A personal touch of Fang Yang

29 November 2018

My name is Fang Yang. I am from China, but I became a Dutch citizen about ten years ago. I am an Assistant Professor working in the department of Dentistry, theme Reconstructive and regenerative medicine.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? Can you tell us something about your child years. 

Like most of the people of my generation in China, I was continued to be asked when I was a child “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “I want to be a scientist”, I answered while picturing a woman wearing a white lab coat shaking an Erlenmeyer flask filled with colored liquid.  My answer had never changed when I was growing up. I am happy that I became what I wanted to be, although I knew since long time ago that science is not about shaking a flask with colored liquid.

What was your previous academic training, where did you study and why that study? 

I obtained bachelor and master degrees in Materials Science and Engineering in Beihang University, and this training was mainly focused on the materials used for aeronautical and astronautical applications. Since I was more interested in functional materials, I chose the project related to biomaterials during my PhD study in National University of Singapore.

The RIMLS motto is: ‘Today’s molecules for tomorrow’s medicine’. What does this mean for you? 

An underlying principle of materials science is that the properties of materials can be understood in terms of atomic structures of materials. Human body and artificial organs are made up of a variety of materials. If we understand those materials at the molecular level (today’s molecules), we can find effective and efficient ways to manipulate the properties of human body or artificial organs, in other words, treatments of diseases (tomorrow’s medicine).   

Who is your great example as scientists? And please give a motivation why.

Albert Einstein, no specific reason. He is no doubt a great scientist. I like his humour, like the photo that he stuck his tongue out.

Which research discovery that you have made has made you most proud? 

None. I hope my next research discovery will be the one to make me most proud. 

Given unlimited finance what experiment would you perform?

I have always an idea or a dream that human health problems can be solved by nanorobots. They are circulating with bloodstream, detecting abnormality and then fixing it. Given unlimited finance I would assemble a team to work on this.

What does your working area (desk, office) look like and what does it say about you (or your research)? 

My desk is not super-tidy, but I clean and organize it regularly. I believe that a tidy working area improves the work efficiency.  

Nominate a colleague to be in the spotlight and what would you like to ask him or her?

Frank Walboomers.

What type of person are you, quick insights:

a) Mac or PC?                                : PC
b) Theater or cinema?                 : Cinema
c) Dine out or dine in?                 : Dine out
d) Ferrari or Fiat?                         : Ferrari
e) Shopaholic or chocoholic?     : Shopaholic
f) Culture or Nature                     : Nature

• Want to know more about these subjects? Click on the buttons below for more news.

  Dentistry