Join Us!

Gabriel Kwok , Medical Student, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry

Hello there! My name is Gabriel, and I am a medical student based in London. I joined StroCar in my second year of medical school to pursue and develop longstanding interests in both clinical research and heart-brain interactions. Everyone – clinicians and researchers alike – ultimately depends on the same evidence base to deliver life-saving care to patients. Conversely, without this evidence base, no one would truly have the authority needed to make these critical decisions, quite a scary prospect indeed! It is vital, then, that our evidence remains current and oriented to patients’ needs.

It has been a joy and privilege partaking in real-world research projects at the cutting edge of clinical medicine. StroCar’s training process is very hands-on, which has proven immensely rewarding and helped me progress faster than I ever could have imagined. Research is always challenging, of course, but the team has been incredibly welcoming and supportive, with seniors and mentors readily on hand to guide me along every step of the way. I have truly learned so much about such a wide range of topics from my time here, and it has been lots of fun too! If you are passionate about health evidence and making a difference, I would definitely encourage you to join this nurturing and inspiring community!

Ming Yi , Medical Student at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU

Hello! I am Ming Yi, a medical student from NTU LKC School of Medicine.

I first approached Dr Benjamin Tan in M3 to try seeking out research opportunities and was introduced to StroCar. Despite having zero experience with clinical research, I was given the opportunity to start a project that was pitched at an appropriate level for me. The immense support provided by StroCar’s dedicated and approachable team of mentors allowed me to feel well-supported throughout the entire journey. Apart from their close mentorship and guidance every step of the way, I especially appreciated how the doctors would always encourage us to try out something new and more difficult after each project ended, pushing us to expand our skillsets. It was also eye-opening to be involved in a wide range of projects such as in the growing fields of ESUS and DMVO for which there is still much to be researched on.

In my past year in StroCar, I am grateful to see several projects come to publication. I have learnt an immense amount from the mentors and my peers, stepped out of my comfort zone, and had lots of fun being inspired by a passionate community of researchers. This has definitely been one of my most fulfilling experiences in medical school!

Enver Loh , Medical Student at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU

I first joined StroCar at the end of M3, and have been grateful for the experience since. I especially appreciate the approachable mentors and seniors who offer their guidance along each step of the way, from conception of the research idea to data analysis and manuscript preparation. I've also enjoyed the community of fellow researchers whom I've had the opportunity to connect with, learn from and be inspired by. The StroCar collaboration consistently engages in pertinent and impactful research in the field, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for us!

Keith Toh , Medical Student at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU

Hi! I’m Keith, a medical student from NTU LKC School of Medicine. My research experience began in Year 3, when I was introduced to StroCar. Together with my nascent experiences in clinical postings, I developed a keen interest in research as a means for advancing medical care.

My experience with StroCar has been nothing short of amazing. Despite having zero research experience, I was able to successfully see several papers through to publication, and that is thanks to the incredible mentoring offered by the seniors at StroCar. I learnt numerous research skills, ranging from systematic reviews, statistical analysis, manuscript writing & communication with journals.

It was an inspiring experience to be able to see research from the start to the end, and seeing our efforts crystallise and generate new, exciting conclusions to deliver better care for patients. I was also given the opportunity to present at conferences, including the International Stroke Conference 2023 in Texas, which is something I never imagined I would achieve as a medical student. I would encourage anyone with an interest in research and advancing medical care to join StroCar, no matter your research aptitude or experience.

Siah Qi Zhuang , Cardiff University School of Medicine

Hello! I am Qi Zhuang and recently graduated from Cardiff University School of Medicine. I am currently enrolled in a part-time MSc course whilst working as a full-time doctor.

I started developing an interest in research during my summer research internship in one of the laboratories in Cardiff. My thought at that time was, “Wow, research sounds really cool!” From then on, I actively sought research opportunities within the UK and internationally. In late 2020, I stumbled upon the student recruitment post on the StroCar Twitter account and registered my interest right away. I got one of my closest friends, Tiffany to sign up with me too.

At that time, Tiffany and I had zero exposure to SRMA. I remembered our initial meeting with the StroCar mentors, Ching Hui, Benjamin, Leonard and Jamie, was nerve-wracking as we did not know what they expected of us. However, they repeatedly reassured us and offered us adequate guidance throughout. Despite the time-zone difference between the UK and Singapore, we seemed to make it work. They were super patient with us even when we needed to take breaks to study for our final examinations.

This experience has opened up a lot of avenues for me. Not only have I learned how to conduct systematic reviews properly, but I have also learned to be more resilient in my academic career. Tiffany and I almost gave up on our first SRMA project as we faced multiple rejections, but we persevered through with the support received from the team. And we are extremely pleased with the end results - two publications in Pub-Med indexed journals.

Yao Hao , Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Hi everyone! I am Yao Hao, a recent graduate from medical school and now in house officer year. I was from House 2, and I am passionate in things that will help my community and improve patient care! In my early medical years I have had the joy to be a part of organising events like public health service, house events, and going on overseas CIP trips.

I first joined StroCar in Year 2, a heart-brain research group, in order to dabble in academic work as I saw through my M1/2 studies how research can help to impact patient care. As someone who values growth, fun, and good companions, I found it thoroughly enjoyable. In these few years, I was exposed to a range of interesting projects examining areas of medicine that we know very little about, such as ESUS which literally translates to 'embolic stroke of undetermined source'! While the journey definitely pushed me to face my weaknesses and do my best, I found it meaningful. I became better, grew alot, and most of all made many good friends here. The mentors here, Dr Ching Hui, Dr Benjamin, and Dr Leonard are patient, looks out for us, and helped to answer our questions, no matter how stupid they sometiems are. They guide me and made me understand why I am doing what I am doing, and pushed me to try for things I didn't think was possible.

Having recently graduated from medical school, owing to StroCar's mentorship and research community, we have also achieved nice recognition along the way - such as the outstanding undergraduate research prize, the undergraduate research programme's top prize, and the dean's fellow. More importantly, I have gotten to know an entire community of fun, driven, and great friends in doing research and this has been one of my best decision in medical school. I will strongly encourage anyone with a curious mind, who values hardwork and community and have an interest to do more beyond studies, to consider joining this community. It will be worth it, you will love it!

Claire Goh , Medical Student, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

My first foray into medical research was under the guidance of Dr Benjamin and the team at Strocar. There, they provided excellent mentorship and patiently walked us through the entire research process - from conception to publishing. Being aware of our limited experience in both Medicine and research as first-years, the team took the initiative to clarify our understanding of clinical concepts, ensuring that we fully grasped key ideas and methodologies. With the team regularly following our progress and giving timely constructive feedback, I felt well-supported throughout the entire duration of the research project. The team is extremely approachable, and never failed to respond swiftly to any questions we raised. The Strocar team’s dedicated efforts to advance scientific knowledge in their field of research is truly inspiring!

Jamie Ho , Cambridge University

Hi I am Jamie, a second year doctor in the UK, hoping to become a cardiologist in the future. I first got involved with clinical research when I came to Singapore for my medical elective, where I met Dr Benjamin, Dr Ching-Hui and Dr Leonard, the co-founders of StroCar. Despite the lack of experience, in the 6 weeks I was there, I had the opportunity to be involved in a project on ESUS (embolic stroke of undetermined source), which greatly interested me as stroke and heart diseases are the two leading causes of death. The mentors in StroCar were very patient, supportive and approachable, and they taught me all the steps from collecting data, analysing data to presenting our findings. The abstract for the cohort study ended up winning the Paul Dudley White Internal Scholar Award at the Internal Stroke Conference in 2020, and was my first oral presentation at an international conference – a nerve wrecking but valuable experience! It was only possible with the help from my mentors in StroCar, who edited my slides, rehearsed the presentation, and supported me on the day all in way in Los Angeles!

In StroCar, there are many opportunities to be involved in research studies from large registries to systematic reviews and meta-analysis. In the last 3 years in StroCar, I learned an immeasurable amount from the mentors and collaborators. As a result, I went from having no experience to leading research projects from conception to publication. Despite the challenges, hard work and at-times disappointment, I had a lot of fun working with a community of researchers with similar interest and passion, and formed many friendships, which continually inspires me both personally and professionally. This strong culture of nurturing and education sets StroCar apart from others, and I cannot recommend this community enough for anyone who wants to gain research experience, make life-long connections and make an impact on patients’ lives. Let’s grow together in our research journey!

Isabel Elizabeth Siow Min Wei , Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

As a medical student, I thoroughly enjoyed my time working on the Strocar project. It was a privilege to be part of the Strocar initiative and to learn from my mentors Dr Benjamin and Dr Leonard. Through their guidance, I learnt not only technical skills such as proper research methodologies, but also about the process of scientific inquiry. This project provides valuable information to broaden the knowledge of the medical community in the field of stroke medicine.