My SURE placement gave me a better understanding of what a career in academia might be like

“Over the summer, I completed a SURE placement with Dr Nicola Hemmings. I worked on a project that aimed to reveal the mechanisms by which maternal investment affects male fertilisation success, by looking at sperm traits. This involved carrying out microscopy to assess sperm numbers and using sperm analysis software to look at sperm motility.

“I set out with the desire to complete a SURE placement to get a better idea of life in academia, but I gained so much more than this. The experience allowed me to immerse myself in the department more than I ever had before, and I have gained skills that will be useful whatever career path I choose. This made me realise how much there is to get involved in within the department, that I personally hadn’t been aware of before my SURE placement.

The experience allowed me to immerse myself in the department more than I ever had before, and I have gained skills that will be useful whatever career path I choose.

Charlotte Redfern

MBiolSci Biology

“Having 6 weeks to focus fully on a research project and see a project throughout its lifecycle was great and is what I think makes SURE placements unique compared to other lab-based opportunities. Being in a lab every day meant I was able to get to grips with equipment I’ve had limited time to use during my undergraduate degree so far. However, the lab was only part of the experience, I was welcomed into the lab group and attended weekly meetings. These were fascinating as it got me involved in what other researchers in the department were investigating. This really helped my critical analysis skills, as often in meetings people would be looking for feedback on their studies. These meetings were also fantastic networking opportunities as I found out about a variety of different projects and was able to meet the people that were leading them.

“I honestly would recommend anyone who is even slightly considering a career in research to try for a SURE placement as I feel it will be invaluable experience, regardless of what you go on to do.”