Ellen

My family moved to China because of my father's work. As I was deciding what to study, I wanted to pursue something truly unique and valuable in that environment.

I felt that Western medicine alone was not enough for me. What fascinated me most was that China offered both advanced Western medicine and the deep wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine. That's why I chose to study both.

I completed a double degree in Western and Eastern medicine together.

I specialized in nephrology — kidney medicine — because it was one of the fields where I could clearly see the strengths of both Western and Eastern medicine working together.

In many cases of chronic kidney disease, Western medicine has limitations, and patients often eventually require dialysis. What inspired me about Chinese medicine was its ability to support patients' overall wellbeing and quality of life during that journey.

By integrating both approaches, I saw the possibility of helping patients maintain a better quality of life for longer and, in some cases, delay the progression toward dialysis. That deeper, more holistic approach to care is what led me to choose nephrology.

There were so many moments filled with tears, pain, and sacrifice. I think every migrant carries a story like that.

One of the hardest parts was feeling constantly behind because of the language barrier. I had to spend years learning Chinese, learning English, and trying to find where I belonged in this society. At times, it felt overwhelming.

But little by little, we overcome those struggles. And somehow, through all of it, we arrive where we are today.

Absolutely — 100 percent. One of the greatest strengths of Chinese medicine is that we see the patient as a whole person, not just a collection of symptoms.

Western medicine is incredibly powerful when it comes to identifying specific diseases and analyzing detailed test results. But Chinese medicine looks at the bigger picture — the entire system, like seeing the whole forest instead of just one tree.

Many of my patients come to me saying, "Something doesn't feel right." They may feel constantly tired, emotionally low, unusually hot and cold at the same time, or simply unlike themselves. Yet all of their blood tests and scans appear normal.

This is actually very common.

Sometimes the body is communicating something that science cannot fully measure yet. That doesn't mean the symptoms are imaginary. It simply means the imbalance may not fit neatly into conventional testing.

I also work in AI medical research, and I deeply value modern science. But I believe healing is not only about data — it is also about listening carefully to the human experience.

If you feel that something is "off," even when your tests say otherwise — please don't ignore yourself.

From my perspective, every form of movement has value. I don't like to separate exercises into categories and say one is better than another. The most important thing is finding a type of movement that you genuinely enjoy.

Because in the end, consistency is the key. If you can continue doing it regularly, that becomes the best exercise for your body.

Personally, I find Pilates — especially reformer Pilates — incredibly beneficial because it uses controlled resistance through spring tension. Training against resistance helps stabilize the joints, strengthen deep muscles, and improve body control in a very safe and balanced way.

For me, movement is not just about fitness or appearance. It's about creating a body that can support you for the long term — physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The yoga I teach is quite different from what many people usually imagine. Most people think of yoga mainly as meditation or relaxation, but my approach is much more focused on alignment and therapeutic movement.

I created a community class called Wall Ropes Yoga, which uses wall support and strong straps to create gentle traction throughout the body, especially along the spine. This allows people to decompress, stretch safely, and improve alignment in a very supported way.

It can be especially beneficial for people dealing with bulging discs, scoliosis, chronic tightness, or postural imbalance. In many ways, it's more of a medical and rehabilitative approach to yoga rather than a traditional yoga class.

Through teaching, I've learned that healing doesn't always need to be aggressive or complicated. Sometimes the body simply needs space, support, and the right kind of movement to begin releasing tension and restoring balance.

My work in Medical AI began through rehabilitation medicine. Rehabilitation is not a short process — it's a long marathon. Patients recovering from stroke, spinal cord injuries, or serious accidents often need to rebuild their movements from the very beginning.

One of the biggest problems in rehabilitation is that progress is often difficult to measure clearly. Patients may feel they are improving, but there has traditionally been very little objective data to show how much they are actually recovering.

At the moment, our research focuses particularly on hand rehabilitation. Using advanced 3D mesh technology, we can digitally map muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and movement patterns in real time.

What excites me most is that we are making the invisible visible.

Instead of relying only on guesswork, patients can now see measurable progress. If someone's movement angle improves from 25 degrees to 90 degrees, they can clearly see that change reflected in data. That visible progress gives people motivation, hope, and confidence.

For me, Medical AI is not about replacing human care. It's about giving patients clearer guidance, better support, and the encouragement they need to keep going through a very long healing process.

Honestly, I was very surprised when I first received the call for the role. As someone who is not Australian-born and not a native English speaker, I never expected to be invited into this kind of position.

But I decided to accept the opportunity because, as an Asian woman with both Western and Eastern medical training, I felt I could help support communities that are often misunderstood or underrepresented.

Part of my role is to provide medical perspectives in cases involving healthcare practitioners, particularly in areas related to Chinese medicine and integrative care. Judges may not always have a clear understanding of what reasonable practice looks like within traditional or complementary medicine.

What matters most to me is fairness. I want people to feel heard, understood, and properly supported.

In the next 5 to 10 years, I see myself continuing the same core work — connecting things that are often separated.

For me, it's about bringing together mind and body, movement and AI, traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. I don't see these as separate worlds, but as parts of one larger system that can work together for human wellbeing.

We are living in a very digital world, and in that process, many people are slowly losing real human connection. What I hope to achieve is to bring more of that connection back — through everything I do, whether it's clinical practice, yoga, Pilates, or research.

If we can come together more fully, we can multiply joy and reduce suffering.

I have two daughters, and life is very busy. There are many responsibilities pulling in different directions.

But one thing my husband once said to me really stayed with me.

That simple sentence changed the way I see everything. It's not about perfectly separating work and family or trying to do everything flawlessly. It's more about alignment — how I live, how I work, and how I show up at home all being part of the same example I want to set for them.

So instead of thinking of balance as division, I think of it as integration. And in that way, I try to live a life that they can look at one day and feel inspired by.