MICCAI 2016 Daily - Wednesday

MICCAI Daily: Do you think that you are fulfilling it? Lei: Yea, I think so. I think now I’m fulfilling it through the research arm. I moved into the research side because I thought it had the potential to have a larger impact than my one on one work as a therapist. MICCAI Daily: Do you think that people around you share your same motivation? Lei: I think just like anywhere it’s a mixed bag. On the clinical side, people are really motivated to solve a clinical problem and help make people’s lives better, and see research as one way to get there. Of course, there are people who always wanted to attain a certain status in academia. That’s their goal. Everyone has a different way. Whatever makes them happy. MICCAI Daily: Did you have enough luck to meet people who share your same motivation? Lei: Yes, definitely. Even as a PhD student, I did a lot of the international summer schools and formed a lot great collaborations and friendships that way. I’ve gotten the chance to do research all over the world; in Germany, China, and other places. MICCAI Daily: Who did you meet this way? Lei: I studied with Dr. Shihui Han at Peking University. He was a great mentor and leader. I also worked with Dr. Niels Birbaumer and Dr. Surjo Soekadar at the University of Tuebingen. It’s interesting how the culture affects the research a lot. They were also great mentors. Then I did my postdoctoral training with Dr. Leonardo Cohen at the National Institute of Health. He also is a great example. I think along the way there have been a lot of great mentors and people that I’ve gotten to work with. MICCAI Daily: Do you feel lucky? Lei: Yes - I feel lucky. I would say that most people in this field should feel privileged because it’s such an exciting job to be able to follow your research questions and see how they could impact people’s lives. MICCAI Daily: Do you think that with your background, how long do you think it will take to achieve your ultimate goals? Lei: I think there are short and long term goals. One of the projects we have now is a grant from the American Heart Association to develop a brain computer interface for individuals with a severe stroke. CVPR Daily: Thursday Women in Science 9 MICCAI Daily: Wednesday