PDF Version Printer-Friendly Version
The Apprentices
The scientist: Ta Yuan "T.Y." Chang, Ph.D. (right)
His titles: Professor and Chair of Biochemistry
Joined the faculty: 1976
What qualities do you look for in undergrads for your lab?
Good GPAs, some previous lab experience, and
an interest in doing research. I also like to have
students who are involved in sports and/or music.
What are the benefits of having undergrads in your lab?
Dartmouth undergraduates are usually smart and
energetic but down-to-earth in spirit. Those
who come to our lab are usually curious about
research. These traits usually make them lively
and courageous lab members.
Did you work in a lab when you were an undergrad?
Yes, in an organic chemistry lab in National Taiwan
University. I did extraction, purification, and
structure determination of natural products present
in the leaves of a plant. That experience
made me realize that I had a passion for research.
What are the challenges of having undergrads in your lab?
It takes time and effort to work with undergraduates.
Fortunately, my wife, Cathy, who has been a
senior research associate in my lab for almost 30
years, is a great teacher. She has helped to train
all the undergraduate and graduate students and
fellows and has been very patient and kind to
them. The biggest reward has been that almost all
of the undergraduates who trained in our lab have
gone on to receive M.D. or M.D.-Ph.D. degrees.
A few have become faculty members in major
medical schools. Others have become physicians.
The student: Floyd Buen '09 (left)
Major: Biology, with a focus on biochemistry
Hometown: Santa Clarita, Calif.
Joined the Chang lab: Fall 2006
What are your career goals?
I want to pursue a career in research, maybe
through an M.D.-Ph.D program. After I graduate
I plan to work for a year or two, maybe at a hospital
or for a nonprofit organization or the World
Health Organization. I definitely want to go out
of the country—maybe to the Philippines.
What got you interested in science?
I always had exposure to science. I got my first microscope
when I was in elementary school. In high
school, I had

advanced placement biology with a phenomenal teacher. Every student in our class loved her and learned successfully from her. I guess she inspired me to take an interest in science.
What drew you to the Chang lab?
I really wanted to learn the lab techniques because
after class, you don't always understand how
every single thing works, no matter how much
the professor explains it to you. I wanted to have
a hands-on experience and learn for myself.
What is the most difficult part of doing research as a student?
Time and patience. It's difficult to juggle your
schoolwork and extracurricular activities with lab
time because some experiments take the entire
day. And you're always hoping for an experiment
to work, and the majority of the time it doesn't.
What is the quality you most admire in people?
I admire people who are hardworking, goal oriented,
intelligent, and, most important, human. To
be intelligent is one thing but to be kind, compassionate,
and willing to have fun is admirable.
What about you surprises others?
I come from a huge family, even though I have
only one sibling—a younger sister. But both my
parents come from really big families. At one
family reunion, one of the emcees said my dad
has 72 first cousins just on his mom's side. I don't
know if
they were joking, but I'd certainly believe it. Family is the most important thing in my life.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I can move my eyes from side to side freakishly fast.
What are your interests outside of school and work?
I love to play piano and hang out with my family.
What kind of music is on your iPod (or CD player) right now?
I really like Musiq Soulchild and John Legend. I
have classical. I have Edvard Grieg. I have Jack
Johnson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guster. I have
some hip hop. I have Beatles. I have a lot of my
parents' old stuff, like Journey, the Eagles. I don't
have a lot of country, though.
Finish this sentence: If I had more time I would . . .
Learn more languages. I want to learn Mandarin,
French, Japanese—those are my top three—and
then Italian and, down the road, German. I would
also spend more time with my family.
The laboratory: Chang has had undergraduates in his lab for 31 years—more than 35 of them in all. The lab studies cholesterol regulation at the cellular and molecular level. Buen has been helping to analyze the effect of genetic inactivation of the enzyme ACAT1 on the progression of Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model.