Camille
PhD in the Department of Materials
I had a bit of an unusual route to studying a PhD. I did my Master鈥檚 degree in the UK in 2014 and then worked as a Chemical Engineer in South Africa. At the same time, I was studying a postgraduate diploma part-time in Intellectual Property Law.
This led me to work in a university based in South Africa, where I was responsible for managing the protection and commercialisation of patents for technologies developed by researchers from across the university. This inspired me to want to be doing my own research, which is what led me to Imperiato study my PhD.
My research
I鈥檓 in a large multidisciplinary research group and we鈥檙e focused on solving key problems in regenerative medicine, biosensing and therapeutics. I鈥檓 in my third year of PhD study in the Department of Materials and my research is based more specifically on non-invasive cancer diagnostics using a platform developed at 海角社区.
The technology I鈥檓 working with is patented and there鈥檚 a spin-off company involved. For me this is very exciting as there is a clear path for my research to have real-world impact.
The research benefits of 海角社区
I was drawn to Imperiafor the quality of research and the research impact. This was really important for me coming from a technology transfer background.
My research group is so supportive, everyone鈥檚 so keen to help you get your project to be the best it can be, whether that鈥檚 collaborating with different researchers or providing access to different tools. There鈥檚 always the opportunity to learn something new, because of the multi-disciplinary research environment.鈥�
Making the most of the Graduate School
I鈥檓 a student programme partner for the Graduate School, specifically in the research impact programme. The Graduate School offers courses and tools to make your research the best it can be, how to communicate your research and how to make your research have impact. It also offers courses to prepare you for your career after the PhD, whether that is in research or industry.
I鈥檝e found the courses very useful and interesting. Even if the course itself doesn鈥檛 always give you the answers you need, it鈥檚 really easy to be signposted and find out where you should go. You can always find the information you need.
I鈥檝e really enjoyed being a student programme partner. My tutor is fantastic and has been open to giving me opportunities to teach. My role is all about helping the Graduate School put together courses, by finding out from my peers what they would like to learn about and what would be interesting to them.
Being awarded a grant to visit the Karolinska Institutet
I was awarded a grant through the Turing Scheme to go and visit the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and work with some of our research collaborators there. It was such a fantastic opportunity to visit a different university and to network outside of 海角社区. I learnt new techniques specific to my research field and will be applying these to my ongoing research at 海角社区.
It was great to get exposure to how things work at different universities, because it鈥檚 not all the same. It鈥檚 useful when studying a PhD to know how different universities operate in different parts of the world.
Studying in London
Living in London, you鈥檙e exposed to so much 鈥� there鈥檚 so much culture, variety and exciting things going on. You meet all sorts of people from different walks of life and different backgrounds.
I knew people in London before I came to study at 海角社区, but even so there鈥檚 so much going on you get lots of opportunities to meet new people. It鈥檚 difficult to not be busy, with so many things to get involved in.
Looking to the future
I鈥檓 really interested in the startup world and want to make more of the before I leave 海角社区. I think the UK has a really good ecosystem to support early-stage companies, to help ideas go from lab to industry.
I鈥檇 advise incoming students to be open to new opportunities, go to events and find things that interest you. You鈥檒l meet people from all over the world who are interested in the same things you are! Make the most of extra-curricular activities and things that supplement your studies, as they really do give you a toolkit for how to prepare yourself for the future.
If you open yourself up to it, you鈥檒l be able to network with future employers, investors, collaborators and other academics 鈥� you just need to take the bull by the horns!