Student who suffered brain injury using experience to further research

UBC engineering graduate Yi Yi Du walks in his Coquitlam, B.C. neighbourhood with his mother, Helen Zhi, on June 1. The pair take daily four kilometer walks as a part of his recovery from a severe traumatic brain injury.JENNIFER GAUTHIER/The Globe and Mail

Five years ago, Yi Yi Du was in the second year of his mechanical engineering degree at the University of British Columbia, nurturing a fascination with rocket engine design and planning to study with the school’s thermofluids group.

His spare time was largely spent climbing mountains; during the pandemic, he aimed to scale one a week.

But over the past two years, Mr. Du has had a different kind of mountain to climb. A devastating car accident in September, 2021, left him in a coma for two months, hovering on the edge of death. Upon waking, he faced months of recovery and rehabilitation. His physical abilities were diminished, and his memory was significantly impaired.

Last week, he graduated from UBC with a bachelor’s degree in applied science after achieving the highest grades possible. This fall, he will travel to California, where he has been accepted to Stanford, one of the most prestigious research universities in the United States. There he will work to develop devices that can help people with traumatic brain injuries.

Mr. Du suffered from a severe traumatic brain injury after being struck by a car in 2021, but he went on to complete his program with top grades and will soon start a PhD program at Stanford University.JENNIFER GAUTHIER/The Globe and Mail

“The past two years has been pretty hard on me,” Mr. Du, 24, said in an interview. “Finally being able to complete and put a period on it, for me, it’s something … even now I still cannot believe.”

Even before his accident, Mr. Du found himself gravitating toward research on the brain and mild traumatic brain injury. He worked with graduate students in UBC’s Sensing in Biomechanical Processes Lab, where researchers develop advanced sensing and data analytics techniques to study biomechanical processes and come up with health care applications. His work there taught him how engineering can improve health care. He also worked at Kardium Inc., a medical solutions company based in Burnaby, B.C.

Lyndia Wu, an instructor and Mr. Du’s research supervisor at UBC, said his recovery from the brain injury is extraordinary and demonstrates amazing resilience and grit.

“With this lived experience of injury, he is more motivated than ever to contribute to research that can benefit patients in injury prevention and rehabilitation. I have no doubt that a bright future awaits him at and after Stanford,” she said.

Mr. Du said he’s already had conversations with professors at Stanford about potential research, including protein biosensors, rehabilitation devices or helmets to prevent concussions.

“I don’t know what I’ll focus on, but I think it will be a medical device for sure.”

Mr. Du came to Vancouver from Shanghai at the age of 12 and has been an outdoor enthusiast for years. Just days before his accident, he finished the 75-kilometre West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island in three days, a hike that takes most people six to eight days to complete.

He’s not sure he’ll be able to continue mountain climbing, but he said the past two years have been a miracle.

He delivered a speech on his graduation day, in which he talked about two factors that contribute to success: having leaders in your life and perseverance.

“When I woke up from a coma, I cannot remember what year it was. Yet one thing remains clear: Only if I persevere can I overcome my mobility disabilities, memory deficiency and quick energy depletion to continue to pursue my dreams.”