Chiat Cheong (PhD) studied Biomedical Science at Leiden University. After graduation, she moved to Belgium for her PhD in cancer gene therapy at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Her interest in viral gene therapy brought her to Queen Mary’s University of London. Here she worked as a postdoc on improved combinational treatments for late-stage prostate cancer. When she participated in science outreach projects, she discovered her ability to make an impact by interacting with people, and… how this actually energises her. It took her almost a year to turn her doubts about letting go her scientific profile into positivity towards choosing for what truly motivates her.
Since 2009 she supports scientist to make the most of their PhD Power, benefitting from her research background and her personal struggles in career transition in the past. In 2016 her career fast-forwarded: she studied Academic Counselling and Coaching and made her next career transition. She became an entrepreneur and established Qia Consultancy & Training to provide consultancy to research organisations in the set-up of PhD programmes for career orientation. In addition, she runs workshops and offers individual coaching to support scientists in gaining better insights in their capabilities and intrinsic motivation. Critical steps to make decision towards fulfilling careers.
Chiat combines her entrepreneurship with her work as policy advisor at the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam. Chiat is happily married and mother of two lovely daughters.
PhD Power 