Meet our students and alumni

We asked some of our students and graduates to share their experiences of studying in the School of Biosciences, and to tell us what they've ended up doing with their degree.

From Sheffield, to setting up the lab side of the Oxford/ AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials

Katherine Sanders BSc Biomedical Science

Katherine started working at the Oxford Vaccine Group shortly after graduation, putting her skills and knowledge into practice helping to set up and deliver paediatrics vaccine clinical trials. It was this Group that led the monumental effort to deliver the Oxford/ AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial which resulted in the vaccine being deployed globally to protect against the SARS-COV2 virus and Katherine became a key part of his work.

I loved the breadth of the biology course at Sheffield. Now I'm sharing by passion for science as a trainee teacher

Zara Ulrich BSc Biology

Zara chose to study biology at Sheffield because of the broad range of modules available which gave her lots of opportunities to develop skills in the lab and the field. Zara has now begun her teacher training with Teach First and hopes that by sharing her passion for the subject, she'll inspire some of her pupils to pursue a career in science.

My year in industry at the Institute for Cancer Research has introduced me to potential future careers

Niamh Dowling BSc Biomedical Science with a Year in Industry

Niamh is spending her year in industry working at the Institute of Cancer Research within the Drug Development Unit, which targets phase 1 (early-stage) clinical trials for cancer treatment. Rotating around three different teams, Niamh is not only gaining experience in the lab but also in the study management and finance and regulatory teams.

I'm completing my fourth year project in industry at GSK

Polina Prokofeva MBiolSci Genetics and Microbiology

Polina is spending her fourth year completing her integrated masters project with pharmaceutical giant GSK. So far Polina has been working alongside experienced scientists learning new cell biology and immunology techniques.

I'm excited to spend my year in industry at GSK contributing to crucial research

Lauren Crombie BSc Biomedical Science with a Year in Industry

Lauren decided to secure a year in industry placement in order to explore her intended career as an immuno-oncological researcher. Next year, Lauren will being her placement at pharmaceutical giant GSK focussed on researching the immune system.

My year in industry helped me to discover that a PhD was the right route for me

Kate Barney BSc Biomedical Science with a Year in Industry

By spending her year in industry at Hammersmith Medicines Research (HMR), Kate realised that she enjoyed completing independent projects and wanted to continue doing this in a research environment. Kate is now a PhD student in Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham.

My placement allowed me to apply the learnings from my Biochemistry degree including how to approach a real problem logically

Isabel Hyde MBiolSci Biochemistry

Thanks to winning the RB “Future of Science” competition, Isabel spent this summer completing a paid summer placement with the health and hygiene company. Throughout the summer, Isabel worked in three distinct areas of the business and was able to apply what she’s learnt on her course so far.

My third year project proved invaluable for my application to study genetic counselling

Vasiliki Kolovou BSc Medical Genetics

Vasiliki’s third-year Clinical Diagnostics project gave her the opportunity to see how DNA samples are prepared and examined in a professional lab. The project’s steep learning curve will give her an advantage when she applies to become a genetic counsellor.

On my research placement I learned new things, improved my practical skills, and got an idea of what working in a research laboratory is like

Imogen Gatehouse BSc Biochemistry and Genetics

Imogen joined Dr Dan Bose in our department to complete a Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) placement this summer. After working collaboratively to design the project proposal, Imogen was able to try new techniques and equipment and gain first hand experience of what it would be like to work in a research lab as a postgraduate student, helping her future career plans.

My summer project was immensely valuable, a tonne of fun, and I’d definitely recommend it

Imran Khan MBiolSci Medical Biochemistry

Imran completed a six week summer project exploring antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae within the department, applying the skills and knowledge from his degree so far to meaningful research.