As well as being situated in the award winning Blizard Institute, I am also fortunate to be surrounded by world-renowned academics who are highly experienced but, just as importantly, very supportive.
My PhD is an Industrial CASE Studentship (BBSRC LIDo iCASE) with GlaxoSmithKline as the industrial partner. One of the biggest advantages with this programme is that it allows students to gain research experience in an industrial environment for several months during their PhD. My project looks to characterise and validate the use of human-skin equivalent models as viable alternatives to animal testing for pre-clinical drug development. The main aim of the work will be to study how healthy and diseased versions of these models compare to patient skin samples on the compositional, structural and functional fronts.
Outside of my PhD, QMUL have provided me with several opportunities to develop other complementary skills. I am very passionate about translating research into real-world applications and through the university was able to form a team that competed in the Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (Yes) 2021 Competition. Furthermore, I am Co-Chair of the Blizard Institute’s Student Staff Liaison Committee where a small number of students work alongside faculty staff to ensure student voices are heard and the Institute continues to provide the optimal environment for learning, research and professional development.