how do you believe medicine/science may change?

We are currently witnessing a revolution in scientific advancement. As diagnostic assays become more precise, data-driven algorithms further refine risk prediction, and novel therapeutics improve outcomes, physicians in my generation will be able to take all of these converging technologies and tools to have truly informed discussions with patients, and come up with customized treatment plans that are consistent with each individual’s goals of care and values.

What is the most helpful advice you’ve received?

In a niche field like transplantation the scientific community can be very small, and it is inevitable that strong personalities can clash. I have always taken to heart advice from my mentor Dr. Paul Keown (the epitome of a true gentleman) to be as inclusive as possible and to continue building larger networks of collaboration. As Warren Buffett says, “you can always tell someone to go to hell tomorrow.”

What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?

This is a moving target. As my young kids grow up what I enjoy tends to matter less and get replaced by my sons’ favorite things. Our favorite activity these days is to sneak away from my wife and indulge in the best matcha ice cream in Vancouver at Nana’s Green Tea in Kerrisdale.

A day off with my wife Danni and the two boys Jake and John.

What’s something that has surprised you about your chosen career path?

My career path has brought me in contact with a great diversity of scientists, technologists, physicians, and allied health workers - I am constantly amazed by the collaborative nature of our community and the willingness of like-minded people to go over and beyond their call to support the mission of transplantation.

What are some words of wisdom or perhaps inspiration you wish to share with your colleagues?

Whenever I am faced with seemingly impossible dilemmas, the motto from my high school, Sine Timore Aut Favore , has always inspired me to stick to my own character and a core set of values that are important to me, and to deal with whatever fallout that comes without fear or favour .