“It has been truly fascinating to have studied this subject at Imperial because the quality of the material has been so high. I have really appreciated their ability to bring in people at the top of their field to deliver lectures.”
From balancing part-time study with a demanding NHS role to uncovering the genetic mysteries of sleep, we hear from Dr Rania Ward, a specialist in sleep medicine and current Master’s student on Imperial’s Genomic Medicine MSc.
The Genomic Medicine MSc is designed to deepen your understanding of how genomic data influences patient diagnosis, care, and treatment. Throughout the course, students explore all major aspects of genomic science and medicine, including the latest advancements in the field. As part of the programme, you will undertake a research project, either full-time over 14 weeks or part-time over one year.
Rania, whose passion for genomics and determination to tackle chronic insomnia has led to a meaningful and rewarding research project, offers insight, encouragement, and practical advice for anyone considering a similar path.
What is your research project about?
My research aims to identify genes that make an individual more vulnerable to developing insomnia. Chronic insomnia affects 8-13% of the UK population and costs our economy £30 billion every year. What we have as treatments are drugs with a blunt effect working across the whole brain because we don’t understand the neurobiology that causes insomnia. But we do know there is a genetic component to it. So, my research is to try to find those genes that play key parts in the mechanisms that underlie our sleep going wrong, so that we can develop more targeted approaches to our treatments and keep our brain healthy.
What drew you to this research area?
I am a specialist in sleep medicine, and at our regional sleep disorder centre, we see the full spectrum of sleep pathologies, but insomnia remains one of the hardest conditions to treat. We are lacking significant research in one of the most fundamental aspects of the human condition, and that is sleep. So it was important to me to research this area.
What has been the most rewarding part of working on your project so far?
I have an amazing, supportive, and caring supervisor, which is a big part of any research, but what I have really loved is the dedicated time to focus on the project, and the reward is the results I have obtained, which have been meaningful.
Have you developed any new skills as a result of this research?
I have improved on my statistics, learnt how to use Graph Prism, and learnt how to use the 100,000 Genomes Project research environment, which can be quite complex to navigate.
How have you found the teaching throughout your course?
The content of the Master’s program in Genomic Medicine has been truly outstanding. I am a genomics enthusiast anyway, but it has been truly fascinating to have studied this subject at Imperial because the quality of the material has been so high. I have really appreciated their ability to bring in people at the top of their field to deliver lectures; we even had a live session from America.
What has your experience been like studying part-time?
It has been extremely challenging, being a working parent and studying. I would say you need to be self-motivated, determined, and focused (and have help at home if you have dependants) as the juggle is intense and can be stressful. Planning ahead is crucial!
What motivated you to choose the part-time route?
I have a permanent job in the NHS, and Health Education England supports clinicians like me part-time.
How have you managed your time between studies, work, and personal life?
The modular structure of the program helps have some downtime. We engage more intensely in the program while a module is running, and we do 4 modules across a year. Each module is 4 weeks long, so this helps someone who works part-time to focus on other aspects of life in between. You also have the timetable and choices set out for the whole year in advance, so you can plan your time ahead, which really helps.
What advice would you give to someone just starting a part-time Master’s?
Once you have your timetable, ensure you have booked leave within those modules to attend the teaching week, but also free your weekends during the modules to ensure you give yourself time to complete the assignments.
I would also say make the very most of each lecture, ask questions, and challenge yourself.
What’s one thing that surprised you about doing a Master’s while working?
Although it is intense, I loved that it was so different from my day job. One day I would be in clinic telling a patient what the treatment options are, and the next day I am sitting in a lecture about transposable elements (“jumping gene”).
I loved being with the other students, many of whom were undergraduates and brought a different perspective, but also the other postgraduates working across various sectors, with different backgrounds, really stimulated great conversations and a sense that “we were all in this together”.
Although it was a lot of work, I learn a huge amount, and loved it, as well as the opportunities that have arisen from the program, such as teaching, working on other students’ research projects, speaking to other departments across Imperial, and developing my own projects whilst accessing Imperial resources and collaborators.
Find out more about our Genomic Medicine and other MSc courses.