Bsc Biology and (MPH) Public Health to Research Manager I TCIM Careers

• Name: Amran Mohamed

• Course/ job: Research Project Manager

• A levels/ equivalent: Biology, Psychology & Economics with AS in Chemistry

• Undergrad and post grad degrees :BSc Biology , MPH Public Health
  

• Favourite science fact: You have more bones in your body when you are born compared to when you’re an adult!!!
  

Journey in 3 Words: Dynamic, Exciting & Fun

• • Briefly describe your role or course : I’m currently a research project manager at an NHS trust responsible for an NIHR/UKRI funded COVID-19 and ethnicity community intervention study. My interests lie in supporting marginalised groups build healthier and stronger communities. My BSc in Biology was very broad allowing for a degree of flexibility across the spectrum from biochemistry to conservation whilst my MPH in Public Health focused on human health and health systems and covered aspects from public health practice, epidemiology & statistics to health economics, systems & policy. I also specialised in Global Health.
  

• What motivated you to pursue a career in science :I always had an interest in the natural world when I was growing up and the study of life always intrigued me. I had amazing science teachers at school who really believed in me!
  

• What advise would you give on picking universities: I think it’s important to choose the course rather than the university. I think university is really what you make of it, and I always remind the younger generation that it is important to choose what you’d like but also to look at aspects of what opprotunities choosing a particular university will bring you. By all means, Russel Group universities can be great but they are not the be all and end all. I had the most amazing time during my undergrad degree and I thought I wouldn’t because I didn’t get into my first choice - but it’s really about making the most of your time and seeking opportunities whenever you can!

• What career paths did you feel were available to you before you started your course :I would say that I was quite lucky to secure a graduate job quite rapidly after my undergraduate degree, so I had a pretty solid plan and career progression route. But after working for almost two years I realised that this path was not for me, and that I couldn’t see myself doing a lab based masters (Mres) or a PhD in the biological sciences. I knew that my outreach work would always be a very small part of my role in academia and if I wanted to work in public health that the minimum requirement would be a Masters.
  

• What were your perceptions of being a scientist before you started your masters course :Working in an academic institution prior to beginning my course gave me an insight into the aspects of research that I liked and what I didn’t like. I went into my masters with a plan that I wouldn’t necessarily go down the research route in terms of the scientific aspect, but that I would want to focus on what skills I could gain and theory that I could learn to prepare me for a career that would allow me to serve my community and not a life in the lab that I came to dislike over the years.
  

• What did you enjoy the most about your masters course :My cohort during my masters was very international and I always valued this when I was doing my undergraduate degree. You learn so much from people who come from different backgrounds, countries etc. I also enjoyed the aspect of bringing together so many different subject areas under the umbrella of public health; both the social & humanities aspect but also scientific element.
  

• How have your previous experiences played a part in your career path :I took a 2 year break in between my undergraduate degree and my postgraduate degree to enter the working world. I think that definitely gave me an insight into what I like and what I don’t like. It was important for me to do so because if I had done a masters two years ago it would have been a completely different subject area (and more along the lines of life sciences)

• When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? : I would say that I never moved into Public Health for the money, but I knew that pursing a MPH would make my salary increase very quickly in comparison if I had remained in my old role and worked my way up.

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years : If I answered this at the beginning of my MPH I would’ve said somewhere abroad working within the UN system. But now, my outlook has very much changed because I see how much needs to be worked on in our own communities and to be given the opportunity to lead a national study is something that I wouldn’t have even imagined doing in 5 years time, let alone right now. So only time will tell!
  

• Outside science how would you describe yourself : I dabble in a bit of everything, from hosting events and community conversations to travelling the world and writing my blog. I also recently started podcasting and utilising IG live to engage others in community engagement and public health!
  

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Connect with Amran Twitter: @AmranMR_ & @theworldofamran Instagram: @theworldofamran Wordpress: theworldofamran.wordpress.com