Ten questions with Dr Tsz-Yan Milly Lo

 

1. What does innovation mean to you? 

Innovation, to me, is developing new ideas and solutions to problems that we can implement in real life. 

 

2. What book do you recommend to others?

It depends on who I'm recommending it to. I recently recommended Adam Kay's Marvellous Medicine to my nephews. And, The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom, that's a pretty good book too.

 

3. What gives you hope?

I would have to say - children - and their very inquisitive minds.  

 

4. If you had one more hour in the day how would you spend it?

I'd spend it with my parents and people who are important to me. 

 

5. What piece of advice has stuck with you?

My parents told me I could be anybody I want, as long as I follow my passions. But always remember to slow down and smell the roses and to appreciate the little things in life. 

 

6. What scares you?

I would have to say climate change and its impact on us. 

 

7. What has been your biggest success?

My greatest success, academically I'll have to say my research innovation and training environment that I have set up in my research group. The reason being is not just for the researcher but it is also for nurses and other health care professionals who don't necessarily have the opportunity to learn about research and innovation in their daytime job. But then, they come to us, they become very passionate in their project and you actually see them grow in their confidence, in their ability to do research and innovation. And then, at the end of the project they bring the skill  they learned back to their daytime job. And, that's a pretty good feeling, when you see that.

 

8. What would your friends say your greatest strengths and weaknesses are? 

My friends would would tell you my honesty and my ability to relate to others would be my greatest strength. My weaknesses, it will have to be my concentration span of nano seconds. I just can't concentrate. And the other thing is, I'm very stubborn and I don't give up easily.

 

9. What failure has helped shape you?  

If I have to pick one single failure that's most memorable, that would have to be when I failed my membership exam of the Royal College of Physicians. It was the very first time that I actually failed a clinical exam, it was a complete shock to the system. It gave me a really good kick on the bottom and motivation to actually be a better doctor, and to make sure I actually get the exam next time round.   

 

10. What future innovation would you like to see happen in your lifetime? 

On a selfish level, medically I would like to see our Window on the Brain software to be implemented in the clinical bedside. For the planet, I would like to see a sustainable, renewable and easily accessible energy source. That means we can actually reduce fuel poverty.