“Research success is seldom a straight path, it is a blind search in the dark, where persistence and resilience transform chance into discovery.”

Wee Juin Shin (SPS Batch 23)

SPS alumnus Wee Juin Shin has been named one of five recipients of the prestigious Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize (OURP) for Academic Year 2024/2025. This award honours undergraduates whose work makes significant contributions to advancing scientific knowledge across fields as diverse as sustainability, public health, and fundamental science.

Juin Shin’s research investigates how cells move during critical biological processes such as wound healing, immune responses, and cancer metastasis. His SPS capstone project for SP3172, “Eribulin as a Potential Tool to Study Microtubule Focal Adhesion Interactions and Cell Migration”, explores the mechanisms that drive cell migration. By employing Eribulin, a cancer drug, he and his team developed a novel method to study cell movement without disrupting cellular structures.

This innovative approach not only provides fresh insights into how cells interact with their environment but also holds important implications for understanding cancer spread. The project was made possible through the support of the Bershadsky Lab and Mechanobiology Institute (MBI), where Juin Shin conducted much of his research.

Juin Shin’s achievement reflects SPS’s commitment to interdisciplinary undergraduate research. We extend our warmest congratulations to Juin Shin on this outstanding accomplishment and wish him continued success in his academic and research journey.

Adapted from Young minds, big ideas