Student story: take advantage of the opportunities, resources, and support available to you.

Tell us about yourself 

My name is Ling Tao. I am a DPhil student in Women's Reproductive Health at Linacre College. Before coming to Oxford, I trained in cardiology in China.

During my DPhil, I became a mother and built a small three-generation matrilineal family here in Oxford. As a single mother, I benefited greatly from the University’s strong culture of supporting its students. That support helped me thrive as both a productive DPhil student and a happy mother.

What has your time at Oxford been like? 

The first year was like unlocking a brand-new game map. Sub fusc, balls, formal dinners, trips to Paris and New York...it was crazy and exciting.

In the second year, the game switched to hard mode: I became pregnant. Much of my focus outside study shifted from social activities to building a support network and planning for both childcare and my academic future. I had many important conversations with family, friends, my college, supervisors, and sponsors to make it possible. I also worked on my DPhil right up until my due date because I saw it as an important foundation for the future of me and my baby.

Luckily, in my third year, those efforts paid off. My baby arrived safely, my research was published in a leading journal, and I was noticed by entrepreneurs who opened exciting opportunities for my future career.

What is it like to be a parent while pursuing a DPhil?

Every student parent finds their own way to balance family life and research. I have benefited greatly from the flexibility of working remotely, as my research is entirely dry lab work. I am also incredibly grateful to my parents who travelled to Oxford to help with childcare. These supports have made it possible for me to continue my DPhil while raising my baby. My time management strategy is to focus on work in the afternoons and evenings when my baby is asleep.

What has it brought to your personal and Oxford experience?

Pregnancy and parenthood accelerated my personal growth. I am naturally quite introverted and cautious, but preparing for a baby pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. To build a secure future for myself and my baby, I had to seek advice, ask for support, and tackle challenges I would previously have avoided.

Through conversations about housing, childcare, finances, and wellbeing, I learned to navigate challenges proactively and make the most of available support. The support, opportunities, and encouragement I received from Oxford helped me develop those strengths, showing me how much this university can empower its students.

What are your future aspirations? 

I love my research on heart disease in pregnant women. Experiencing pregnancy myself while conducting this research gave me a much deeper understanding of some painful problems many women face. In the future, I want to devote myself to solving some of these problems, whether through research, industry, or a startup.

What advice would you share with other students? 

Take advantage of the opportunities, resources, and support available to you. I have learned some of my most valuable lessons not only from research, but from navigating real-world challenges, building relationships, and understanding how institutions work and how to make them work for you. Those experiences can be just as important as academic skills in shaping your future.