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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!

Name: Madeeha Job: Pharmacy Advisor A Levels: Biology, English Literature, Psychology Undergraduate degree: Biology BSc (Hons) Describe your journey in three words: Challenging, hectic, intense Briefly describe your job role: I am currently working in a pharmacy alongside a regular pharmacist, dispensing prescriptions, cross checking pharmacists’ work, contacting medicine suppliers, doctors and surgeries as well as dealing first-hand with patients themselves. It’s a rewarding role but can sometimes be overwhelming with deadlines. What motivated you to pursue a career in science?: I have always enjoyed biology in particular out of all the sciences. Undertaking the biology A Level course really set my heart onto the subject, having had inspiring biology teachers. Seeing the passion and love my teachers had towards their subject really made me enjoy learning about biology and it made me want to pursue the subject further. Describe your work-life balance: I graduated last year but I only started my dispensing and pharmacy training course early this year. I’m only contracted to work weekends at the moment, so on weekdays I’m usually at home. It’s not the best routine, since everyone else is home on weekends and working weekdays. I don’t have much to do. What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow the same career path?: Make sure you are prepared for gruelling amounts of hard work, pain, lots of sweat and perhaps a lot of tears. Pursuing a degree in the science field is no easy feat, so make sure you are determined, ready and sure of your choice. It’s important that you have passion for the subject you choose as well, since this is what is going to keep you sane when the going gets tough. Your love for your subject will help with the “tough gets going” part. Enjoy the process. What do you feel is important when picking a university?: 1,000,000% you must be happy with the choices and variety you are offered within your course. Definitely look into the different module options available in your second and third years, since you want to be happy with your available range of choice. For me, most universities did not offer the varied type of biology course I was after - it whittled down to only two local universities that I was genuinely interested in applying to. Side note: If you would like to follow a more direct route into pharmacy. Check out Iyeshas student profile.

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.

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: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: Elodie Ekoka 2. Course/ job: PhD candidate in Genetics (Malaria vector control) 3. A levels/ equivalent: In South Africa and Cameroon, we have a matric exam at the end of high school which gives us access to university. However, in Cameroon (where I did my “matric exam”) we have four types of matric, each with its major and minor subjects: Type A: majors = French/English literature, 2 additional languages, Philosophy Type B: majors = Economy, Accounting Type C: majors = Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry Type D: majors = Biology and Chemistry I did the Type C exam and I oriented my career to Biology later, when I moved to South Africa. By the way, Type C matric students also do Biology as one of their minor subjects 4. Your undergraduate degree and masters I did my Bachelors degree in Human Genetics, my Honours degree (something unique to South Africa and Australia) in Genetics and my Masters degree in Genetics 5. Professional/career Journey in 3 words: Challenging Rewarding Eye-opener 6. Briefly describe your role as PhD student To date, there is evidence that vaccines (targeting mosquito genes) and genetically modified mosquitoes could offer an additional pillar to the existing malaria vector control strategies. However, either technique requires that we target a gene which is essential for key physiological processes (e.g., blood-feeding, immune response to Plasmodium infection, oviposition, etc.). As a PhD student, my broad focus is to identify and functionally characterize the genes which affect both Plasmodium development inside mosquitoes and the mosquitoes’ fecundity. The results obtained from my study may give insights into novel candidates that could be targeted in future vaccines or Genetically modified mosquitoes. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I fell in love with laboratory work from watching cartoons and movies such as Dexter’s laboratory, the Nutty Professor, etc. It may sound simple, but during my childhood that was my only exposure to scientists—on Television. My particular interest in Genetics came during my Bachelor degree where I discovered and was immediately attracted to the broad topic of gene expression and its regulation. I can still remember my favorite chapter, “Transcription”, from which I developed an interest in functional genetics, especially RNA interference. By the end of my BSc, I knew two things: I wanted to do research in a laboratory and I wanted to learn more about Functional Genetics. However, unlike many, I did not know at that point the particular field I wanted to work in, so I explored different fields along my path. This has lead me to where I am today: Malaria Vector Control research. 8. Describe your Work- Life Balance? I try to find time each week for extracurricular activities such as playing piano, hitting the gym or spending time with loved ones. Doing my house chores or reading a self-development book also help me relax mentally. Depending on my work load in a particular week, I may allocate more time to these activities. But in general, I give myself one day per week where I do not think of work. It might seem a lot to some, but this is what I personally need to recharge. 9. What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a phd? Last year, I wrote a blogpost entitled “10 lessons I learned as a young research scientist” which basically contains advice I wish I had known when I started a PhD. Apart from these 10 tips, I will say that a PhD is kind of signing up for three relationships: one with your project, one with your research group and one with your supervisor. Therefore, make sure that you are genuinely comfortable with each of these parties before embarking on a PhD journey. Also, make sure that you have good mentors and a great support group (friends/family). 10. What are the best and worst parts of doing a phd? Best: A PhD journey is like an all-in-one learning environment where you get the opportunity to develop soft skills (e.g. resilience, emotional management, time management, etc.) and professional skills (e.g. project management, data analysis, mentoring, communication, report writing, decision-making, problem-solving, etc.), all while you are becoming an expert in a particular field and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Not only these skills are transferable to any field, but you also have flexible hours to work on your PhD, as cherry on the cake! Worst: I don’t particularly see “worst” but rather “challenging” aspects of a PhD. This is because I learned —the hard way— that if you look at them with the right mindset, and you follow the advice I mentioned above, you will always find something positive or a way to get around what seems to be a “challenge”. 11. What do you see yourself doing afterwards? I love my current combination of working for both academia (Wits medical school- University of the Witwatersrand) and government (National Institute for Communicable Diseases). It has given me so much exposure to all the different fields I can pursue after my PhD. At the moment, I am attracted to two careers (medical research scientist or medical writer – both with a focus on malaria), but I haven’t made a final decision yet. 12. Did you do a summer internship before your phd? If yes do you believe has benefited you? - if no do you think it made applying for a phd any harder) I will not call it a “summer internship”, but I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant in my current research group for about four months before applying for a PhD. This allowed me to get to know the people in my research group, to see how well I fitted in the group, how comfortable I felt with my current PhD supervisor, and to check the opportunities given to the Postgraduate students in that group. Thus, by the time I started my PhD in January 2018, I had tested the three relationships I mentioned above and I knew this was definitely the best fit for me: professionally, mentally, and emotionally. 13. How do you feel about the lack of women in Senior STEM roles? Last year, I had the privilege to meet Ndoni Mcunu (founder and CEO of Black Women in Science– south Africa) and our interaction was an eye-opener: it showed me that while some of us are “complaining” about the gender gap in STEM roles, others are actually DOING something about it. What struck me the most was realizing that she is a PhD student, like me. So I asked myself, what have I done at my level to fix this gender gap? As a woman in general or as a black woman? And my answer (as you guessed) was “nothing”. How can I sit and do “nothing” while there are several organizations supporting women in science that I can join? How can I sit while there are many social media accounts that I can follow and support? Or better, when I have a couple of social media platforms and I never talk about these issues? And if I do nothing, am I allowed to complain about this issue? Bottom line? I believe change will happen when each woman in STEM will feel responsible and make her own contribution. May 2019 be a year where we ACTIVELY contribute (in whatever way we can) to reduce the gender inequality in senior STEM roles. Connect with Elodie on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elodie_scientist/

1. Name: Tomi Akingbade 2. Course/ job: MSci Neuroscience 3. A levels: Biology, Maths, Psychology (and Chemistry AS) 4. Journey in 3 words: Challenging, exciting, character-building 5. Briefly describe your current course: As well as neuroscience, I learnt a lot of content related to pharmacology and psychology. I enjoyed the bredth of information because it gave me the opportunity to see what neuroscience-related topics I was interested in. 6. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I’ve always loved to ask the question ‘why’ and I love problem-solving. 7. How would you describe your work-life balance? While I was in uni, there was very little balance between work and life. After a while I learnt that my work suffers when there isn’t a balance between the two so I’ve started to prioritise maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 8. What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree Enjoy it, read around the subject and don’t stress anything too much. Somehow you always know more than you think you do. The best piece of advice I can give is to try and know your subject and know it well, rather than cramming information in for exams actually try and commit things to memory. 9. Why didn’t you do a PhD straight away? I needed a mental break from being in any sort of programme and wanted to gauge the science industry a bit better first-hand as a research assistant. 10. What is important when picking a masters? Know what assessments work for you so that you have a chance to show off i.e. I’m better at coursework/essays than traditional examinations so I chose a masters programme that was 100% coursework/presentation. 11. What were your perceptions of being a scientist before you started your course? Honestly, I didn’t know what a scientist did before starting my course but my perception was largely that scientists didn't look like me so I wasn’t really sure how I’d fit into the industry. 12. What career paths did you feel were available to you before you started your course and how has that changed? I was massively unaware of what career paths were available to me before starting my course but during my course I attended lots of career talks and was lucky enough to meet a lot of different people (both in-person and on social media) who have shown me the different career opportunities available to them by telling me about their own journey. 13. You run BWIS: tell us a little about it, your motivations and possible future plans for the network. BWiS is a platform that brings together a community of women of African and Caribbean heritage in various stages of their scientific careers. It is no secret that black women face pressures both within and outside the workplace. The BWiS Network believes that everyone should be encouraged to not only pursue careers of their choice but excel in their industry. In the future, BWiS Network hopes to be a unified voice, impacting legislation and influencing change so that black women feel comfortable and supported in their careers. As an inclusive network, BWiS is also keen to consult companies and organisations that wish to better understand the realities of what it is to be an African and/or Caribbean woman in the scientific industry. We also hope to host some networking events in the near future - become a member and follow us on social media to be kept up to date. Subscribe to BWIS : https://www.bwisnetwork.co.uk/ twitter: https://twitter.com/bwisnetwork?lang=en connect with Tomi on her socials: https://twitter.com/tomi_akingbade I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences

1. Name: Gabriel Baluyut 2. Course: MSc Physicians Associate 3. A Levels: Biology, Psychology, English Literature & EPQ (Ankylosing Spondylitis) 4. Your undergraduate degree: BSc Genetics + 2 online courses in Personalised Medicine and Clinical Neurology 5. Journey in 3 words: Failures. Exhausting. Perseverance. That is the reality of it! We’re keeping it real here! ;) 6. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? Coming from a Filipino family and having a Philippines background – I knew I’ll either end up as an engineer or do something in the science field. Though throughout my education, I have always been the type of person to go with the flow and do something that I enjoy. That is why I decided to go into the ‘science’ route. I wasn’t motivated nor I was forced to go into it. It was just that science is something I really enjoy. Now if you ask me why I pursued a career in ‘medicine’, it’s because I stand by Desmond Doss’ principles. He refused to kill an enemy soldier or carry a weapon in combat, during his service at Guam and the Philippines; also most famously known for his heroic medic act on Hacksaw Ridge. One of his quotes was "With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it don't seem like such a bad thing to me, to want to put a little bit of it back together." I really believe in this! I want to help people and I know that one person alone cannot change the world, but a community can. A career in medicine will help me find that community and I will foster and grow with that community. I know it'll take me a few years, and that there are many challenges scattered ahead of me before I reach my goal, but each will provide an opportunity for growth and reflection. For now, I will continue to seek out opportunities - to build my knowledge and experience on the medical field. 7. Briefly describe your current course (masters): As a Physician Associate (PA) student, we are trained to become advanced, skilled medical professional who have a principal role in a patient’s care and to provide a continuous workflow. We are taught how to take medical histories, diagnose patients, develop treatment plans, interpret diagnostic tests and lab results, and to prescribe; hence, it’s quite similar to being an MD student. During our clinical rotations, we practice medicine alongside Doctors and Consultants, and are committed to a team-oriented approach with all staff members. 8. What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue the same course(masters): Simple – Research, Shadow, and Volunteer. Research the PA role and make sure it is what you want to do. This career is very similar to being a Doctor and the responsibilities are also very similar to being a Nurse Practitioner. Therefore, you must fully understand the difference between each role and have a solid reason to why you would choose PA over the other two career roles. Shadow as much Doctors, PAs, Nurses, Surgeons, or Consultants as you can. This will enhance your perspective into medicine and will allow you to gain an insight into what it’s like to work in the medical field, as well as to see the hardships that comes with the role. Volunteer when you can, as this will allow you to experience what it’s like to care for someone, help someone, or it can be a way to prove to yourself whether you’re empathetic or compassionate enough to pursue a role as a PA. 9. What are some of the pros and cons of your undergrad and do you believe it prepared you well enough for your post grad? Pros: The number of essays I had to do in my undergrad definitely increased my confidence on my essay writing ability, which has really helped me when doing my post grad assignments. Moreover, the amount of presentations I had to do in front of a large audience also made me more confident in communicating well with people I’ve just met, and I’m able to transfer that interpersonal skills to my clinical rotations when talking to a member of staff or to a patient or their relatives. Lastly, the basic anatomy and physiology knowledge I gained from my undergrad definitely benefited me during my post grad. Cons: As undergrad was financially expensive, I became quite good with handling money and monitoring my finances, and this is really important in post grad. There was nothing much I can think of regarding cons, but the step from A-levels to my undergrad was really small. Now if you compare that from undergrad to postgrad, the step is huge! I am not sure whether this only applies to my course, but I wasn’t prepared (I really thought I was) for the intensity and difficulty of being in a med school, especially that we are studying medicine in just 2 years. What was expected from us was a lot and if I were to describe it; it’ll be something like drinking out from those water host that firemen use to stop fire from a burning building. I was drowning on workload. It’s alright though, I managed, and I became more disciplined to study. 10. What advice do you have for overcoming rejection? Sleep it off! This was what I did every time I got a rejection email/letter from universities. Rejections are unavoidable, but what is avoidable is the strain and self-doubt that we end up putting ourselves into. Hence the best thing to do is to sleep it off, wake up with a fresh mindset, and start planning/researching what you can do next. There is no point dwelling over the rejection, when you can start planning your next steps to reach your goals. There are no successful people in the world that have never experienced a rejection. So, remember and I’m saying this from the bottom of my heart - your quality of life will always be measured by the stories you share, the people you meet, and the impact you impart; not by your rejections/failures. catch up with Gabriel on socials: https://www.instagram.com/gabz_studyz/ I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences

1. Name :Emma Dalby (She/Her) 2. Course :Biological Sciences (Neuroscience) with a Year in Industry BSc 3. A levels:Biology, Chemistry and Maths (Psychology at AS) 4. Where did you do your placement year :GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage (Functional Genomics department) 5. How was your placement experience ( pros and cons) and how did it meet your expectations? Without a doubt, my placement year has been extremely valuable and beneficial, and I don’t for a second regret delaying completing my degree for a year to complete one. I had no idea about how science in industry worked before starting my placement, so it was a very steep learning curve for me, learning that science comes with a great deal of failure which you must learn to take in your stride, and I now have a level of resilience which I would not have achieved without this year. I was given complete autonomy and independence of my project, and although it took me a while to understand the benefit of the work I was doing, I gradually saw how my project contributed to improving the work done by the department. The independence was scary at first and at time it did feel like I had been thrown into the deep end very early, but I was always supported by my supervisors and am grateful for their faith in my abilities to be allowed to have such ownership of my work. Working for a large company such as GSK has huge benefits, including a very active community at the Stevenage site where I was based. There were opportunities to get involved in volunteering work outside of the lab, such as being an ambassador at the Big Bang fair to inspire future scientists which I found particularly rewarding. Compared to university, it is a completely different style of working, and I think I can safely say this has been the hardest, most challenging and tiring year of my education so far. There were times when I really struggled with experimental work and had lapses in confidence, especially being thrown into an environment surrounded by very talented, intelligent scientists with much more experience. However, it has taught me so much about myself and the ways I like to work/cope with stress and setbacks which will prove extremely useful going forward. I am unsure if I would like to return to Industry in the future, although I love science and the vision of companies such as GSK, I did find that sometimes the amount of business strategy and planning which is required for decisions to be made gets in the way of completing the science which I am so passionate about. However, the skills learnt in industry are completely invaluable for alternative routes, not just in academia but also alternative fields within science and beyond. Finally, the experience and confidence I have gained over the course of this year I believe will help me an immeasurable amount going into the final year of my degree. The confidence and general lab skills I have learnt will put me at an advantage when starting my research project, and the work ethic and time management skills will hopefully set me up for success in my degree. 6. Journey in 3 words : Enlightening. Demanding. Fulfilling. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I always had an aptitude for science at school, so the decision to continue it on to A levels was an easy choice for me. During my A levels I found a real love and interest for Biology and Psychology, and I find the fact that we understand so little about how the brain works fascinating. I’ve always been a very curious person and enjoy learning new things, so a field like science which is full of new discoveries every day sounds perfect. I also realise how much science benefits society and think it is a brilliant, exciting, constantly evolving sector to work in. 8. What advice would you give someone wanting to do a placement year? Searching for placements is a lot of hard work, so be prepared to put in the hours, not only for finding opportunities to apply for but for writing applications and completing online assessments. Because of this I would suggest starting as early as you can, and spend some time initially making a good CV, cover letter and draft of a personal statement that you can adapt for applications as it gives you a solid starting point. You will probably need to apply for quite a lot of placements to get one, but my advice would be to make sure you actually read what is involved in an advertised placement before you apply, you’re better to concentrate your efforts on the ones you really want and are suitable for than spreading yourself thin applying for every placement you find. It is a difficult process and takes up an extra year of your degree, so much sure any placement you’re signing up for is something you can imagine spending a year doing. If you get an interview, congratulate yourself as that is possibly the hardest part done. Usually placements at big companies such as GSK will get hundreds of applicants for each role and probably only interview a few people, so by getting to interview you have already shown them you’re someone they want to hire. Interviews will vary from placement to placement, but make sure you do your research not just on techniques which the placement may involve so you can answer technical questions, but on the culture and values of the company. Ask questions, seem engaged and admit to gaps in your knowledge, they will be able to tell if you are bluffing! If you are successful in gaining a placement, you’re in for a really exciting but hard year, so prepare yourself and rest up well over the summer before it, as a lot of placements are 12 months long and will probably not leave you with much summer before your final year. My biggest advice is to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. You will have your main project but try to go and shadow other scientists/departments in the company which interest you, volunteer, take part in clubs and social events. You can make some incredible connections and network a lot during your year so make sure you make good impressions and get peoples details to use connections formed in the future. Ask as many questions as you can, you are there to learn! 9. What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? Although rejection is never pleasant, learning to deal with failure is a key skill in science, so try to see any rejections as a learning opportunity. When applying for placements, you will be going up against students from all over the country and beyond, so try not to take it personally if you are not accepted. There is stiff competition and it may be that you just don’t fit one of the criteria they see as key. This does not mean that you aren’t a very bright student and do not have the potential to become a talented scientist. If you sell yourself well and make good impressions through your applications and interviews, you can take solace in the fact that you gave every application your best shot. If you are unsuccessful securing a placement, ask for feedback from any companies you were rejected from so you can learn from them and carry that knowledge forward to applications in the future. Do not let it spoil your motivation for final year, try your best to obtain a summer placement between your second and final year instead, or speak to staff at the university and ask if you can come in once a week to assist or observe their experiments to gain more experience. Placements are incredible opportunities, but they are not the only way to gain valuable skills and experience in science. List of places that offer internships: A place to start: https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/list-of-places-that-offer-science-internships I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences

1. Name: Chichi Okagbue 2. Course/ job: PhD in Biological Sciences 3. A levels: Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics 4. Undergraduate degree and masters titles Both Pharmacology 5. Journey in 3 words Exciting, Challenging, Intriguing 6. What motivated you to pursue a career in science I was partially motivated to do so because I was good at science during secondary school but also the fact that I found science interesting in particular chemistry and biology. Then the added motivation was to pursue medicine because I wanted to be in a job where a knowledge of science can help others to feel better. I may not be doing medicine now but nonetheless pursuing a scientific research career has ultimately stemmed from the combination of me loving science (drug related sciences in particular) and using that knowledge to find cures and understand diseases better. 7. Work- Life Balance I would say my work-life balance based from my previous job as an aseptic compounder was is overall good sure to the fact that I still have a social life and value the importance of having fun stuff to look forward to instead of just working all the time. This is the same mindset I am looking to carry into my PhD that the balance between my working in the lab and my social life outside of the lab work. 8. How did you know a pHd was for you? I wrestled with the idea of doing a PhD very mildly when I started my BSc but with no real conviction. However it was at the point in my final year that I realised that the PhD route was more than just a passing thought. I was really engaged with pharmacology and I wanted to keep on learning about it and be a part of any potential new developments particularly in cardiovascular sciences. My Masters course confirmed the idea of me pursuing a PhD because I was deeply involved with my dissertation which was the best part of my whole course for me. I knew from then that conducting a research project in an area of great interest and writing about what happened for an extended period of time was what I wanted to do. Additionally, I also love the idea of the title Dr in front of my name! 9. What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a phd To cast your net very wide especially if applying for funded projects and to simply keep at it and never give up as competitive as they are. My PhD isn’t a funded project however it is in the field of my dreams therefore you may need to be prepared to make the sacrifice of studying for free in order to do the project of your dreams. I would advice that you analyse the project description carefully to make sure that the project is not only interesting but also feasible for you as an individual. Lastly, don’t hesitate to contact the supervisors for more clarification on any of the research techniques you will be using because ultimately these skills will be added to your repertoire when applying for postdoctoral positions. 10. What do you see yourself doing afterwards? I see myself working in cardiovascular research in the industry in order to obtain a vast amount of experience before becoming a lecturer when I am older with interesting topics to teach and inspire young future scientists. 11. Did you do a summer internship before your phd? If yes do you believe has benefited you? - if no do you think it made applying for a phd any harder In my case, I didn’t specifically do an internship before doing my PhD because of my job however if circumstances were different I definitely would have done some work over the summer; preferably at the lab I am looking to do my PhD. Having said this, not doing an internship or working in a research job didn’t hinder me applying to my PhD course. I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences Internships : https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/list-of-places-that-offer-science-internships

1. Name :Merissa Brown 2. Course: MSc Psychology (Conversion) 3. A levels :Biology, Chemistry, English Lit, Psychology (AS) 4. Your undergraduate degree: BSc Biomedical Sciences 5. Journey in 3 words: Unpredictable, dynamic, explorative 6. Briefly describe your role or course : Course: My Psychology conversion course covers all areas of the subject, namely: developmental, cognitive, biological, social, research, statistics and applied psychology. It has the same content as an undergraduate Psychology degree but it is made for people who have already completed their undergraduate, have no experience in Psychology but want to get into the field. It is largely used as the first stepping stone in starting a social science career. Job role: As a User Researcher, I have to ensure that the digital products and services (websites, apps, technological products, etc.) that my organisation creates are usable by the people they’re made for. By this, I mean that the solutions need to be easy to understand, fit in that person’s real-life context and actually be satisfying to use. Doing User Research for healthcare technology also adds another layer to mix: the solution has to - directly or indirectly – save lives. To do my job effectively, I conduct interviews, design workshops, lab sessions (in which participants use a prototype of the product/service in a controlled environment), surveys and more with my users, who tend to be patients and NHS staff. My job is a perfect combination of social sciences and technology. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science : I am obsessed with helping people and I have always had a desire to conduct research and critique theory. That really fuelled my desire to work in STEM. I’ve also always wanted to work in healthcare (initially as a GP and then later as a researcher), again fuelled by the idea of using my skills to help people and make a difference to society. I didn’t know that my desire would manifest itself in a User Research career but I’m enjoying the outcome. 8. Work- Life Balance : Working and studying at the same time is very challenging but I always make sure I give myself and my social life time to prosper. I have a work phone, specifically so I can separate my professional and personal business. At the end of each day, I make sure that my work phone gets turned off and put away, so I’m not tempted to work over time. I also use my calendar to set out study time every week and I also add social events in there too to make sure I can get everything done. It all seems to be working well at the moment, but the biggest challenge is turning my mind off and relaxing when I’m not working or studying. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that. 9. Advice : Make sure that whatever you do, you’re doing it because you enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy what you do, your lack of motivation will dictate your performance and that really kicks in when you have to learn things that you’re not particularly keen on or good at (for me, that’s statistics). Also, make sure you do your research before you jump into anything – attend open days, email the lecturers, look at the module content, check the skills you’ll learn and the job prospects. You need to see if studying suits your situation and your interests and you can only do that by asking the right questions. 10. Why didn’t you do a phd straight away? : I’m still toying with the idea of doing a PhD but it’s not really necessary for my career in user research. While the various PhDs I have been researching sound really interesting, they do take up a lot of time and even when they’re funded, I’d have to save a lot of money for maintenance. 11. What is important when picking a masters : Knowing if it’s something you really want to do. Master’s degrees are really costly and even if you take out a student loan, the debt will be repaid concurrently with your undergraduate debt. Master’s degrees also require a lot more effort than undergraduates so you also have to consider whether you’re willing to devote the time to it. If you aren’t sure about what to do, I’d suggest taking a break from studying, getting some work experience to really understand what you like (and more importantly, dislike); then start thinking about applying for postgraduate courses. 12. Has the lack of women in Stem roles affected your career decisions: Yes, but not just as a woman. The general lack of diversity in STEM is quite frustrating and that has always really motivated me to fill those spaces and make my presence felt. As a black girl growing up in South London, I never saw anybody like me in STEM roles which, over the years, has made me second guess whether there were even opportunities for me in these industries. Now, I think it’s my duty to show other girls – especially young black girls - that there is a HUGE space here where their perspectives really do matter and they can really affect change. I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences Internships https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/list-of-places-that-offer-science-internships

1. Name Ellie Handford (she/her) 2. Course BSc Medical Biochemistry with a year in industry 3. A levels Biology, Chemistry and Maths (with AS Geography) 4. Where did you do your placement year? GlaxoSmithKline’s Research and Development site in Stevenage 4. How was your placement experience (pros and cons) and how did it meet your expectations? My placement year was invaluable. I have gained great confidence, in both my skills as a biologist and in myself as a person, that I don’t believe I would have had if I had continued straight into final year. I got the opportunity to work with extremely knowledgeable scientists, on fascinating projects that gave me the chance to learn a plethora of new skills. While I thoroughly enjoyed the scientific aspect of my placement year, the ability to understand and navigate the workings of a larger organisation did not come as naturally to me. During my year I worked between two departments with very different cultures and attitudes, which I found to be difficult at times. Despite this, working between departments gave me the opportunity to work with incredible people with a great range of scientific backgrounds. In many ways, my placement year exceeded my expectations. The amount of ownership and responsibility I was given on my project was far greater than I expected. While this was overwhelming at times, it was also extremely rewarding. I did not expect the large amount of development opportunities there was available to me. During this year I have: acted as a STEM volunteer, helping with work experience weeks and giving site tours to interested students; taken part in journal clubs; and presented at poster sessions, all of which were new experiences for me. However, I was not prepared for how mentally demanding this year would be. Doing a placement year in a scientific field requires you to very quickly develop critical thinking skills, great resilience (particularly when facing failed experiments) and the ability to be extremely adaptive. There is a very steep learning curve but there are always people around to support and encourage you and, once learnt, these skills will be invaluable for any future career path in any field you choose. 5. Journey in 3 words Challenging, rewarding, enjoyable. 6. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? Curiosity. I have always loved understanding how things work, in fact my Mum frequently reminds me about how as a child I would always ask her ‘why?’ as a response to literally anything. Therefore, throughout my education, I always found the sciences to be my favourite subjects as they answered all the questions I’d ever had (and lots I didn’t even know I wanted to ask). During my GCSEs I found a particular love for biology and have continued studying in this area ever since. 7.What advice would you give someone wanting to do a placement year? Balancing your applications with your studies can be quite difficult. Writing a good application takes time, so if you’re applying to lots of placement opportunities (which I would also recommend doing) it takes lots and lots of time. Get ahead in the summer between first and second year and write template CVs and cover letters that can be modified to the specific role, depending on the criteria required as listed on the advertised. Make sure to utilise the careers service at your university - they can help with anything from writing your CV to taking you through a mock interview. Try not to be disheartened (which is easier said than done) if you don’t hear back from a lot of the places you apply for, I applied for eight and only heard back from one! If there is the opportunity to undertake a summer project at a university during this summer break, it will give you a perfect opportunity to gain some research experience before applying to placements. On several of the applications I completed, there was a section asking for descriptions of any research projects I had undertaken. Completing a summer project can give you that research experience. Sometimes these opportunities are advertised, but in my case I obtained a summer placement by emailing a Professor, whose lecture content I have particularly enjoyed, and speculatively enquired. Throughout your placement, keep a list of everything you achieve or skills you learn, as at the end when you come to update your CV it can be hard to remember everything you have done. Use this year as an opportunity to gain other experiences outside of your work, for example GSK run a STEM initiative that requires volunteers. You will likely have more spare time this year than during a normal university year, so it is a good opportunity to gain experiences that can boost your CV. Finally, the obvious one, network! The people you meet during your placement year are potentially your future in-roads to a job. Keep in contact with people you meet during your placement after you leave – LinkedIn is great for this, so I would recommend getting a profile started before you arrive on placement. While this year is predominantly about gaining work experience, more than likely you will be moving to a new city and meeting new people - so make the most of it! 8. What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? I found the best way to deal with it was to spin it into a positive and use these experiences as a way to improve. If you get rejected, ask for feedback, take the feedback onboard and that way you can improve for next time. It can be easy to take this rejection personally, but it can help to think that there are often hundreds of applicants for the same position and often only a few of them are accepted, so most applicants are in the same boat as you. Try not to let it get you down too much, there is a position out there with your name on it! I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences Internships : https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/list-of-places-that-offer-science-internships