President Prize Winners 2021

Paschalina Ioannou

University of the West of Scotland

Having completed a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and a MRes in Biochemistry, I decided to return to university and complete the BSc (Hons) in Applied Biomedical Sciences, as I would like to pursue a career in a clinical laboratory in the NHS. Dedicated to achieve my goal, I worked hard throughout my studies and so I was fortunate to be selected to undertake my integrated placement at Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, where I successfully completed my IBMS registration portfolio. 

Currently, I am working as a Biomedical Scientist in the Clinical Chemistry department in the Forth Valley Hospital, Larbert, feeling proud to be part of this big family and contribute to offer the best service to the public.

Gabija Marija Samsonkovaite

Robert Gordon University

I was awarded the IBMS President’s Prize at the Robert Gordon University (RGU), achieving a First-class degree in BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science. During my time at RGU, I have gained an in-depth knowledge of many aspects of biomedical science. It has been an excellent experience that provided me with the skills and knowledge needed for my future endeavours.

I am currently pursuing an MSc in Drug Discovery and Pharma Management at University College London. I look forward to combining my knowledge of biomedical science with pharmaceutical industry towards benefiting the communities.

Regina Thurley

Bangor University

At Bangor University I enjoyed every aspect of the course; everything from Microbiology, Biochemistry, Blood science to Cellular Pathology was fascinating.  I gained amazing practical laboratory skills which allowed me to be part  of a very interesting project "Covid in Wastewater".I managed to complete an IBMS Certificate of Competence  and I work now as  a BMS in a pathology department.

I find it rewarding to to be part of the department and be able to help patients and assist  consultants. Thank you IBMS for all the support during my registration!"

Katie Higham

Liverpool John Moores University

I thoroughly enjoyed studying my BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science degree, which allowed me to develop the required knowledge and skills for the role of a Biomedical Scientist. My degree incorporated an integrated placement, where I worked as a trainee BMS and completed my IBMS registration portfolio within a haematology and transfusion laboratory.

Since becoming HCPC registered, I have started my career as a Biomedical Scientist, and I am currently working in a COVID-19 LAMP laboratory, where I am supporting the mass asymptomatic serial testing of NHS staff. I am hoping to specialise in Haematology and Transfusion in the future and I am eager to complete my Specialist Portfolio and study an MSc in Biomedical Science in the near future.

Despoina Allagioti

University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

The most enjoyable aspect of my honours degree in BSc Biomedical Sciences was the variety of subjects covered, as it equipped me with a more in-depth knowledge about several disciplines. Throughout my second and third year at the university, I was working on an extracellular laboratory project and gained more experience in working in a laboratory setting. This helped me realise that I was particularly interested in research.

After graduating with first-class honours, I returned to the University of Strathclyde as a PhD student, undertaking a research project which targets the zDHHC9 enzyme interactions as a novel therapeutic strategy.

Nithu Haliyadde Mudiyanselage

University of Sunderland

My final year project was the highlight of my undergraduate degree as I was given the opportunity to carry out a bioinformatic analysis focused on the identification of secondary metabolites involved in the antimicrobial activity of two novel Pseudomonas strains. I gained many valuable insights from this project and developed a deep interest for research in this incredibly important field of research – one that I hope to join in the near future.

I owe many of my achievements to the support and encouragement I received from my project supervisor and sincerely thank him for inspiring me to pursue a career in research!

Scott Jarvis

Oxford Brookes University

I studied for my degree in Biomedical Science part time whilst also working full time at the Microbiology department at Oxford University Hospitals. Learning this way gave me a great underpinning to the theoretical education taught at Oxford Brookes whilst allowing me to implement it in the practical elements of my work. My most enjoyable part of the degree was learning about the changing discipline of Biomedical Science through my genomics module.

The last few years have been challenging but thanks to what I learnt at Oxford Brookes I could perform to the best of my ability whilst working through the pandemic in a fast paced and evolving workplace environment.

Amy Barnard

University of Greenwich

Completing my degree was a far more rewarding experience than I ever imagined it to be, allowing me to not only develop academically but personally too. A highlight was working in Haematology and Blood Transfusion at East Sussex Healthcare Trust (ESHT), where I gained my registration portfolio and got to see what day to day life working in a lab was really like.

From there, I completed my final year at university virtually, alongside working in the busy Covid testing lab. Personally, I enjoyed the investigative nature of antibody identification in Transfusion and blood cell morphology in Haematology and went on to complete my final year project entitled ‘ The NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme: An Analysis of Errors Encountered in a Low Prevalence Hospital Trust’. 

After recently gaining my HCPC registration, I am now enjoying working as a Biomedical Scientist for ESHT and aim to begin my specialist portfolio in the near future. I am looking forward to further enhancing my knowledge and building on my confidence as I progress within a career that I love.”

Charlotte Nolan

University of Roehampton, London

The engaging course content and the friendly atmosphere of the Life Sciences Department made studying Biomedical Sciences at the University of Roehampton a really enjoyable experience. I particularly appreciated the opportunity provided by Dr. Yolanda Calle-Patino to undertake an 8-week summer internship, during which I gained experience of maintaining cell lines and performing microscopy.

The highlight of the course was my dissertation on the effect of sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics on the virulence of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This led to me co-authoring and publishing a review paper on the subject with my supervisor, Dr. Volker Behrends, to whom I am especially grateful.

I am currently studying for an MSc in Regenerative Medicine at QMUL and hope to continue onto a PhD.

Bethany Montgomery  

Ulster University

The biggest incentive for me to study Biomedical Science at Ulster University was the variety of modules available and the hands-on laboratory experience provided. A particular highlight was travelling to Ghana after my second year of study, where I spent 3 months working in a research and diagnostic laboratory, and immersing myself in a new culture.

I then went on to complete my placement year in a Microbiology QC laboratory, which gave me the opportunity to experience the day to day workings of a laboratory and further my practical skills and knowledge. My final year project, ‘Investigating the insulinotropic activities of CPF-SE3 peptide, isolated from the skin secretions of Silurana epitropicalis, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes’, allowed me to develop my scientific writing and data analysis skills.

All of these experiences have affirmed my love for science and have enabled me to pursue a PhD within the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University.