Student profile: Jingwen Li
What is the topic of your research?
What are you aiming to do and how does it relate to other work in your field?
I work on hard sphere nucleation rates with colloids in nano- and micron-scale. Hard spheres exhibit a thermodynamic transition from fluid to crystal phase, which has been known for decades. However, the simulation nucleation rates have a large gap between simulations and experiments, by up to 13 orders of magnitude. I am trying to investigate this discrepancy.
I have developed a new method using confocal microscopy with significantly larger sample size. Few people studied nucleation barriers before, while my method can also obtain the barriers, revealing the details in nucleation process.
How far along the journey are you? First year, second year, writing-up etc.?
What has the journey been like so far?
Always a nice trip! Although I was not that confident that I was well prepared to start a PhD journey, I am very fortunate to be part of a warm group in Bristol, which means I have friends to engage with and learn from. I thought the PhD programme is still a learning process and sometimes I do not know the answers at the beginning. There were moments, although not much, when I was depressed, but I'm happy that I can adjust, keep focused and remain passionate. I feel I’ve learnt a lot.
What attracted you to the research opportunities at Bristol?
When I graduated with a BSc in Material Chemistry, I wanted further study, though I was not clear which area to go. Then I came to Bristol Centre of Functional Nanomaterials (BCFN), a world-leading place providing opportunities to topics and academics from departments including Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering. Moreover, they have fantastic equipment, like private confocal and STED microscopy. I finally decided my topic and continued with it here.
What is Bristol like as a place to live?
I love this city! It's a combination of nice climate, waterfront views, funny local arts and culture scenes, and beautiful historical architecture. The city centre is small so I could easily get anywhere. Sometimes I finished my work late and went home after dark, but I always felt safe. The only drawback I thought is the rent, and it is on the increase!
What was it like starting a research degree as a new student?
What advice would you give to someone thinking about doing a research degree in Bristol Physics?
My PhD has been unlike any other thing I have ever experienced. I felt I was like a novice on the skate trying to explore territory while keep balance hardly. Although I thought I had received essential trainings for starting an academic career during undergraduate study, I saw areas where I was lacking in skill or knowledge, requiring me to train myself to find assistance and gain knowledge and improve in those areas.
Given my experience so far, I would say the following points are vital:
- Set realistic and achievable goals.
- Set monthly and yearly targets and stick to them.
- Try to keep passion and patience.
- Keep a healthy lifestyle.