Hanju Zhu

Getting a master’s in Epidemiology of Public Health doesn’t firmly suggest a solid trajectory in academics. Coupled with the pandemic and the endemic of COVID-19 after graduation, I observed the first breakout in nursing homes, the mandatory public health regulation, and the increasingly growing populations, e.g., people with disabilities, the elderly, etc., with urgent needs in rehabilitation. The transition made from Epidemiology to pursuing a Ph.D. in rehabilitation science and technology resulted from the contemplation of, as an onlooker, the toll taken by the group of people who are normally “quiet” and “unseen” in our society, who barely get their voice heard, and who even face numerous difficulties as well as challenges in mobility. People are indeed hit hard by the pandemic, enduring the suffering inflicted by changes aligned with mandates. It was the moment when I realized that research in Epidemiology merely assists in studying distinct characteristics of diseases, providing prediction in disease prevalence, and equipping people with necessary aids in overcoming infections, yet it overlooks, in some sense, the aftermath of recovery and rehabilitation that people undergoing the pandemic need, especially people who’re themselves already incurring inconvenience brought about by disabilities. A Ph.D. in rehabilitation science and technology will help me focus more on people with disabilities and the aging population, and dive deeper into tools, including, but not limited to, health policy, data-driven research, coverage policy, etc., that hopefully can be improved to enhance rehabilitation, and obtain professionalism in technology dedicated in the mitigation of disabilities.