Alumni Profiles
Biological and Chemical Sciences

Miss Adepeju Adeyemi
2003, Biochemistry

Employment details
Account Manager UK/Ireland
MWG Biotech, Germany

What are your responsibilities and challenges?
I manage existing customer accounts, sales’ leads and prospects. This involves conducting market research and analysing sales’ data. My challenges are meeting and exceeding targets!

What advice do you have for current students who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Get information and guidance from the Careers Office regularly. They were very helpful during my time. Take advantage of every selling experience; it counts if you wish to pursue a sales career. Go for it - It is rewarding.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Working for a biotechnology company has allowed me to use my  degree commercially: the knowledge gained from Queen Mary has been very useful!
I have stayed in the same field.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
The Queen Mary website

Who at university most influenced you?
Professor Richard Pickersgill and Dr Steve Rigby

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Beans and chips

What university experience will you always remember?
The support I got while writing my dissertation and riding on Route 25 bus from Mile End to Oxford Circus with my friends after lectures - to go window shopping.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes it was. I loved every moment of my undergraduate days.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Very much. I am more interested in politics in Nigeria, my country of origin. I formed a Nigerian society in Oxford.

What are your interests/hobbies?
I enjoy reading and travelling. I love watching football! Gunners forever!

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?Not really but I facebook them!

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Mr Payam Adib-Samii
1998, Genetics

Employment details
Client Support Engineer
Sakonnet Technologies

What are your responsibilities?
I am a Business Analyst and Support Engineer for an Energy Trading and Risk Management Software-house.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
It doesn’t matter what you study, it Is the grade that counts. Do something that you enjoy, learn something new, enjoy college because not everyone is lucky to work in a field they love.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Each degree has given me the ability to be flexible and never to think in a predictable straight line.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
My parents

Who at university most influenced you?
Professor Lichtenstein

What song reminds you of your university days?
Girl from Mars by Ash

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Chips in pitta bread from Kebab-land outside halls of residence in South Woodford.

What university experience will you always remember?
Being one of five students chosen for the Young Entrepreneur Scheme sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and Deloitte.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Activity sports

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Mrs Laurence Attwater
1995, Chemistry with Business Studies

Employment details
Self-employed
Property development

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
After travelling the world for more than six years working for seismic companies, I settled down in a nice place and I am now working from home.

Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
After Queen Mary, I completed an MSc in Oceanography at Southampton. I gave up chemistry for geophysics which I had really enjoyed.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Everything is possible. If you have dreams, work hard towards them and you will suceed. Travelling the world is also a good idea. It helps you to remember what life is all about.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Dr D Urch

Who at university most influenced you?
The notice board - with all the adverts for jobs at the British Antarctic Survey and other such "dream" jobs.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Cream, cheese buns and fish and chips.

What university experience will you always remember?
Living in a multi-cultural home

What are your interests/hobbies?
I was already interested in climate change in 1995-96; being environmentally aware has just become a way of life.

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Dr Ray Canham
1964, Zoology

Employment details
Executive Dean of Maths and Science
Richland College

What are your responsibilities?
I lead an academic division of Mathematics and Science at a two-year community college.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Study with intensity what you love. Your career will then take care of itself.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
The education and training I received were the basis for further study and for my career in academia.

Who at university most influenced you?
Professors Smith and Newell

What university experience will you always remember?
Field courses at Plymouth and Whitstable

What are your interests/hobbies?
Teaching, travelling, photography, cycling and reading.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Occasionally, but not regularly, given that I live on a different continent.

Who have you stayed in touch with?
Several members of the Zoology class graduating in 1964

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Mrs Kathryn McGovern née Davies
1990, Chemistry

Employment details
Internal Communications Executive
The Thomson Corporation

What are your responsibilities?
I am responsible for global internal communications for the scientific division. The most challenging part is creating the right message to reach the global audience. With offices in 56 different locations around the world, time zone, language and culture are all considerations.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Find the right company, work hard and you will find a wealth of opportunity on your door step.

Has your career changed since you started work?
My career path has changed. My degree in Chemistry helped me to get my foot on the ladder at Thomson as I worked in the development of a chemical database. From this I moved onto the creation and writing of technical user guides to support the products. Whilst I didn't use my chemistry skills in a practical sense, my understanding of the subject was essential to interpreting the data. The communication skills I learned in the role, then allowed me to progress into my current position in communications.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
No person in particular, I researched the college and was impressed with what I found.

Who at university most influenced you?
Patrick Moore - guest lecturer in an astronomical module I took.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Sacrifice by Elton John - Number 1 when I finished my degree.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Pizza

What university experience will you always remember?
Gathering with all my fellow students as we found out our final degree results.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Everything and more.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Spending time with my family as much as possible.

 

Ric Euteneuer
1987, Chemistry

Employment details
Housing Policy & Research Officer
Huntingdonshire District Council

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I'm a policy and research officer for the Housing department of a rural district council in Cambridgeshire. My role involves carrying out primary and secondary research and strategy work for the Council including briefing Officers and Councillors, as required. A fair bit of my time at work is taken up with employee representation - I am UNISON Shop Steward and do a lot of shuttle diplomacy for union members!

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
The research and presentation skills I learnt doing my chemistry degree probably help. Whether I ever dreamed I'd be working in local government is another matter entirely! When I left college, I did temporary work for a year in local government wondering what to do next. I then trained to be a Chemistry teacher, but after completing the course, I realised that I was not a very good teacher, and applied to work in Housing Benefits. Later on, my teaching degree helped me to get a job in Education Research for the London Research Centre (who became part of the GLA). I later moved into Education Statistics and Planning for Croydon Council, which then helped me get a job here in Huntingdonshire. So, it's a twisty windy path, but without my chemistry degree, I doubt I'd be here typing this in rural Cambridgeshire.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Join at a fairly junior level and work your way up. If you have an aptitude, you'll shoot up the career ladder.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
No-one in particular - seemed a good place to study.

Who at university most influenced you?
Too many people to mention!

What song reminds you of your university days?
Uncertain Smile by The The

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Special fried rice from the local Chinese - cheap and filling.

What university experience will you always remember?
First day - lying on the lawn outside the main building wondering what I'd let myself in for.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Completely different, but still great fun.

Have your political opinions changed, since you left university?
Developed, probably, in a more realistic way, but I'm still as left wing as when I was a student.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Mainly travelling around the country and to obscure bits of Europe - listening to their exotic music; school governoring for the last 18 years; falling asleep on the train home.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Some, yes. They're all incredibly successful and I'm fading away into obscurity in the Home Counties.

Have you attended any formal alumni events?
Not yet, would love to, though.

Your news
As I get older, I seem to politically regress - this year, I led the first strike at my employers in living memory over government plans to slash our pension scheme which they later withdrew and replaced with improvements.

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Miss Preeti Gour
2001, Biochemistry and Microbiology

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I'm a final year medical student
studying in the Czech Republic. I have come across many cultural and academic challenges during my stay here. I am faced with something new each day - the cultural differences requires a high level of personal flexibility and willingess to adapt.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice?
I can say, without any doubt, that Queen Mary was a turning point for me. My lecturers wre supportive and always encouraged me. I changed my career from science to medicine as a result of their inspiration. I use science-based skills which I learnt at Queen Mary on a daily basis.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Do not let anyone discourage you. Focus on achieving your targets. Education is priceless.

Who influenced you to study at Queen Mary?
My mum

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Rigby

What song reminds you of your university days?
Champagne Supernova by Oasis. We were all hard-core RnB/Garage fans back then! Sambuca and Piano Loco by MC Luck and DJ Neat were favourites in the car.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Lamb donor and chips from the local kebab house.

What university experiences will you always remember?
My first PowerPoint presentation for my research project. I stood in front of 100 people including some of the best professors in Microbiology. I was so nervous I started to blush.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
It changed my outlook on life; it made me grow up and become independent.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Definitely. I see both sides and weigh the outcomes.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Dancing, gym, travelling and I love anything Bollywood.

Do you meet regularly with friends from your university days?
I met some of my best friends at Queen Mary whom I have stayed in touch with and will always remain mates with for life (Lucky Crew rules!). We meet regulary and reminisce about days at Queen Mary - how we danced the nights away at 'Cookies n Cream' and 'Sound' and those late nights on Edgware Road having shisha.

Who have you stayed in touch with?
A few mates from my class.

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Dr James Harris
1992, 1996, Chemistry, BSc and Ph.D

Employment details
Comedy Writer
Freelance

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I try to write comedy for TV. My main challenge is selling my work to TV Channels.

Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
I have to be honest, there's not a lot of chemistry involved in comedy writing. However, I did realise how much I enjoyed writing when I wrote up my Ph.D thesis. After Queen Mary, I went into IT for a few years before ditching that for writing, so I've had a couple of career changes (with a bit of school bus driving in the middle!).

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
To follow my career path would be financial lunacy.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Dr Grigulis, admissions tutor at the time.

Who at university most influenced you?
Lots of people, though I would have sworn blind at the time that no-one could sway me.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Loads, but Sit Down by James was one.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Got introduced to curry - all downhill from there.

What university experience will you always remember?
I'm not sure it's printable

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes and more.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Not really. Politics has changed though, and I'm in danger of becoming left wing by default.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Doing stuff for free. See financial lunacy above.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Not as many as I'd like, unfortunately. Still see a few though.

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Mrs Amena Hassanali-Sutton
1977, Zoology

Employment details
Acting Headteacher
Oxfordshire County Council

What are your responsibilities?
I am currently Acting Headteacher in a large (1000 students) comprehensive school in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Headship is an enjoyable, huge challenging responsibility.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Enjoy whatever you choose but teaching is the noblest and most rewarding career!

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
I read Zoology and I have taught Biology for all my teaching career - 29 years.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Leaving on a Jet Plane

What university experience will you always remember?
Meeting the Queen Mother in 1976

What are your interests/hobbies?
Singing; travelling; music; spectator sport - mainly cricket and tennis

Your news
2007 marked 30 years since I graduated from Queen Mary where I enjoyed three brilliant years.  I lived in Lynden Hall for all three years and have fond memories of rushing down Mile End Road to 9.30 a.m. lectures or slowly winding my way home after 5 hour labs!

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Mr Richard Hawkins
1992, Biochemistry

Employment details
Head Teacher
Adisham Church of England Primary School

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I became the youngest Head Teacher in Kent at the age of 29. My role involves managing staff, budgets and the strategic planning of the School. My challenges come from children, parents, staff and national issues.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
I suppose I learnt to work independently at university, but to be honest, my days at QMW had no influnece on my choice of career. I studied a PGCE after leaving QMW which lead me into teaching; I have been working in education ever since.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Keep improving and take opportunities when they avail themselves. Never stay in a role for more than five years - challenge yourself.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Its location

Who at university most influenced you?
My friends in Halls of Residence.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Nothing ever happens by Del Amitri

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Pizza

What university experience will you always remember?
The Valentine's Ball

Was university everything you expected it to be?
 Yes

What are your interests/hobbies?
I enjoy golf and playing cricket

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Mr Victor Inzani
1981, Physiology and Biochemistry

Employment details
Systems Manager

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I run the computer network at a public school. Keeping one step ahead of the students.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
After analysing complex biological systems, simple-minded computer systems are easy (and much better paid). I've changed careers, but I still miss my "first love".

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue similar career path?
Money is nearly as important as an interest in what you are studying.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
My parents

Who at university most influenced you?
Lesley Goodman, Reader in Zoology

What song reminds you of your university days?
Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
The puddings in the refectory

What university experience will you always remember?
Joy Hinson's humour while cramming

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Yes - I no longer trust politicians

What are your interests/hobbies?
Raising children, growing orchids and carnivorous plants.

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Mr Omer Irfan
2003, Chemistry with Business Management

Employment details
Project Accountant
Network Rail

What are your responsibilities?
Accounting for projects’ budget worth £3.5bn. This includes: cash flow and budgeting, cost review and reconciliations.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Work hard, gain experience, network with others and always seek advice.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
I use team work, working to deadlines, communication and problem solving. I  wanted to do Accountancy but enjoyed Chemistry too - but didn't want to study it again at university hence the joint degree.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
College Tutor

Who at university most influenced you?
Close friends

What song reminds you of your university days?
Angel by Shaggy

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Quarter pounders and grilled chicken.

What university experience will you always remember?
The international brotherhood: the best days of my life.

Did you meet your partner at university?
I am married to a King’s University student.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes and better.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Travelling, reading, restaurants, going to the gym, exam-coaching 11-plus year olds.

What do you do when you meet with friends from university days?
We go to restaurants, attend lectures and travel together.

Have you attended any formal alumni events? If yes, what were your views of these?
There was one on globalisation  which I found very informative.

Who have you stayed in touch with?
Too many people to list here.

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Mr Andrew Mumford
1983, Chemistry (Petrochemical Studies)

Employment details
Project Manager
Taylor Woodrow

What are your responsibilities?
I am currently project managing some infrastuture transfers for The London Underground.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Don't worry about what you are doing at the moment or where you will end up. Talent will always show through.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
In my first set of jobs........yes I have changed my career since then.

Who at university most influenced you?
Dawn - Our Ballroom dancing instructress! Dawn, we should be together! Where did we go wrong.

What song reminds you of your university days?
It has to be Vienna by Ultravox. I saw Midge Ure do an unaccompanied version in our local hall a couple of weeks ago. What an amazing voice, and boy, did it roll back the years!

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Those meat pies at the end of the bar, and shared with my rugby club boys are pretty hard to beat. But I've eaten sushi in Japan, yabbies in Australia, alligator in Florida and zebra in Kenya ?!! I Could go on..

What university experience will you always remember?
Lots! Best I don't recount them here though! Des - if you ever read this get in touch No..it's not  a homo thing, Des and I  have things to straighten out Sweet ! Best is the Gutteridge Cup Final against Imperial College - 1982. Almost dropped over at the back of the line to score the winning try. Didn't. So I guess that's why I didn't get selected for the Wales squad in the 80's...............unlike my old schoolmates!

Did you meet your partner at university? What is their name?
Yes! Married to Sharon Elizabeth Mann, Biochemistry 1984. Married in 1986. I just couldn't run quick enough.............anywhere in the world!

Was university everything you expected it to be?
I would recomend it to my kids and youth rugby team. I think one or two have applied.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Apathy rules! Plaid Cymry am byth!

What are your interests/hobbies?
Rugby - coaching and refereeing, Cricket -playing (still mean you know!), My family, my friends (defend to the death!).

Who have you stayed in touch with?
Only my immediate college friends.

Your news
I now have youths in my rugby club asking me whether  they should apply for Queen Mary ? What do I advise them?.......... Course they should! Best decision I ever made !!! Good Luck !..........and let me know how you get on? Best Regards Mumf.

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Dr Oliver Jones
2000, Marine and Freshwater Biology

Employment details
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Cambridge

What are your responsibilities?
I work in environmental metabolomics which means I study the effects of disease and toxicity in wildlife, particularly their effects on metabolism. I am especially interested in the effects of mixtures of pollutants, such as pesticides, more common in the environment, as compared to the single exposures generally used in toxicity tests. My work involves a wide range of techniques such as analytical, biological and environmental chemistry, biology, ecology and mathematics (the latter through the use of both univariate and multivariate statistics and advanced pattern recognition analysis). I also teach Cell Biology to 1st year undergraduates on the Cambridge Natural Science Tripos and serve as head of the Cambridge Postdoctoral Society.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Academia is an increasingly competitive career path to choose. The best advice I can give is to work hard and to listen to your lecturers. I would also recommend trying to get as much research experience as you can.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
I trained to be a scientist at Queen Mary and that is what I still do. I make good use of almost everything I learned there. In fact most of what I know about good scientific practice and how to be a good researcher was developed at Queen Mary.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
My careers teacher at school Mr Brown. He was the one who pointed out that Queen Mary was practically the only place in the country where you could do marine and freshwater biology in one course. Not bad for a University located in the East End of London.

Who at university most influenced you?
ost of the lecturers I worked with at Queen Mary influenced me in some way. People that stood out for me were Professor Alan Hildrew, Dr. Andrew Campbell, Dr. Rob Hughes, Dr. Carl Smith and Mrs Brenda Thake. She had lots of little sayings such as "Never trust an instrument you haven't calibrated yourself" which I still find useful.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Any late 90s cheesy pop music brings back memories of nights in the Student Union.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Sad to say, anything fatty and/or greasy that was bad for me, living in Whitechapel curry was also a favourite. I now eat much more healthily!

What university experience will you always remember?
All of them. I had a great time at Queen Mary and the experience has stood me in good stead ever since.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes and more, it really made me grow up and become independent.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Running is my major hobby at the moment. I am training for the 2008 London marathon.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes, some of my closest friends are from Queen Mary days and we still meet up every few months.

Your news
I have been working as a postdoc in the Biochemistry Department at Cambridge University since 2005. I also teach and write popular science articles. Currently I am applying for fellowships to try and move up the career ladder. My ultimate aim is to get a lectureship and found my own research group.

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Mr Paresh Masuria
2003, MSci Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Employment details
Formulation Scientist
GlaxoSmithKline

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I develop drugs for pre-clinical assessments in industry. Adhering to strict GLP requirements and meeting a fast turnaround.

How do you use the skills you, acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice?
My laboratory team-work experience was vital. My career has remained constant since graduation.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Be patient and look to be innovative in industry-related work. There is always a more efficient way of achieving goals. Remember to work and always play hard. Queen Mary is a very sociable place, with a diverse cultural mix. I enjoyed my time there and would recommend it to anyone. Studying was both challenging and memorable. University can be as good or as bad as you like it to be.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
My best friend

What song reminds you of your university days?
Govinda by Kula Shaker

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Pizza

What university experience will you always remember?
e1; gathering in the canteen

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes, a great experience

What are your interests/hobbies?
I still enjoying travelling, watching and playing sports.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
We often have small reunions.

Who have you stayed in touch with?
Friends from my class, my professors and the local KFC business man.

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Dr Derek Mills
1953, Zoology

What are your responsibilities?
Retired but still involved in the fisheries field; I am a River Tweed Commisssioner. Previously, I was involved in fisheries research with the Scientific Civil Service and then went into university teaching and research at Edinburgh University. I was also involved with consultancy work and advised water authorities and civil engineers in projects involving fish and the aquatic environment.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Take out a membership with a professional body concerned with fisheries and water management e.g. Institute of Fisheries Management.

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr GE Newell

What song reminds you of your university days?
Eton Boating Song

What university experience will you always remember?
Member of the Rowing Club

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

What are your interests/hobbies?
Salmon and trout fishing; gardening and hill walking.

Who have you stayed in touch with?
Colleagues from Zoology 1950-52

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Miss Shruti Modi
2005, BSc Genetics and Microbiology

Employment details
Microbiologist
Procter & Gamble

What are your responsibilities?
I work at the P&G R&D site based in Surrey. My main responsibility is to head up the Global LDL business for Preservation and Claim support. This involves a lot of laboratory based work, which is something that has always interested me about science, and also working with a global network of Scientists to come up with future strategies.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Ensure to have something unique to offer your employer – this work is highly competitive. Continuous specific skills and personal development training is essential during the early stages of your career.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
My joint degree gave me the choice of either following a career in microbiology or genetics.  However, my dissertation influenced me to follow the microbiology route.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
The reputation of the university

Who at university most influenced you?
All my friends

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Various sandwiches from the Student Union with a hot chocolate of course!

What university experience will you always remember?
My Dissertation: Working in the anaerobic cabinet with the huge black gloves.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes, and so much more!

What are your interests/hobbies?
All water sports, travelling to different places, shopping & socialising with everyone at university.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes, we do arrange something bi-monthly.

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Mr Phil Moggridge
1992, Biochemistry and Physiology

Employment details
Functional Area Head
GlaxoSmithKline

What are your responsibilities?
I am responsible for leading a team of 35 staff in a data management department of one of GSKs four global sites. This involves enabling delivery of high quality cost effective clinical trial data to stakeholders, being accountable for talent management (recruitment, development, retention, motivation) and ensuring effective business process and global consistency with my counterparts at other sites.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Do what you enjoy and success will follow.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
My scientific background helps credibility in a research company but day to day is rarely called upon.

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Graham

What song reminds you of your university days?
Sit Down by James

What university experience will you always remember?
Graduation day

What are your interests/hobbies?
Sports (football and snowboarding) and house renovation.

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Miss Priya Mukherjee
2005, Molecular Biology

Employment details
Recruitment Account Executive
SGR

What are your responsibilities and challenges?
I am a scientific recruitment consultant. It is most challenging finding the right people for the right jobs and creating new job opportunities.

Have you changed your career path since you started work?
After Queen Mary, I did an MSc at LSBU. I wanted to stay scientific but also work in an office hence my current position at SGR. I am grateful that I found a scientifc role which does not require me to be stuck in the laboratory.

The technical skills I learnt have come in very useful, as I have to speak with clients on a technical level all the time.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Choose your MSc well. Helping poeple secure employment is rewarding.

Who at university most influenced you?
My Friends

What song reminds you of your university days?
Dirty by Christna Agulaira

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Jacket potato with chilli from Bar Med

What university experience will you always remember?
My 9-months in the lab doing my dissertation.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Not really.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Swimming, shopping (shoes, clothes and handbags), cinema and eating out.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes!

Who have you stayed in touch with?
My friends on the course and some lecturers.

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Mr Samiullah Nooristani
2008, Biological Sciences

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who
wish to pursue a similar career path?
Aim to get a first class degree. If not, you would still go to the University of your Choice with a 2:1 provided you have a varied work experience portfolio. Remember that most universities want to take in hard working students and that they will measure your commitment to learning by your extra-curricula activities and grades.  Use your personal statement and interview to market your skills.

Has your career path changed since you graduated from Queen Mary?
My career path has remained the same. I am now studying medicine BM4 at Southampton University. My Biological sciences degree gained at Queen Mary has helped me understand things better.

What influenced you to study at this College?
It was a personal choice - I wanted to stay at home (London).

Who at university most influenced you?
My friends

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Chicken and chips aka "heart attack on a plate"
 
What university experience will you always remember?
Giving a couple of presentations on anterior cruciate ligament and cancer. Also doing my third year project with Professor Mary Sugden and Dr Mark Holness at ICMS..

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Yes quite a lot.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Football: Ii currently play for Maiwand FC at division 2 of Cherry Red Books Middlesex County Football League this involves commuting to London from Southampton every week;  Boxing: I am a big fan of boxing, Ricky Hatton is my favourite Boxer and him being beaten by Floyd Jr was the second hardest thing to take and get over in my life; Going out.

What do you do when you meet with friends from university days?
Reminisce about university life.

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Miss Priya Patel
1996, Genetics and Microbiology

Employment details
Technical Manager
Health Protection Agency

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Go with what you are interested in as this will lead to a fulfilling career.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Linger by The Cranberries

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Yes - about once a month.

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Mr Martin Pickles
1982, Biology

Employment details
Technical Manager
Professional Development Partnership Ltd

What are your responsibilities?
Financial services training, responsible for maintaining information accuracy and running the office.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Technical/scientific mind helps with the technical aspects of my role. Otherwise there is no relation between my course of study and what I do.

Who at university most influenced you?
Jim Bowmaker

What song reminds you of your university days?
Lets Go by The Ramones

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Spaghetti Bolognese

What university experience will you always remember?
Having long hair

Did you meet your partner at university?
No - at a funeral!

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
No - still green and ecofriendly

What are your interests/hobbies?

Still rocking and playing football

 

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Mr Mike Rance
1971, Chemistry

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
I am currently a Senior National Account Manager in sales.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
The main skills I have used are "people" skills. I'm afraid that, apart from report writing, chemistry has not been used!

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue similar career path?
Get value for money from your course fees.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
The new Chemistry building in 1965.

Who at university most influenced you?
Dr Chirgumin

What song reminds you of your university days?
Pinball Wizard by The Who

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Pancake rolls

What university experience will you always remember?
Pink Floyd playing in 1968

Did you meet your partner at university?
Yes, Fiona Campbell.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
 In terms of friendships - yes.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Tory to Lib Dem to New Labour (true)

What are your interests/hobbies?
Running, 6-a-side footy, skiing, scuba diving.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
I have a core of 10 or so friends from QMC days - brilliant!

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Dr Linda Sage (Harrop)
1962, Botany

Employment details
Science Writer and Editor
Self-employed

What do you do?
I write news articles for scientific journals and serve as editor to several research groups.
I have also written a book.

Have you changed your career path since you started work?
My career path changed from biochemistry research to science writing. I find science writing more interesting and challenging.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Get a graduate degree in science writing.

Who at university most influenced you?
My chemistry professors.

What university experience will you always remember?
Country dancing and dissecting cockroaches.

Did you meet your partner at university? What is their name?
No, I met him when I was obtaining my Ph.D. at Leicester University.

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Dr Inayat Ali Shahjehan
1992, Biological Sciences
Pakistan

Employment details
Professor
University of Peshawar

What are your responsibilities?
Teaching/Research

What advice do you have for current students who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Go ahead it’s a good institute for learning.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
I am utilising the research experience which I acquired during my time at Queen Mary.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
My Supervisor

What song reminds you of your university days?
Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Cheeseburger

What are your interests/hobbies?
Watching scientific and biological documentaries and current affairs programmes on TV.

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Dr David Urch
1954, Chemistry

Employment details
Retired Chemistry Lecturer

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Being awarded a scholarship

Who at university most influenced you?
Professor Dewar

What song reminds you of your university days?
I don't sing

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Omnivore then, omnivore now.

What university experience will you always remember?
Being President of the Students' Union

Did you meet your partner at university? What is their name?
Yes, Patricia

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Yes

What are your interests/hobbies?
Eating, drinking and travel.

Have you attended any formal alumni events? If yes, what was your views of these?
Irregularly; I occasionally attend the SU Presidents' and Chemistry reunions. Interesting, but not to be done too often.

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Mr Peter Watson
1978, Chemistry

Employment details
IT Project Manager
Clancy Dowcra Ltd

What do you do and what are your responsibilities and challenges?
IT Project Manager. Applying IT solutions to small scale utility maintenance. The challenge is educating people who have no interest past the money.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? Has your course of study influenced your career choice or have you changed your career path since you started work?
My degree course helped me to self-teach the technologies I need. My sabbatical with the SU taught me to negotiate with people. My career has nothing to do with my degree but has remained unchanged since graduation.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Always take the time to keep up what is currently state-of-the-art. That exercise is work too.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
It was a total accident.

Who at university most influenced you?
Colonel Tong - Registrar

What song reminds you of your university days?
God Save the Queen by The Sex Pistols

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Doughnuts

What university experience will you always remember?
Captaining the Football 4XI to the championships

Did you meet your partner at university?
My first wife!

Was university everything you expected it to be?
 Nothing like I expected - much better!

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Politically the parties I supported have become the parties I fought.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Cricket, pub and people.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days?
Only see three people from uni about once a year. See many old faces/names in modern politics!

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Professor Michael Anthony Whitehead 
BSc. Honours Chemistry 1956; PhD 1960

Employment details
Professor Emeritus
McGill University

What are your responsibilities?
Professor Emeritus: awarded two consecutive NSERC Research Grants: I direct the Student in Theoretical Research and while other Professors direct the Experimental Research.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates whowish to pursue a similar career path?Always learn, never expect to be taught: keep a wide open interest in every subject as you specialise

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days? I learnt to balance study, sport, student clubs, magazine editing, by always closing my mind to focus only on what I was doing; I never worried about the other things: this aided me in managing all the various University and Social Responsibilities during my Career.

Who influenced you to study at this College? Chemistry Teacher

Who at university most influenced you? Professor M.J.S Dewar

What was your favourite food when you were at university? Fish and chips

What university experience will you always remember? Badminton

Was university everything you expected it to be?Very much more than I ever expected, and much easier than I had been lead to believe.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?Yes: I have become much more in favour of the complete reform of the political and legal structures of Society: we have to make them serve the people not let them dictate to the people.

What are your interests/hobbies? Reading, walking, museums, concerts, opera, ballet, plays, gourmet meals and great conversations, inspiring students to perform their best.

Do you meet regularly with friends from university days? I meet up with friends from my Queen Mary days whenever I am in the UK: they are some of my most valid.

Have you attended any formal alumni events? If yes, what were your views of these? I have been to Hickinbottom Symposia, and lectured in the Chemistry Department many times and always admired the way the College has developed so magnificently. The campus is an architectural and structural delight.

Your news Chair of Montreal School of Theology: Life President, McGill-Montreal Chapter Sigma Xi, Planned Giving Committee of the Diocese of Montreal, Honorary Chair, Fundamental and Applied Pulp and Paper Symposium, FAPPMS, Three Rivers, Quebec, Canada, August, 2008.

 

Mr Philip Young
1987, ChemistryEmployment details
Hedge Fund Manager
Invicta Investment ManagementWhat are your responsibilities?
The aim in short is to make money without losing any.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Create a plan and go for it! The finance industry is purely meritocratic and the only barriers that exist are in your mind. The caveat is that careers can be erratic; the lows can be dramatic, sudden and deep. There are plenty of well paid and safer-career opportunities outside of investment banking.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
At Queen Mary, one could work as diligently or as lazily as one wished. The choice was yours. Attendance at chemistry lectures and practicals was entirely voluntary, no one chased you. The lessons learnt? You only get out what you put in; organisation; independence; balancing work and social life; creating something from nothing. The conclusion? It is amazing how lucky you become when you are inspired to action and work hard. While the study of Chemistry didn’t influence my decision to enter banking, the skills I acquired have proved invaluable.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Dr David Urch.  I vividly recall travelling up from small town Dorset to meet him for an interview. My school career had been a disaster and expectations were low. The professor, however, showed sufficient faith to offer me a place on the spot. That was a major turn.

Who at university most influenced you?
Not the who, but the what. Undoutedly the QMC DramSoc (Drama Society) who provided a social focal point, really adding to the college experience.

What song reminds you of your university days?
Not once, during my 3 years, did the bar jukebox change it’s music. Two songs are forever imprinted: The Clash’s Rock the Kasbah, and Lynrd Skynyrd’s Freebird.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Where else but Brick Lane’s Nazrul.

What university experience will you always remember?
Rehearsing and performing for pantos, plays and musicals.

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Absolutely. I was very sad to leave; it took me a good couple of years to adjust to civvie street.

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Inevitably, yes.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Trying to delay the onset of middle age.

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Professor Yongyuth Yuthavong
1966, Chemistry

Employment details
Minister of Science and Technology
Thai Government

What do you do?
I look after Thailand’s science and technology policy.

How do you use the skills you acquired from your university days?
Scientific background has been the most important factor in my career, most of which was spent in Research and Development.

What advice do you have for current students and fellow graduates who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Go deep in your area of study, but be broad in your outlook.

Who influenced you to study at this College?
Personal choice.

Who at university most influenced you?
Professor KW Sykes

What song reminds you of your university days?
I wanna hold your hand by the Beatles.

What was your favourite food when you were at university?
Chinese

What university experience will you always remember?
Speaking at a debate!

Was university everything you expected it to be?
Almost

Have your political opinions changed since you left university?
Not much.

What are your interests/hobbies?
Reading, music and sports.

Who have you stayed in touch with?
A couple of friends.

Your news

From a lifelong career in scientific research, I was appointed by the the Prime Minister, Surayuth Chulanont to be Minister of Science and Technology a position I have held since October 2006.

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