“Growing up in a rural area and being the first in my immediate family to pursue higher education, it has become my personal mission to inspire the next generation of STEM innovators.”
My journey at Imperial began in 2017 when I joined the inaugural cohort of the new Medical Biosciences course. This program opened my eyes to a wealth of biological disciplines and the urgent need for research in areas like cancer. Since then, you could say that I caught the Imperial bug as I never left and have remained at Imperial while studying for a Master’s in Cancer Biology and now for a PhD. My current research focuses on using nanomedicines to target cancer therapy to tumours so that toxic side effects from medicines, such as chemotherapy, are limited.
During my time at Imperial, I’ve gained a profound appreciation for the importance of collaboration in scientific success. It really does take a village of researchers from across the science spectrum to tackle complex diseases and develop new therapies for their treatment. This understanding was further solidified during my recent tenure as a visiting scholar at The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where I collaborated with one of our partners on a project aimed at activating the body’s immune system against prostate cancer. This experience underscored the world-leading research environment at Imperial and its exceptional culture of collaboration.
Since returning, I was honoured to win first prize in the STEM for Britain 2024 scientific poster competition, organised by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. This event, held annually in Westminster since 1997, showcases outstanding research from across the UK to members of Parliament.
In addition to my research, I am the co-founder of STEMaccess, where we provide mentoring and tutoring in all things STEM. Growing up in a rural area and being the first in my immediate family to pursue higher education, it has become my personal mission to inspire the next generation of STEM innovators. Imperial has opened doors for me that I never imagined possible after leaving school, and I am eager to pay it forward by equipping the next generation of scientists with the skills they need to excel in STEM!