I’m TJ Young!

My name is TJ Young and I am a postdoc at Cambridge University and Scott Polar Research Institute using radar to assess the stability of Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica. My favourite radar that I currently use is called the ApRES and was made right here in Cambridge by the British Antarctic Survey, it is small and beautiful!

I am from Taipei, Taiwan but am a #thirdculturekid. I grew up in Hong Kong / Tokyo / Shanghai, and studied in the USA / UK. In university, I defied Asian parent expectations and switched studies from medicine to marine biology. Thankfully I now have the support of my family!

I took 2 years off after my PhD, and worked as a park ranger in Taiwan’s Taroko National Park. Here I was able to explore many of Taiwan’s high mountain treks, and made my on-screen debut as a hiking guide on Discovery Channel! Taiwan has so much wonderful nature to offer!

My favourite radar that I currently use is called the ApRES and was made right here in Cambridge by the British Antarctic Survey, it is small and beautiful!

Although I am only one of a few Asian polar scientists based in the West, there are so many other brilliant Asians studying the polar regions in Japan, Korea, China, India, etc! Please don’t forget that they exist and do amazing work!

Follow TJ’s icy adventures on Twitter @tjy511.