David Stephens
MRC senior non-clinical fellow at the University of Bristol.
Dr David Stephens is an MRC fellow who studies membrane trafficking in cells. He has received MRC support to establish his own lab, and develop expertise in new areas.
After completing his PhD and first postdoc at the University of Bristol, David did a second postdoc at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) before returning to Bristol to establish his own research group.
“The security of a five-year MRC Senior Non-Clinical Fellowship has enabled a different approach to my science. Because I have the support and opportunity to explore different lines of research, I have developed expertise in areas that I wouldn’t necessarily have been able to do with a standard project grant. I really couldn’t have predicted at the start of my senior fellowship where we would be now.
“After a Career Development Award from the MRC brought me back to Bristol and set me up with my own lab, the senior fellowship meant I could develop my lab on a bigger scale with the potential for more significant scientific outcomes. Now, approaching the end of my fellowship, I have secured a job at the University of Bristol and look forward to applying for further funding – hopefully including some longer term support such as a programme grant.”
Find out more about the MRC’s support for research training and careers.
Published October 2011