Victoria T. Lim

Senior Technical Writer, Imply Data

software documentation | science communication | professional development


Tech writing

At Imply, I write and maintain technical documentation for Druid, a real-time analytics database. The audience for whom I write includes software developers, database administrators, and end users.

Sample works

See other writing samples in my portfolio below.


Chemistry

University of California, Irvine

2015-2020

Awarded research fellowship by National Science Foundation (NSF)

I completed my chemistry PhD at UC Irvine (UCI), working in the area of computer-aided drug design. In my research, I developed and applied computational tools to study biomolecular systems. My projects ranged from understanding small molecule energetics to computing binding free energies of protein-ligand complexes. The high level goal of my research was to further the development of new therapeutics using insights gained from molecular simulations.

See my research bio page here (archived version), and peruse my published works on Google Scholar. For the brave, dive into the details of my work in my dissertation, or watch the recording of my dissertation defense on YouTube.

The following video is a spotlight from UCI Pharmaceutical Sciences in which I describe my research and the motivation behind it.


Professional development

I'm passionate about helping others develop in their scientific and career journeys. Sometimes that comes through sharing my own journey, failures and all. Other times that manifests by sharing tips, tricks, and advice in presentations and blog posts. Finally, through LetterLift, I provide one-on-one resume review for those applying for jobs, grad schools, or fellowship programs.

Invited presentations


  • May 2019 — Keynote speaker at the 56th annual high school awards banquet for the Orange County section of the American Chemical Society.
  • Mar 2018 — Gave a high school level short-style research presentation at the first Girls in STEM symposium at St. Margaret's Episcopal School.
  • July 2017 — Shared how to prepare for and transition into a PhD program to undergraduate researchers at the SoCal Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Consulting


Resume review and editing, LetterLift

Through LetterLift, I provide editing services for those applying to jobs, grad school, or fellowship programs, with a focus on undergraduate and graduate students in the sciences. A typical consultation includes copyediting, structural feedback, and suggestions for material improvements on resumes, cover letters, or personal statements. I've worked with PhD students applying for their first job out of graduate school, students applying for fellowships (e.g., NSF GRFP, AAAS STPF), full-time professionals applying for their next role, and those applying for admission to graduate programs. Learn more at LetterLift.


Communications consulting, UC Irvine

I served as a Communications Consultant for the Graduate Resource Center at UC Irvine in 2017-2019. Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars booked appointments with me to practice presentations presentations and solicit individualized feedback and advice. I worked with 25 grad students and postdocs preparing for job interviews, conference talks, doctoral candidacy exams, and TA lectures. In addition, I coached two international graduate students to pass English proficiency exams. Featured on the UCI Chemistry Instagram.


Patent law

I am a licensed patent agent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In the intellectual property space, I've worked in the pharmaceutical industry as well as university technology transfer.


Patent law at Ionis Pharmaceuticals

2020-2021

Compiled and drafted scientific protocols and data for patent applications. Supported all scientific departments including neurology, pulmonology, medicinal chemistry, and process chemistry. A typical application may disclose 2000-5000 compounds with associated structure, efficacy, and safety information.

Technology transfer at UC Irvine

2018-2020

Reviewed around 50 university innovations, mostly in medicine and engineering, for patentability and marketability. Prepared internal and external reports for licensing officers and potential business development partners.


Writing Portfolio

A selection of my work demonstrating a range of technical detail and application.


Wired Walls

The Loh Down on Science

Podcast script for The Loh Down on Science introducing Carnegie Mellon's "smart wall" technology to a general audience.


Vital Signs Monitor

UC Irvine, Beall Applied Innovation

Technology disclosure for UCI Applied Innovation to garner interest from potential business development partners.


Benchmark assessment of molecular geometries and energies from small molecule force fields

UC Irvine, Mobley Lab

Scientific publication directed to researchers in computational chemistry. Presents my project benchmarking commonly used tools in the industry.
Associated with my BenchmarkFF code on Github.