My masters course helped me secure a prestigious PhD place

As part of my undergraduate degree, I worked at the Sainsbury Laboratory in the John Innes Centre (Norwich). During this internship I had the chance to explore a new branch of biology related to Plant Sciences and I was introduced to in silico work of genetics for the first time. This formative experience motivated me to pursue a MSc in molecular genetics and specialise in this field. I was pleased to find out that the MSc in Human and Molecular Genetics offered by the University of Sheffield was exactly in line with my research interests and I did not hesitate to apply immediately.

My time at the University of Sheffield has been the most proficient not only for my career development but also for my personal growth. The quality of teaching and the broad subjects covered during my MSc equipped me with a valuable set of skills and knowledge that will certainly make me stand out in my career. I decided to pick modules that were collectively associated with the ‘omics field, building a comprehensive and multidisciplinary background in one of the highest demanding fields of biology. I was encouraged to develop my full potential under the invaluable expertise of Dr. Turton and Dr. Hodgson, who shaped me into a capable scientist. I now feel extremely confident about my theoretical and practical knowledge of molecular genetics, and overall ready to tackle any challenge in a rich and dynamic scientific community.

The range of skills acquired during my MSc and the initiative showed with the development of my program were the driving factors that helped me secure the only position available for the University of Sheffield in the prestigious 4-year British Heart Foundation PhD Programme.

Alex Chelu

MSc Human and Molecular Genetics

Despite lockdown, I undertook a digital work-placement in conjunction with the SDGS at the Children’s hospital. During this placement I designed clinical-grade primer pairs for genes associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. As a personal challenge, I started the independent development of OmniPrimer, a bioinformatic program that automatically generates clinical-grade primers on behalf of clinicians. With this tool, weeks of work can potentially be saved and diagnosis times for patients can be dramatically reduced. I learnt programming through self-directed study in my free time (for fun and curiosity!) but I only worked on small projects. Automating an entire clinical protocol represented an amazing opportunity to learn more about bioinformatics through an unfamiliar challenge and ultimately, turn my independent self-learning into an active contribution for a greater good. OmniPrimer has been the greatest achievement throughout my MSc and I am extremely proud that a simple programming idea turned into a valuable tool to improve patient care.

The range of skills acquired during my MSc and the initiative showed with the development of my program were the driving factors that helped me secure the only position available for the University of Sheffield in the prestigious 4-year British Heart Foundation PhD Programme. In October 2020 I will start my PhD journey in Cardiovascular Science at the University of Manchester.