Prospects Postgrad 1

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Postgrad 77 In the genes CHRIS RANDALL is coming to the end understand the background theory discussed in lectures and has increased my interest in medical microbiology. Another highlight of the course was successfully obtaining purified green fluorescent protein (GFP) as part of a core skills module. After using a range of molecular biology tools to extract the GFP gene and insert into a plasmid followed by its expression and purification, to have achieved the desired end result was highly rewarding and gave me a lot of confidence for my research project. Securing a research project with Professor Ian Chopra of the Antimicrobial Research Centre and presented at an international conference has also been a big highlight and something I feel particularly proud of. LEARNING FRIENDS The level of support on subject area has been a big advantage to everyone and, as such, the quality of teaching is extremely high. The people I met and friends I made were very important during my time at Leeds. Without my friends, I feel my university experience would not have been as enjoyable. GRADUATE TRAINEE Completing my Masters of his MSc in Bioscience (Infection and Immunity) at the University of Leeds. He reflects on his postgraduate experience. When I finished my undergraduate degree, I worked at a small food microbiology company and I felt that I needed to give myself the edge over other individuals. Upon discovering the MSc Bioscience course at Leeds, I felt that the ability to specialise in infection and immunity, together with training in a wide variety of modern bioscience I was looking for, so I applied. I enjoyed the wide range of topics covered in the teaching modules - they are so diverse, I found it very difficult to become bored. I also enjoyed the fact that all assessments are coursework based, which I feel is more relevant in preparing you for employment than examinations. IN THE LAB The visit to the microbiology at Leeds has opened up numerous possibilities for future career prospects. In the next few weeks I will be starting work for the Health Protection Agency at the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response as a graduate trainee where I will be assisting in research into defences towards bioterrorism threats such as anthrax and smallpox. The graduate trainee scheme was highly competitive to obtain a place and without my Masters, I feel I would not have succeeded in my application. I would ultimately like to enter training to become a clinical scientist in microbiology, a career that is a mix of research and providing advice to clinicians in regards to infectious disease and treatment advice. I have attempted to apply for a trainee position for the past two years with little success, however with the Masters degree under my belt, I believe I will achieve greater success when I apply next year. techniques, would give me the advantage having the opportunity for my work to be this course is excellent. All lecturers are more than happy to answer any questions you have - I always get a rapid response to my emails. My research project supervisor, although incredibly busy, always had time to makes you feel like part of a team. Plus, the enthusiasm of the lecturers in delivering course content is great. To see academics who have been working in the field for numerous years still maintain such a passion about their departments at Leeds General Infirmary, discuss any concerns, which really as part of the detection treatment and prevention module, has been my main highlight. To see the workings of a diagnostic laboratory, and the identification techniques they use first hand significantly helped me to

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Prospects Postgrad Autumn 2008 Contents: What’s Inside For Love and Money Cash for Qualifications A Tale of Two Students Meet the Postgrad People All Aboard The Postgraduate Environment Maths Market The Postgrad Programme Teacher Training Arts and Humanities Science and Engineering Business and Management Social Sciences

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