This personal statement was part of this student’s successful application to University of Sheffield for
Bioengineering, Imperial College London, UCL, University of Glasgow and University of
Southampton for Biomedical Engineering.
An ‘impossible egg crush’?
Coming across the unique ovoid form of what seemed to be an ordinary egg is how this all began. Having
been an avid reader of The Young Scientist and Smart Mathematicians, I was naive to think I had seen it
all. With its uniform distribution of pressure applied despite being fragile, the impossible egg crush
redefined my definition of strength – whether it be its resistance to being deformed, its brittleness, or
hardness – and gave me a finer appreciation for the beauty of biomimetics.
Diving deeper into this field, I was inspired by applications of nature’s successful laboratory in ‘The
Shark’s Paintbrush’. From the Fibonacci spiral observed in nautilus shells to the concentric rings in
compact bones, mathematics in nature has always fascinated me. One idea that resonated strongly with
me was the hexagonal packing of wax cells that fully utilized its given three-dimensional space.
Understanding the functional role of an ever-present phenomenon that can translate classical geometry
principles into an impact in healthcare propelled me to justify that the honeycomb structure is not merely
stochastic, but biological engineering. The concept of the honeycomb conjecture immediately captured
my interest, for I relish the mathematical elegance of its isoperimetric property that contributes to such an
efficient design. This prompted me to compete in the International Youth Math Challenge 2022, where I
was exposed to a field of mathematics outside of my classroom curriculum.
Following independent research, I discovered that tumor cells multiply non-linearly, exhibiting a great
degree of fractality whilst fractal dimensions of tissues alter throughout cancer progression. This meant
that fractal geometry could be used as biomarkers in analyzing tumours at different stages – a more novel
approach that greatly contributes to the study of cancer and complements the limitations in the inaccuracy
of current biopsies. Dr. Kasim Rafiq of UCL presented an alternative to current blood cancer treatment
known as CAR-T therapy, which involves the genetic modification of a patient’s T cell to express a
specific chimeric antigen receptor in detecting malignant cells. The fact that the entire manufacturing
process spanning from isolation and expansion ex-vivo, to re-infusion relies entirely on automation
astounds me. Not only does it reduce total hands-on, manufacturing workflows were also made cost and
time efficient.
The prolonged lockdown due to the pandemic had a devastating effect on my home country, Malaysia;
businesses were forced to close and thousands of citizens were left, unable to make ends meet. I took this
opportunity to step up and use my personal blog to spread awareness, partaking in the Bendera Putih
campaign – a way for citizens to ask for help from the Malaysian community. I found myself wanting to
make an even bigger difference. This coupled with my natural inclination towards mathematics and
biological sciences consolidated my passion to pursue this field. As the Director of Content and
Marketing at Young Malaysian Engineers, it was exciting to receive scientific research first-hand, rather
than just through the news. This platform not only served to develop my leadership and collaborative
skills through networking with a diverse set of skilled people – a soft skill vital for engineers, but proved
myself capable of embracing potential opportunities in the industry. I am eager to continue this effort and
be the woman who connects aspiring youths with endless hidden opportunities right before our eyes.
It is simply how interdisciplinary biomedical engineering is on a practical level that epitomizes my
interest in science. With my unwavering persistence – only to be compared with the impossible egg crush,
I am excited to unravel existing boundaries in global health for the betterment of all.
DISCLAIMER: The personal statements on this site are strictly meant as a starting point to give an idea of how successful personal statements look like. There is no surefire formula to writing good personal statements. COLLEGELAH IS STRICTLY AGAINST PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND. UCAS employs a plagiarism check system that checks applicants’ work against other published writing so please DO NOT PLAGIARISE.