IN TUNE WITH SCIENCE

Science and the arts may seem like polar opposites, but Ms Koh Huan Chin is proof that you can be talented in both.

The University of California, Berkeley graduate has always been interested in science and maths, a love nurtured by her parents since young. "They took us (my brother and me) to the Science Centre, and let us do experiments with pulley systems and magnets!"

Ms Koh also loves music: She started piano lessons at five years old and learnt the classical guitar in secondary school. To unwind, she plays the piano in the evenings and on weekends.

Her favourite artistes include Josh Groban,
Il Volo, Japanese singer Angela Aki and Italian singer Laura Pausini. "Music ensures that I don't neglect my motional well-being."

A materials scientist, she studies and develops materials with electromagnetic properties for use on platforms such as ships. As her projects can be classified, this limits the things she can talk about when she meets up with friends.

It's a good thing then that she is able to open up to her family about work; both her father and elder brother are also DSO scientists with a similar field of study.

A highlight of her job is imparting her love for science to youth through a DSO outreach programme. "It's nice seeing the students' faces light up when they understand...and to know that we're inspiring the next generation to have an interest in science."