Meet Our People
Here’s a range of profiles of people who work at the MRC. You can also read some profiles of people behind discovery.
Ben - Imaging and IT technician at a Unit in Oxford
“My name is Ben. I am the imaging and IT technician at a Unit in Oxford. I’ve been working here for just over 3 years. I came straight out of University after doing a Biology degree in Nottingham. While looking at a range of possible careers this unique post appeared which included a mixture of IT, Biology, imaging and photography. I didn’t think I would be able to mix so many of my outside interests with my degree subject.
Because it’s quite a small Unit you get to know everybody especially in the imaging support side of my job. I get to interact with everybody at all levels which is really nice. People come to you with questions and really respect your opinion.
Typically, I spend the morning working in the lab, and the afternoon providing imaging and IT support. However, every day is different which is the great thing about it.
For a good few years I can’t see myself getting bored with what I’m doing. There’s also the possibility of becoming more research –orientated and having my own research projects as well as providing support for the Unit.”
Tony - Corporate Governance and Policy in Head Office
“My name is Tony. I’m responsible for Corporate Governance and Policy in Head Office and have been at MRC since 1985. Previously I was an active researcher.
I decided that research perhaps wasn’t the career for me, so I thought of something else which would use my science. I thought administration – that can’t be that difficult; I found out subsequently that’s not quite true! The MRC attracted me because I’d heard of it, in fact some of my funding previously had come from the MRC, and I knew it was an organisation that had a high reputation.
I enjoy the variety of what I do, often by the minute sometimes. It also uses my scientific background, which is valuable to me. The subject matter is intrinsically interesting; people’s health and how one makes it better is interesting to a lot of people. I come from a family of doctors, nurses and physiotherapists so I was brought up in that sort of environment. It does make a difference knowing my work is connected to medicine.
I go to a lot of external meetings, so 4 or 5 times a week I’m out of the office. Frequently it means going to Swindon because part of my job involves working closely with the other Research Councils; also I have many meetings in London, particularly at the Wellcome Trust but also the Academy of Medical Sciences. Other meetings involve Parliament and Government Departments, especially our parent Department, the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills.
I’m very happy doing what I’m doing because of the variety which I’ve always found interesting and challenging. People are also very helpful and willing to drop everything to answer questions, and are understanding of necessarily short deadlines. My current job is fairly central to what MRC is doing . It includes some of the politics, and interactions with stakeholders and some very senior people. So if I were to change job I’d want something which didn’t lose all of that. I would always want to stay in London, and I hope there will continue to be a role for me!”
Nanda - scientific business manager at an MRC Unit
“Hello, my name is Nanda and I’m a scientific business manager at an MRC Unit in Harwell, Oxfordshire and I’ve been here for 5 years now.
It’s a fairly new job and it involves managing the scientific business of the Unit. In a sense because there was no precedent for it then there was nobody’s shoes to fit into. It was a role that could grow and the sky is the limit really.
I was a scientist before I came here. I was in Oxford for 20 years and eventually found the job was too focused on the one molecule of interest. I wanted to see the bigger picture which is why I then went to do an MBA and then this job came up and I applied.
It was a good match of all my past experiences of genetics and my MBA in business and administration. It would apply my particular area of science and then enable me to look at the bigger picture which as a scientist I don’t think I was able to do.
A typical day is a full diary! I think the best bit is not knowing what the day will be like. There are a few meetings which are fixed but everything is a new challenge and there are always new ways of finding business opportunities and talking to people globally.
The day it stops being interesting and I know what it is going to be like then that’s the day I stop. It’s important to be happy with what you do and for me it’s still interesting and it’s still fun.”
Jane - co-ordinating clinical trials
“My name is Jane and I’m involved in co-ordinating clinical trials at a Unit in Oxford.
I come from a clinical background and started working in clinical trials 17 years ago when I joined the trials unit to work on what became one of MRCs largest clinical trials. At that time there was just a pilot study running. From there I’ve progressed and am now running three or four different projects.
The new trial I’m working on is about raising the ‘good’ sort of cholesterol as opposed to lowering the ‘bad’ LDL sort of cholesterol.
I don’t really have a typical day. Over the last few months I’ve been involved in designing a new project so I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the wording in the contract and making sure the protocol for the study is right. My task for this week is to finalise the application for the ethics committee and in order to do that you really have to design
What I enjoy most are the scientific aspects. Inevitably when you’re running a large project you’re spending time on management or dealing with correspondence but what I enjoy most is writing the papers, or thinking about what we’re going to do next. When you get a nice result that’s what makes it all worthwhile.
There is a very good, committed atmosphere here. What binds people together is that we’re interested in getting good quality answers to important questions. We’re mainly involved in diseases and conditions that cause a massive amount of mortality and morbidity both in the UK and globally. The people who have come and stayed are people who enjoy the science and who are committed to finding the answers.”
Griet - recently completed an MRC Career Development Fellowship
I was on a 3 year post which was great because I was only planning to come to the UK for a few years anyway. The idea is that people who take the post come from another research environment and that in a few years get the research experience and training in transferable skills, such as presentation skills and writing grants. There are also lots of opportunities to go to conferences and present your work.
I was a postdoctoral scientist working in the lab and my role was to perform research and report on my results. It was also to help other people in the lab optimise new techniques.
In the lab we study prostate development and prostate cancer. In Belgium I trained as a molecular biologist, which c a me in very handy to perform all these experiments.
I did my PhD in Belgium on the role of cell adhesion molecules during tumour progression. I wanted to go abroad for my postdoc and it was by chance I found a vacancy through the internet. From what I’d heard from others working in an MRC Unit the funding was good and I also really liked the proposed project.
In the Unit there is a lot of interaction and discussion between the scientists through meetings and journal clubs. On top of that there are frequent social events like cheese and wine nights to get to know each other better and chat about things other than just science. So there’s a good atmosphere and a good sense of community.
A typical day is hard to say because what I like about being a scientist is that each day is different. One day you might do experiments in the lab and another it will be analysing your data. It also involves a lot of discussion with other labs and we frequently have meetings, Journal clubs and seminars. It is very varied and it is difficult to plan ahead as a lot depends on how experiments work out.
I very much enjoyed it. I had loads of opportunities to do the research without being held back because of lack of funding. I learnt a lot of new techniques using the latest technology. Also I learnt to be more critical about science and this is thanks to my group leader who likes discussing science and makes me think more about how to perform experiments properly.
This Career Development Fellowship was very good for my career as I now have an excellent position in a Belgian Biotech Company. To put on your CV that you’ve worked in an MRC lab and taken lots of courses is a good reference to have and certainly helps.”
Abdul - Senior Research Support Scientist
“My name is Abdul. I am a Senior Research Support Scientist in the MRC National Institute for Medical Research in London.
I’ve been at the Institute since 1991. I did a PhD at Middlesex Hospital which is part of University College and then did a year of postdoc before coming to the Institute. I was attracted to the Institute by the research I came to do which was Muscular Dystrophy and by the type of skills that they wanted.
The Institute is really very good. It’s different working in an Institute with just one building and where you seem to know almost everybody. It’s very mixed with lots of different nationalities and a whole range of people here. It’s also very social so it’s a pleasant environment to work in.
A typical day for me is either to do data analysis or work on my MSc in Bioinformatics. At other times I’m organising the lab, so sorting out things which need to be ordered. Although everyone has a specific role, we’re often working with someone else to discuss results and the next experiment. We share an office space and a lab space and we all interact. I enjoy the range of people you meet, which is really good because you’re always making new friends.
The way I’d like to see my job progress is to complete my MSc in bioinformatics. Even as a student I get people asking me for advice. I’d like to provide support and maybe spend one day a week on this. The Bioinformatics MSc is something I wanted to do for myself and it wasn’t something I was asked for but the MRC supports some of my fees as it helps the Institute too.
I’m happy here, it’s a great place to work and a great place to play as well. There is a social club which I’ve been involved in since I’ve been here. At the moment I run the bar and I’m also their resident DJ. What motivates me to work here is the fact that scientific work is quite flexible. I can work at weekends if I need time off I can actually take it. The Institute is surrounded by really nice countryside and sports facilities. I run a lot. So there is a good combination of work and play.”