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1. Name:Yalda Jamshidi 2 Job: Principal Investigator/Group Leader and Head of Centre 3. A levels :Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics 4. Undergraduate degree and all other further qualifications: BSc Human Genetics; PhD Genetics; Post Grad Cert Healthcare Education 5. Journey in 3 words : Focussed, Ambitious, Hardwork 6. Briefly describe your role? I lead a research group investigating the genetics of rare and common disease. In this role I drive and lead specific projects within the genetic disease area, this includes putting together funding applications to obtain financial support for the work, providing support and training to colleagues working in the group, and sharing findings with the wider scientific and non-scientific community. I also head the Genetics centre at my institution which means I am responsible for line-management, staff development, personal and performance review and workload planning of members of the centre (e.g. other principal investigators/group leaders, and centre members which include Masters students, PhD students, early career researchers, technicians and associate members involved in genetics teaching within the institution). Together with the Director(s) of the Institute, the role also involves co-ordination of Institute and Institutional strategy. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? Curiosity about how human diseases develop and can be recognised and treated as well as a love for genetics. 8. Work- Life Balance? My institution supports flexible working and with a young family this is really important. It does mean that I do find myself working at odd hours but if this means I can spend quality time with my family when I need to then that is fine. 9. What advice would you give someone wanting to follow the same path ? Study Medicine first then go down the academic/PhD science route. Jobs in academia and science in general are in high demand as they are few and far between – particularly at the top. This means that there is very little job security. However, with a medical degree there are lots of opportunities to fall back on should the scientific career be a little slow. Additionally, translational research is an increasingly large target market and a medical background provides additional opportunities for research funding, jobs and career development. 10. What advice would you give your younger self ? Study Medicine and data science to ensure employability/job security. 11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years ? I’d like to be in a more senior position directing research focus and projects across a department/institute, and have greater involvement in science communication to a wider non-scientific audience. 12. How do you feel the Science world has evolved throughout your career? ( what are some hard truths you have had to face?) In the genetics field which I work in technological advances have made it essential to have a background in data science, and to be prepared to evolve and learn new methods quickly. As for hard truths I’ve had to face – there has been increasing focus on medical applications and translational medicine. Coming from a non-medical background I have had to be assertive and demonstrate how my skills and background are just as valuable. Connect with Yalda on twitter: https://twitter.com/YaldaJamshidi

1. Name: Ramota Temi Adelakun 2. Course :Msc – Tropical disease biology 3. A levels: Biology, Chemistry, Maths 4. Undergaduate degree: Biological sciences (medical biology) with a year abroad 5. Journey in 3 words: Exhausting, enlightening, fascinating 6. Briefly describe your course My course explores how tropical diseases affects people around the world. It follows their biology as well as the epidemiology of the diseases, including control methods we can adapts. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I have always been fascinated by how people work, it led me to my undergraduate degree and it was here I developed more of an interest into the disease side of things rather than the bodies response. My interest still holds and I want to help translate academic science into something than can be understood by the masses. 8. Work- Life Balance I strongly advocate for being able to find a balance, when I have classes I tend to follow the 9-5 rule and Im a notorious planner. However when I have loads of free time for essays although I become more nocturnal I give myself the breathing room – this means going to the gym and hanging out with friends. 9. What were the best and worst parts of your undergraduate degree? ( are there things you wish you did? And what advice would you give yourself if you were starting again). My undergraduate degree to me could have offered me more, I didn’t ffeel like I learnt a lot until my third year so if I had a choice I would switch uni’s. That being said I gained a lot too, I managed to work a few part time jobs as well as studying abroad – an experience that very much changed my life. It was here I rediscovered my passion for disease biology. 10. Why didn’t you do a phd straight away? Im still unsure about whether I will do one straight away, mostly because a masters degree is so intense I may just want a break. 11. What is important when picking a masters ? Content, content, content – what you will be taught and how you will be taught matters the most. Its expensive and exhausting so take your time. 12. Has the lack of women in senior Stem roles affected your career decisions? Yes very much so, I know I could do with more direction in where I am going and what I’m doing – and not seeing women particularly black women in these roles almost deters me. However I have let it inspire me, its resulted in me starting a blog of my own. I want to provide representation for the next generation. Connect with Ramota on her socials : Instagram:theglobalscientist_ YouTube: theglobalscientist_

1. Name: Damilola Rasheed Oresegun 2. A levels: Biology, Chemistry, Maths, English Literature 3. Your undergraduate degree (and masters if applicable ): BSc. Biomedical Science (w. a placement year); MSc. Applied Bioinformatics 4. Journey in 3 words: illuminating, Challenging, Malleable 5. Phd project:Sequencing the genome of a malaria from South East Asia Working title: Bioinformatic elucidation and characterisation of the SICAvar genes in the Plasmodium knowlesi genome using Nanopore long read sequencing Layman’s: Sequencing the genome of a malaria from South East Asia 6. Briefly describe your project :I am trying to use long read sequencing to find a family of genes in a type of malaria that is only in South East Asia. This form of malaria is interesting because it was used for decades in labs malaria research until they found that it has naturally moved from infecting monkeys (macaques) to infecting humans that come in contact with these monkeys. The difficulty lies in the fact these genes are repeat themselves a lot so are it's hard to sequence using the more used Illumina short read sequencing. Added to this is that I'm using clinical patient samples which makes the work more harder because all other information available are based on the lab samples. This means that my samples are slightly different because time will have allowed the malaria to evolve further in nature rather than in the lab. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science Some people like horror movies because they get a thrill from being scared and it gets their blood pumping. Scientifically, when that happens, they get a release of dopamine and serotonin – both are ‘feel-good’ chemicals. That is why I’m doing science; learning interesting things like that. Learning about micro-organisms and the way they infect and survive, understanding the inner workings of their ‘life’. For me, science is the way I can deal with my over-curiousity about everything; it gives me an avenue to explore and understand ideas I randomly have. What I currently do will not change the world but I believe that increasing the knowledge available can possibly lead to something that will change the world. 8. Work- Life Balance I find that the a work-life balance is something that is constantly changing and being adjusted. I work as an assistant warden (a.k.a residential assistant) as a part-time job which has allowed me to help younger undergrads in a variety of ways. Personally, to alleviate stress, I play games, listen to music, go for walks on the beach and do adult colouring books (I’m working through a GoT one currently). Although I still think my work-life balance is somewhat lacking due to different factors but I am working towards improving it. 9. How did you know a pHd was for you Honestly, I didn’t. My journey up till this point is pretty convoluted and in retrospect I think I’ve been fortunate in many ways. My masters was the by far the most difficult thing I have ever had to do so far in my life and at the end of it, I did not feel like I was experienced enough to go into a work environment. 10. What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a phd Know what you want to study. Be ready to fail. Be ready to pick yourself up and try again. Be ready for frustrating moments and moments of epic self-doubt. However, also be ready for a time that is full of self-discovery, opportunities, and understanding. You will learn everything about a hyper-specific area of study that you will meet other academics, researchers about. In terms of skills and such things, I believe anyone can do a PhD; the main qualifier is determination, grit and the ability to adapt at a frightening pace. It’s definitely always good to talk to previous/current PhD students and visit labs. However this isn’t always available so I would just say that a PhD is a major commitment so BE SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS. 11. Outside of academics what benefits has pursuing a phd given you ? I have had the opportunity to travel to Asia twice. In fact I recently just got back from Malaysia (October 2018). I have met people studying interesting things that will change the world, help people and increase the understanding of that area. Personally I have grown more confident in my skills and my knowledge. I consider myself one of the world’s expert in what I study as it is something that has never been done before. I have been able to develop a better sense of self, being more aware of my mind-state and the effects of my environment on my well-being. I have grown in my ‘soft skills’ – responsibility, accountability, time management, project planning etc. 12. What benefits did doing a placement have for your career and which tips would you give students looking / completing a placement year. If I didn’t do a placement, I probably wouldn’t be doing bioinformatics. Well at the very least, it would have taken considerably longer. A placement acted as a way to focus what I wanted going forward. I found that whilst I truly enjoyed being in the lab and carrying out tests and the like, the routine nature of the work was monotonous. I found that I got bored very quickly, which led to a building up of resentment toward the work. I also learned the inner workings of the job sector which disillusioned me into the appreciation for that particular job role by the rest of sector. Most importantly, my placement year allowed me access to a dedicated team of bioinformaticians that I was able to talk to and work with which allowed me to gain a love for bioinformatics. Additionally, without my placement, I wouldn’t have had my first publication which was work that was adapted from my undergraduate thesis. So for me, placement while not directly beneficial for my undergrad course, it was essential for where I am now. When looking for placement, especially for biomedical science or biosciences in general, I don’t think it’s important to know that you definitely want to work within that job role. If there is even any notion of working in that role in the future, I would advise to pursue a placement. It will provide a better idea of what to expect in that role. You WILL at the end of it, know whether it’s for you or not. If you get a placement or are completing one, try new things, say yes to every single opportunity, talk to lab directors, section leaders etc. The aim of a placement apart from getting your portfolio is to get your foot in that door – whether you choose to go through it or not is down to you. Intigrate yourself with the people there and you will be able to utilise their connection later down the line. Honestly I cannot recommend placement enough, I would say that everyone thinking of doing a placement should apply to one without fail, it is always beneficial. 13. What are the best and worst parts of doing a phd Best parts – You get responsibility for what you do. You determine what experiments to run, when to run them. You get to build better and somewhat more ‘human?’ interactions with lecturers, professors and principal investigators. Your opinion is sought after, valid and respected for your knowledge and understanding. You get to meet a variety of people both in your lab, office, school and wider university. You get to push that bubble of total human knowledge ever so slightly bigger everyday. Personally, I have gotten to travel, work with world leaders in malaria research and be a role model for my community. Worst parts – Personally, I moved to less diverse environment than I was used to which was quite difficult to adjust to. I have had to deal with bouts of depression due to loneliness and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Being far from family, friends and feeling like I am missing out on so much. Constant moments of self-doubt about whether you can do this monumental task ahead of you. 14. Where do you see yourself after your phd? After the PhD, I’m not entirely sure to be honest – I’ve just started my second year. Hopefully, I will have a few more publications under my name. However, I currently don’t see myself staying in academia due to internal politics present in the academia and also due to the demoralising process of grant writing and application. At the moment, I’m thinking going into industry, working for a biotech company or forming my own bioinformatics consultancy that is able to provide a service. For me, the truly great thing about what I do is that I could do all three as the only limiting factor for me is time required.

1. Name: Heba Rasheed Jbareen 2. Course: biology and biotechnology 3. A levels/ equivalent : chemistry/English/Hebrew/Arabic/statistics/mathematics 4. Journey in 3 words: passion, hard and interesting 5. Briefly describe your course: Biology and Biotechnology major is opportunity to know more about basic units and complex issues from our cells until our brains. The practical part for me is better than theoretical. I've learnt: Biology 1 and 2 with labs, chemistry 1and 2 with labs , organic chemistry and analytical chemistry, biochemistry 1and 2, anatomy and physiology, animal cell culture and palnt cell culture, plant biology and animal biology, tissue engineering, bioinformatics, biological research methods, developmental biology, ecology, molecular, recombinant DNA, genetics, biostatistics, mathematics, cell biology, immunology, and much more important and interesting courses. 6. What motivated you to pursue a career in science: my passion to know more, to find answers for my questions, my love for science and my seeking to make our world better place to live in. 7. Work- Life Balance: time management is the secret for successful work life balance. 8. What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree? Be patient and keep your passion high, stay focused and enjoy it, its worthwhile. 9. Did you always want to do your course: actually I studied two years dentistry before being biotechnology and Biology student, but the first time I transferred from dentistry major to biotechnology and Biology major , I knew that it was for me and it's the thing I always wanted to do. 10. What advice would you give on picking universities : take your time, there is no need to rush its an important issue. 11. Has the lack of women In senior roles affected your future career decisions: yes and because of that I want to change it, and I hope to see changes in future and to see more womens in senior roles. 12.Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:Doing my PhD and have alot of publications, researcher and did good impact on our world.

Name: Arzo Course: MSc Neuroscience A levels: biology chemistry maths and AS level physics Undergraduate: BSc Biology Journey in 3 words: challenging, unexpected but exciting. Briefly describe your course: I’ve started a taught masters in neuroscience. It’s going well so far, but very intense! Lots to do in a year so I’m trying to stay on top of it all as I’m also working part time in retail so time management is key What motivated you to pursue a career in science?: I wanted to study medicine at first which is a goal I am still working towards. My desire to improve lives through understanding and treating disease is what pushes me to medicine, but a research career looking into neurological disorders would allow me to apply that interest in a slightly different way to a medical doctor, but with the same goal of understanding a disease, developing treatments and improving lives. What keeps you motivated ?: Understanding the biological phenomena that drives every aspect of our lives from the chemical reactions in our bodies to the chemical reactions in the world around us is what draws me to a career in science. Through my voluntary experience I have worked with dementia patients, which is what motivated me most to pursue neuroscience; neurological disorders can have a devastating impact on an individual and the people around them. Research is advancing rapidly in neuroscience, but there is still so much to learn; my enthusiasm for the subject and desire to help others is what pushes me to purse this subject further and further so that one day I can be a part of and contribute to the groundbreaking research that I am always reading about. Work-life balance: Time management is key! I’m not the best at it, but I’m working on it. My only advice here is learn to say no to going out etc when you know you’ve got a lot of work to do. Why didn’t you do a PhD straight away? - It’s something I’m still unsure about as I’ve mentioned before I’m interested in studying medicine. Studying a masters will give me a good insight into PhD studies and life as an academic, thus enabling me to make a clear decision on what career to pursue. What is important when picking masters? - for me it was what I enjoyed most. I’ve always loved science, but neuroscience truly held my fascination and it was something that never felt like work when I studied. My advice is pick what you enjoy most and where you feel you can truly make a difference. What Advice would you give someone wanting to follow the same path as you ? : don’t give up. Pursing any scientific career is a difficult path and with few resources and access to info about such careers, a lot of people stray. But just take advantage of every opportunity that comes you way and get involved in the science community. Being surrounded by people with similar goals and facing the same struggles will keep you motivated. What advice would you give on Picking universities?: don’t limit yourself, always aim for the best in your eyes and make sure you’ll enjoy being there, that’s the most important thing. When I picked universities for my bachelors and masters some of the things I took into account is ranking, research, facilities, distance from me, fees and most importantly how I felt when I visited that university. Here’s a little story time - ... after sixth form I didn’t so well at A-levels and got a place at Kingston through clearing studying biomedical science. I wasn’t happy there and I knew I would not enjoy my 3 years there so after a week I dropped out, took a gap year and retook some exams and reapplied. I ended up studying Biology at Queen Mary and I have no regrets about that - I’m so glad I took that chance because I don’t think I would’ve ever come out of Kingston with a first. The same sort of thought process went into my masters selection with regards to picking a university, and so far I’m very happy with my choice. So don’t be afraid to take a risk if need be - the university you go to is almost as important as the course you pick, so really do your research!

Being a Life Science student, reading articles is one of those things you can't avoid. You want to be current with where the worlds research is heading. As students, we also don't have the time spend hours a reading papers. So how can you improve the efficiency at which you find, read and understand all the scientific literature? My Guide to reading scientific articles 1. Always start with the most basic google search ( if you didn't know that already) 2. Search Engines:Wikepedia, Google Scholar and PubMed. Wikepedia : Yes, this may seem crazy, but when you have absolutely no idea what you are looking for, wikipedia is a great start. The best thing is, the information is simple enough and the work is usually referenced. What I usually do is go through the references and open tabs to the papers important that were referenced. You can now go on and look for the full papers in google scholar/ pubmed. Google Scholar : use it like google, type in the basic of your topic / essay. I like google scholar as it is easier to use compared to pubmed. It's also a great place to start if u decide to skip using wikipedia. It does have the options for advanced features where you can narrow down your search. Pubmed : I like using pubmed as a source when i know more about what i am looking for and have grasped the topic. It makes it easier for me to use the advanced filters and narrow down the exact paper i am looking for. If you are using pubmed, i advise to start with looking at review articles as they also help give a summary of what you are looking for. Recent review articles - within 5-10 years also help better understand the scope of research being done in that field. This is important when writing your discussion in essays or just for your own personal use. NOW READING THE ARTICLE Reading articles can be such a tedious task, especially just starting out. It is true that the more you read, the better you get. Don't worry if you struggle at first, you do get there in the end. I was lucky enough to host the stemminist account on twitter. Lovely scientist gave their tips on how to tackle articles. Before you start reading, having a plan of what information you want to get from the paper is very useful : Split into sections 1. purpose 2. Area 3. Background 4 . What did they do 5. What did they find 6. Conclusion When starting of, you mainly read papers to get the basic information out of it but as complexity increases, so does your reason for reading the paper. Ask yourself why you are reading the paper : Background ?= intro designing a similar experiment = method and looking for new ideas or directions= last paragraph of the discussion Extra: think about what you like/ dislike about the method. Utilise Ctrl F: it will save you so much time. I spoke about time : How do you skim read a paper? and take notes without plaigirising READ DIAGONALLY overview = read the first and last paragraph of the discussion and that helps determine the relevance of the paper Printing papers and annotating Make bullet points and reword everything to the best of your abilities - Try and stick to no more than two sheets of notes per paper you read. Skim a few papers, read different bits at different times and put similar ideas together KEEPING TRACK OF REFERENCES: the 21st century offers many handy alternatives 1. the most basic being using the favourites on your browser and sorting the papers into folders with appropriate headings 2.A pdf software where you take notes ( PAPERS- paid /Mendely - free/ refworks) add key words and it organises everything so the information is easier to retrieve 3. Use a big spread sheet of what you are trying to find out from the paper( Remember those sections i mentioned earlier in my post) 4. NVivo that endcodes sections of papers and you can find the information easily Also it is worth looking at AICCSED method by raulpacheco Bonus tip for students: Writing a piece of Work/ Essay : I am still learning but i can only pass on what i have currently learnt. The best advise i have been given was to write like you are telling a story . Can you clearly identify a beginning, middle and an end. Are you getting lost? Explain all terminology and don’t expect the person reading your work to be a complete expert. Ask someone that is not in your field to read your work. If they can't understand the basics then try again to further explain. They can also point out mistakes in your work better than you can .

1. Name: Mafalda de Arrábida Farelo 2. Course/ job: PhD student in Immunology at University of Surrey, UK 3. A levels:Biology, Chemistry, Maths 4. Undergraduate degree and masters : BSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology, MRes in Biopharmaceutical Sciences 5. Journey in 3 words: Challenging, humbling, rewarding 6. Briefly describe your role: My PhD focuses on understanding how Dengue virus escapes our cells immune response. There are 3 billion people at risk of being infected by this virus, but unfortunately there is no treatment and the vaccines available are not reliable. If we discover how the virus avoids our defences, we can develop drugs that prevent that, and thus strengthen our natural immune response. I spend most of my days in the lab, doing experiments to find which pathways are targeted by the virus and the effect that it has in our cells. Other days are spent analysing the results or reading and writing. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I was always curious and interested in sciences, but I fell in love with biology during high school in a genetics class. After that I always chose whatever course I liked the most, without really thinking of a career. To me, getting to where I am now was natural, just a series of steps towards what I like to study, trying to get some answers to my many questions. 8. How would you describe your work-life balance? Doing a PhD in the UK is very demading. I have only 3 years (funded) to discover something new and the clock doesn't stop ticking. So, to be honest, I have a bad work-life balance, as work is my main focus and the reason why I moved abroad. On the other hand, I will take every chance I have to travel abroad and get some time for myself away from work. 9. What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree? To be sure of what they want and to get information about the lab, environment there and supervisors. A good environment and supervisors are key to a successful and less stressful PhD. 10. How did you know a pHd was for you ? During my masters degree, I spent 1.5 years doing research both in Lisbon and Amsterdam. I really enjoyed doing research, I learned a lot from colleagues and it was a very hard but rewarding experience. I thought it would be a natural step to continue research by doing a PhD. 11. What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a phd Volunteer in a lab. This will give you a lot of experience and you’ll meet a lot of people. Plus, you can have an idea if you’d like to do that for a few years or whether you prefer to wait. If you can do this at the lab where you’re thinking of doing the PhD, even better. Ask former PhD students of the lab you want to join, how was their experience and get informed about supervisors. A PhD is a long process, so you have to be sure when you commit to it. 12. What are the best and worst parts of doing a phd. The best part is that you can ask questions and get creative about your research, which really makes it your own. You’re literally pushing the boundaries between the known and unknown, and that’s a great feeling. But, you’ll also fail 90% of the time and question whether you’re fit to do it. This is the hardest part, having this fear creeping on you, while still trying to give your best. 13. Did you do an internship before your phd? If yes do you believe it benefited you? Yes! I had two official internships, one during undergrad and another during masters, but I also volunteer in a lab as soon as I entered my masters. Internships are the best! You can be a straight A student, but that doesn't mean you’ll be good in research. An internship gives you an insight of the job and that’s where you really learn what is to be a researcher. There are many skills you only earn by having experience. I loved all my internships and I’ll be forever grateful to all the people I’ve met during these times and that taught me all I know. I don't think I would have been accepted into a PhD without having done these internships. SOCIALS : Keep up with Mafalda on instagram or on her blog

1. Name: Zarin 2. Course: Medicine 3. A levels: Biology, Chemistry, English Literature and Physics 4. Journey in 3 words: 'Risk it all' 5. What does studying Medicine mean to you: I witnessed a great need for access to medical facilities in my early years in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Living right beside the insanely wealthy are those dying of curable, preventable diseases for lack of affordable and impartial care. My parents never let me turn a blind eye to any of it; they instilled in me the responsibility of using any power and position I have to help the marginalised. So studying Medicine means joining the many people around the world helping others in need, wherever the need may be. 6. What motivated you to pursue a career in science?: My singular ambition to become Doctor Do-Good for as long as I can remember. 7. Work-life balance: Like many, I am an insistent advocate and persistent failure. I've started keeping a list of nice, non-work related things to do for myself and when life or work become too overwhelming, I try to do something from the list to slow time back down again. 8. What advice would you give to someone wanting to study the same degree?: Keep your selfimportance in check. True Medicine is not about status. And always tend to your own mental and physical health needs. Burnout is real. 9. What do you feel is important when picking a university?: Betting on yourself. There are very few things we can't do. If the place you're choosing or the degree you want to do is a risk but even the smallest thing inside you says you can do it, to quote Jake Peralta's misquote: “eyes closed, head first, can't lose”.

If you look at life as a jigsaw puzzle. In the literal sense, when we complete a puzzle we already have the pieces and the challenge is to just putting everything together. When i look back at my journey into science and biology , where i am now is nowhere close to what i thought it would be. Gcse is when I was very sure I wanted a future in something to do with biology. As a kid it was very medicine focused. I was stubborn and knew i loved learning about the human body. No other subject topped how i felt when i was learning about how our bodies functioned. I just wanted to know how we worked. The concept of cells, tissues, organs stuck with me and till now it still amazes me how organised and perfectly different parts of our body work together. I started of as a teen wanting to study medicine with the mentality of being a DR or else . This led me to stay very passionate and hardworking towards my grades. My desire to be a doctor led to me volunteering in a hospital, it was there i knew i loved human interaction and saw hospitals in a different light. I also started to question my motives for being a Dr, were they genuine or was it because of lack of knowledge of other fields. Fast forward to university, studying medical physiology, completely changed my outlook . It confirmed i have a strong need to help and teach the younger generation. It also showed me that helping others and giving back is one of the core things i want to do. My journey has taken many turns but everything i have done has widened my perspective into what i really like doing. Doing new things hasn't always helped me, it sometimes brought about a strong sense of confusion and led me to think into a bit too many career paths. So think of this bit as picking up a puzzle piece and thinking it will fit perfectly only for it to be the wrong one. This lead to frustration and a heavy sense of self doubt.I wasn’t exposed to the different paths biology could lead you early on, in the space of 2 years i was bombarded with so many options. I was like a kid in a candy store and just wanted to try everything. One thing i have learnt is to never ignore that burning feeling of purpose you get when you do something. If you can't stop thinking about an idea/ career, then surely it is no coincidence. We live in a generation where opportunities are literally just a google away. Maybe many google searches or emails but nonetheless, they are much closer than they used to be. In life, we don’t actually have all the pieces with us. Maybe we start with a handful and as time goes by and with experience we find these new puzzle pieces. Sometimes the pieces we find may not make sense until we find another one and they fit perfectly together ( the "aha moment").

Name: Kathryn De Abreu Course: MRes Advanced Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, UK A levels: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science UG Degree: BSc Biomedical Science Journey in 3 words: Hard but rewarding Briefly describe your role as a Research Assistant (RA): I was a project technician, helping oversee projects for my supervisor, training students in necessary techniques, collecting data, analysing and writing up findings. I worked on several plant species including tomato and Anthurium. Pros and cons of being a RA: Pros: · good training for postgraduate degrees as you learn how to conduct research and present your findings, · you get experience in teaching students, which is a useful skill in academia, · helps you to be organized in planning and executing your experiments. Cons: · the work you do does not lead to a degree like a PhD, although the work can be used for one. Motivation to pursue a plant physiology career: My plant physiology undergraduate project really interested me. We investigated how plants respond to zinc deficiency on a molecular level, and I always had a passion for nutrition. Seeing how plants respond to stresses fascinated me and I decided to pursue this field full time. How would you describe your work/life balance?: My work/life balance was good as a research assistant, as you work set hours (like a 9-5 job). I would take time off from work to do yoga, or art therapy. I also liked doing outdoor activities like going to the beach. However, as I just started my MRes course, I think my work/life balance will be skewed but just means I have to ensure I take time off to rest! Advice for people wanting to pursue an academic career: Always be curious and ambitious! Stay organized as this really helps you become an efficient researcher. Be persistent in the face of disappointment. Get as much work experience as you can, as this really works to your advantage. Always ensure to have a good work/life balance! It can be more counterproductive being exhausted rather than taking a little break. Why not do a PhD straight away?: Although I had a good research experience during my UG degree, I was going into a field of research that was not along the lines of my UG degree, which was more clinically inclined. I decided to get work experience in the plant physiology field to fulfil my scholarship repayment service, and also do a Masters. The masters degree fully prepares you for PhD study, and makes the transition to PhD study easier. Getting a PhD is my end goal. What is important when choosing a Masters?: Choose programmes that will ultimately help you achieve your career goals. If you want a career in the industry sector, a taught masters is usually more appropriate than a research masters. Research masters are very useful if you want to pursue an academic career path. Also, choose programmes that have connections with your preferred sectors (for example, a masters in biological sciences from a University that has strong connections with biotechnology companies). Difficulties being a woman in science: You can be overlooked for opportunities due to gender bias. Sometimes you would not be given a certain project or be able to do a certain technique due to the perception that men will be more suitable for them, which is not the case. Once you are properly trained, you will be able to do the technique/project. I would encourage people to get into plant sciences through my IG blog, where I show people what it’s like to be a plant scientist. Many people are interested in my job, and I always try to motivate people who tell me they want a career in science but not sure where to start! Blog https://thegreenscientist92.wordpress.com/

Excitement, nerves and a bucket full of other emotions run through you before going to uni. I was one of those that frantically googled and watched so many uni videos with the hope that it would prepare me for the next 3 years of my life. Have fun … First year doesn’t count... Freedom! Just a few common statements that you hear before going to uni. I know the first year for many may not count towards the overall degree or it has the least weighting, which makes absolute sense. First year provides a base level/ foundation that everyone is familiar with, to get rid of the gaps in knowledge due to different exam boards or education systems. Why is first year important ? In order to apply for grad schemes or summer internships, you are going to use your first year grades especially for a year in industry. Take a moment to think about it... Applications for a year in industry opens in September and applications for summer placements range from September to April. Exams take place in January or May. When you start applying in your second year you wouldn’t have had a new set of grades to apply with.Your first year grades will be looked at. You do not need to achieve a 1st throughout first year but obviously it would look great. Steady improvement throughout the year or maintaining a 2:1 average shows determination and consistency. Not everything goes to plan, so if you do end up with a 2:2 or below, there is no reason to beat yourself up. This is where the mantra FIRST YEAR DOESN’T COUNT becomes important. You should now be able to identify where you went wrong and change up your game plan for second year. Begin to build a good relationship with lecturers in your 2nd year. It’s their job to make sure you understand what you are doing. Sending a polite email or waiting after a lecture can have massive improvements in your grades . Think about it, you can only get better at what you do. So put in effort from the start. Put your best self forward at all times and if you’re struggling there are so many places to reach out to. Don’t feed yourself a narrative that makes you isolate yourself. Use first year as a guide, a place where you can make mistakes knowing grades do not define you. Try as hard as you can to always submit your best work and not half-hearted work. The better you understand what you did in first year, the easier the jump from first to second year becomes. ( YES THE MASSIVE JUMP NO ONE WARNED ME ABOUT!!) Gentle reminder...you need to pass first year to get to second year In second year , the real stuff starts. You start being challenged on scientific theory, exam structure changes. You are expected to know and more importantly understand a lot more in much more detail . You should be confident with the basics of first year and prepped for 3rd year. Your second year 1st semester grades also matter . These grades are what will solidify your standing in placement applications, they also give you a standing when you want to apply for summer studentships. Most vacation schemes will request your 1st year and 2nd year grades. This may not be the same for all universities, but your grades can also determine your choice of dissertation topic for most experimental projects. The better you do, the more likely you are to get your first choice. If you need advice on applying for internships or are looking for places look no further … internships CV and preparation Personally 2nd year was one of my hardest years of education. I found myself constantly drained and demotivated. I had no zeal to perform at the level i knew i was capable of. I settled with whatever grade my minimum efforts got me. It’s quite ironic i am writing to motivate you when for a whole semester i couldn’t do that for myself. This is just to tell you that you will face struggles but try your best to persevere through them and talk to people when you are feeling least like yourself. University can create this toxic bubble which makes you feel so alone even when you have people around you . Talk , voice out your struggles and if you do believe in God, pray about it and surely you will get through it. The last hurdle is 3rd year - the real science starts. Workload increases 10 fold. You are put on a good path for the outside world and to go into further education. You should now know all the basics and any other further study will now involve you making meaningful contribution to your area of study ( WISH ME LUCK ) Studying a science, you may be taught the same topics continuously but they build upon the content each time it comes around so if you find yourself being lazy and just trying to skim a pass instead of learning the material, you are only doing yourself an injustice. You have worked hard to get into university, so why ruin it and act like you don’t care by not even trying?

1. Name: Abu Rogers 2.Course: Major – biochemistry, Professional track- Pre MD-PhD 3.A levels/Highschool: Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology| ACT| AP Biology, AP CALCULUS, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 4..Journey in 3 words: Ardours, Intense, Rewarding 5. Briefly describe your course: Biochemistry is the study of physiocochemical and chemical processes in living organisms. MD-PhD or MSTP programs are a rigorous 7-8 years training that combines medical school with extensive research. The goal of such programs is to accelerate translational research and bridge the gap between science and medicine, by training motivated individuals as both scientists and physicians. 6.What motivated you to pursue a career in scienceI have always enjoyed learning the sciences, especially chemistry and biochemistry. However, my motivation for pursuing a career in biochemistry stems from my experiences working in a malaria research lab. 7. Work- Life Balance :Balancing work-life is a struggle, not only because biochemistry requires a lot of work, but I am also involved in several other extra-curricular activities. I work in a research lab, and I spend a significant amount of time fulfilling my duties as president of both the Columbus Free Clinic and One Able World. Most days, I work for more than 15 hours, but my Thursday and Friday nights are for having fun! This way, I am able to rejuvenate my mind and enjoy my college experience! 8.What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree? Passion. Passion. Passion. Needless to say, the classes are hard, and they’re even harder to study for if you’re not interested in the material. Join a research lab or talk to an advisor before you declare a major. If you’re in the US or are interested in pursuing an MD-PhD, get plenty of clinical and research experiences! 9. Did you always want to do your course Yes, and no. Biochemistry, yes. Pre-MD-PhD, no. I have always been interested in pursuing a career in biochemistry. However, it was not until I participated in a summer medical program and shadowed physicians that I truly began considering medicine. I realized that I am equally passionate about treating patients and understanding the mechanism behind the disease. 10 .What advice would you give on picking universities I am currently a student at The Ohio State University, and I absolutely love it! My advice is to attend a university where you’ll find a community and would be conducive to your passions. I chose OSU, because of its vibrant school spirit and cutting-edge research facilities and medical centres. 11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 5 years, I see myself completing my medical degree and a PhD in Biochemistry. Currently, I am interested in understanding ways we could produce more effective antimalarial therapeutics that will eradicate the disease, so I would probably pursue that in graduate school. After completing my program, I might become a specialist surgeon. Side note: If you are a UK student and are interested in bridging the gap between science and research, the NHS STP is a good place to start. You complete 3 years training and can go on to further completing a phD.