Topic of your phD

Now, this entry will be based on my experience.

The authors of this book and this book have already written a good chapter (or sub chapter ) about choosing PhD topic. The main point about PhD topic is choosing something that we like, or at least we don't hate. It is tough doing research (or learning how to do research) for three years on something that you don't like. Day in and day out, we'll be toiling on the same topic, and should some obstacles happen to our research, the thing that will keep us going will be the love (or like) to our topic. Having to do something you hate will only worsen the situation.

Having said that, I have inclination to fluid dynamic research. Both my master and undergraduate thesis were on fluid dynamic field and for my next degree, naturally I'd want to pursue something in fluid dynamic research.

However, I do have another research interest. Bio related stuff i.e. bioengineering.

After some information gathering, I zeroed in my interest into bio fluid dynamics research. Incidentally, in Malaysia, bio fluid research area is quite new and as such there are not many researchers in Malaysia. I'd would be filling into a very niche zone.
Most of the bioengineering research in Malaysia is focussing on bio material, smart material, mechanics of material and biocontrol engineering as well as some research on manufacturing of biomaterial.
What I am explaining above is from mechanical engineering side point of view. Biomedical engineering is a multidisciplinary area and it is comprising of other engineering discipline as well such as electrical engineering, chemistry, biology etc.

So far so good. Bio fluid dynamic research. Hmm...seems very exciting to me. Imagine the application of fluid dynamics research into biological realm....

The next step would be to determine what exactly would I want to do for my phD research.
I have no experience whatsoever in this biofluid dynamics research so the initial information gathering was quite directionless. It is as if I opened a box, and in that box I opened yet another box.

okay, that would be for the next entry. hehe :P


Faculty of Biomedical Engineering and Health Science at UTM
Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at UM