JOURNEY

Memorizing childhood documentaries — how the universe began, life ignited, evolved, climbed up from the ocean, and walked upon the land against gravity — I have long aspired to venture to the farthest frontier: space. At the age of 28, the door to the Erasmus SpaceMed program opened and let me in. In this realm, I will not step out.

*Conducting an experiment in the Chattipakorn Lab as a medical student, March 20, 2020. Photo credit: Natthaphat Siri-Angkul.*

Even though space is vast, the most striking aspect of it in my mind is the unseen minuscule world. Jumping across medical disciplines, I found that molecular biology continues to spark my curiosity. In parallel to physicists who seek to dissect gravitons, understanding how cytoskeletons — the cellular wires and screws — transmit the pervasive force of gravity has become my calling.

*Pitching a Master's thesis idea at the International Society for Gravitational Physiology as a SpaceMed student, May 26, 2026. Photo credit: Victorien Faivre-Rampant.*

To this end, I thank all my mentors for helping me navigate both life and science whenever our paths crossed. Since realizing how tiny I am in this universe, I have come to accept that transforming the world may be beyond my reach. Yet I have begun to transform my own mind, and writing is one of the ways I choose to do so.