Yunning Liu & Mao Fan

What was the first thing you noticed about the PowerLab?

MF: An office with a multicultural background.

YL: Green Wall.

Briefly, what research did you work on during your visit in the PowerLab?

MF: During the period of visiting, I mainly worked on the geographic variation of allostatic load and its predictability to 5-year mortality among Chinese adults.

YL: Finished a draft of a paper and joined in a big data analysis.

How many people in the PowerLab did you meet and which countries were they from originally?

MF: During my visit, I met 14 people in the PowerLab. Some are Australian, one from Russia, two from Bangladesh, one from Turkey and one from Bhutan.

YL: There are around 12 person in the PowerLab. Half of them are Australian. Other person come from China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Russia and Turkey.

What developmental opportunities were offered by the PowerLab?

MF: There are multiple developmental opportunities offered during my visiting. I participated one journal club and one PowerTalk, both of which enriched my research horizons.

YL: The monthly meeting has a five minutes presentation which introduce some progress of research or statistical methods. Besides, there is literature discussion which can give you some inspiration in journal club.

What was the social scene like in the PowerLab?

MF: The social activity were rich, such as PowerLab Happy Hour once every month and the Christmas Party. People in the Power lab seemed to be getting along harmoniously.

YL: Harmonious interpersonal relationship and some warm-hearted surprises, like a Christmas gift of a mug with my name on it.

What was your most memorable moment in the PowerLab?

MF: The activity of group competition and team work before the Christmas Party impressed me most.

YL: The Christmas Party BBQ.

What was your favourite thing(s) to do at the weekends?

MF: On the weekends, I usually spend time relaxing and I like reading in beautiful places such as the Botanic Gardens. I also like visiting places like Kiama, Wollongong City Beach or UOW campus. All of them are very nice and there are not too many people, which is the most important aspect for me.

YL: Shopping for food and going to Wollongong Beach for the sunshine.

Did you travel to any interesting places outside of Wollongong? If so, which were your favourite places and why?

MF: I went once to Kiama and the Blow Hole impressed me most. It is the first place where I can see a rainbow in the water spout/ground.

YL: Kiama - I like the beach there. It is a peaceful environment and a nice place to enjoy a sunny day with lots of fresh air.

Please describe some of the ways your visit to the PowerLab has helped to advance your career.

MF: During my visit, I have gained some new skills in multilevel modelling and the use of MLwiN software as well as the writing process of English papers. Both of these help advance my skills and career.

YL: Making meeting minutes from each supervision meeting assists in making a clear pathway to develop my studies. With this method, I can learn how to improve work efficiency. Daily communication and presentation can improve my English ability to some extent.

The thing I will miss most after leaving PowerLab is…

MF: It is the work status that I can pay all my attention on one thing that impressed me most, which I think I will miss this period in the PowerLab after returning to Beijing.

YL: PowerLab is…PowerLab members.