Kofoworola Agunbiade: ‘Each time I completed a new challenge I felt more confident’

What is your name? 

Kofoworola ‘Kofo’ Agunbiade

Where are you from? 

I was born in Nigeria, but I currently live in Luton, England

To which class do you belong?

MSc Translational Neuroscience, Class of 2020

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London? 

I attended St George’s, University of London, where I completed a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science

How did you find your Master experience at the College? 

Amazing. I learnt so much from the people around me and the teaching sessions. My background was mostly molecular and genetics, so it was refreshing to explore the cognitive and computational aspects of neuroscience. The unique teaching style implemented throughout the course was really exciting. Taking away exams meant that we didn’t have to focus on memorising facts, and we could engage in lectures and seminars without worrying about writing down every minute detail. It also meant that there was more time spent on developing skills that would help us as young scientists, such as creating a virtual research project (in Module 2). There were times where the course was challenging, but the experience was never stifling, and those challenges ultimately helped me improve in many ways

Which research project did you work on? 

For my project, I investigated the white matter structural abnormalities associated with alcohol dependence. I chose this specific project because I am interested in mental health and psychopharmacology, so this project seemed perfect for me

What are you working on? 

I am figuring out what my next steps will be. I’ve also been applying to some research assistant and PhD positions

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master student? 

The importance of teamwork and collaboration. Everyone in the course came with a different skillset: we were able to learn from each other, develop new skills and pass on our knowledge to produce remarkable work. This is something I was reminded of during my research project, as I always found it difficult to ask for help in fear that it would make me look like I was incapable of doing certain tasks. But once I was able to overcome those fears and ask for help from people around me who had the knowledge and experience, I was able to grow and develop my project more efficiently than if I had just stumbled along on my own

How did the Master programme help you get to where you are now? 

It allowed me to develop my interests further and gave me a clear idea of what I want to do in the future. I really enjoyed the challenge of research as well as the group environment, so during my research project I was set on a research career. The new skills I gained make me a competitive applicant. For example, I wasn’t the best at presentations at the start, and I had no previous knowledge of computational neuroscience. But having that practice and the opportunity to learn new topics has allowed me to grow and acquire new knowledge. I was able to tackle daunting challenges with minimal stress, and each time I completed a new challenge I felt more confident