“I came to Perth from another hemisphere.”

• Tina Yan, PhD candidate

Our Body

Tina Yan studied her Bachelors and Masters degrees at Harbin Medical University, China. Her interest in epidemiology, microbes, and food science drew her to a PhD scholarship opportunity at Edith Cowan University. In her PhD, Tina is investigating the impacts of a high-fibre diet in managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Additionally, she is studying the effects of this intervention on the gut microbiome – the all-important bacterial community that reside in the human intestine – sleep quality, and mental health.

In her spare time, Tina loves dancing, riding her biking, and swimming. She also enjoys something most of us dread… grocery shopping!

“It’s interesting to me to look at the ingredients when I’m buying groceries, knowing what I know about food and health.”

Tina enjoys the scientific and intellectual challenges that come with a PhD. One less common challenge she faces is language; English is not her first language. Despite this, Tina continues to make headway in exploring novel treatments for IBS. Although she acknowledges that data is important, she is most delighted by the positive feedback she receives from IBS patients who are benefiting from the treatment.

“I felt the inner joy, from the bottom of my heart when I got an email from one of my participants… she told me the fibre supplement has boosted her bowel health heaps. She was feeling normal, for the first time in many years!”