Pharmacology placement at the University of Bath | Case study

By Nuffield Foundation

Chloe Linham’s pharmacology placement alongside Aneesa Al. Ani PhD at the University of Bath

 

Nuffield Research Placement student, 2019
University of Bath
Researching molecular disorder in drugs to see how it affects their batch to batch physical properties.

 


Why did you apply for a Nuffield Research Placement?

I was looking online for opportunities in science that could give me experience and benefit me when applying to university and I came across Nuffield Research Placements.

After reading into them I thought it sounded like an amazing opportunity that I wanted to get involved in and so I applied.  

What was your project about?

My project was about conducting research on molecular disorder in drugs to see how it affected their batch to batch physical property differences. It was completely new to me; I had never done anything about disorder or crystallography before. Hence, before we could get into the placement I first had to ensure I understood all of the components of the research. It was interesting and exciting though to learn all about this new sub-genre of chemistry that I once had no idea existed.

How did your supervisor help you with your project?

She made the complex background information about the research much more comprehendible, putting it into terms more appropriate for my current level of knowledge. It made it much easier to understand. She also helped me write my paper; giving me ideas for sections to include, structures to follow and taught me how to use the right referencing system.

Did you gain any new skills?

I gained more confidence in lab work as throughout my placement I was given lots of independence when carrying out experiments. Since completing my placement, doing experiments back at sixth form seems trivial. I also developed my paper writing skills and learnt how to use referencing when writing about Chemistry.

Every day was something new and exciting: I got to see different areas of the University, meet different professors, use new equipment and technology, and have fun with my supervisor and the other PhDs.” Chloe Linham

Has your experience helped you to decide on a career path?

Before doing my placement I knew that I wanted to go to university to study Pharmacology, but I had never had any experience of it and wasn’t entirely sure of what it entailed. After having done my placement it just confirmed for me that it was something I enjoyed and wanted to pursue a career in.

What advice would you give to students applying for a Nuffield Research Placement?

Make sure you are ready to undertake the work. It’s at least 4 weeks of your summer and you also have to write a paper and create a poster so be prepared to be able to complete this. It’s very much worth sticking it out! The opportunities you can gain from this are immense and will really benefit you.

What are your future plans?

I hope to go to university to do a master’s in pharmacology with a year in placement. From there, I will either do a PhD or go into industry.  

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We improve people’s lives by funding research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We also fund student programmes that give young people skills and confidence in science and research.

We offer our grant-holders the freedom to frame questions and enable new thinking. Our research must stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny, but we understand that to be successful in effecting change, it also needs to be relevant to people’s experience.

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