Advice Network

Anthony has strategic oversight of the science and technology supported through NC3Rs; ensuring that the NC3Rs has a long-term and sustainable strategy for supporting the best science and technology and its use in practice to achieve 3Rs and wider scientific and economic benefits. He leads the CRACK IT open innovation programme.

CDT Advice:

1. 1. 1. Careers: Academia and general advice
      2. Skills training: Organisational, networking and leadership
      3. Inclusion: Work/life balance and wellbeing
      4. Other: Company spinouts and placement opportunities

Silvana Libertini obtained her PhD in Molecular Oncology and Endocrinology from the University of Naples “Federico II” (Italy), with a thesis focused on the use of oncolytic adenoviruses for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. She then moved to the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow (UK), where she studied the role of the checkpoint kinase Chk1 in the survival and differentiation of the Lgr5+ve skin stem cell population. During her academic career, she won a FIRC fellowship, a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship and a Hartmann-Mueller Stiftung. Dr Libertini is currently working at the PreClinical Safety Department in Novartis, focusing on the development of new methods to assess the genotoxic risk associated with the use of advanced therapy products (mainly CAR T cells, CRISPR/Cas9, AAV based gene therapy). Her projects include a miniaturized digital soft agar to measure the transformation potential of genome edited adherent cells and the use of iPSCs to measure CRISPR/Cas9 induced DNA damage. Due to her interest in state-of-the-art in vitro models, Silvana is involved in several international consortia, such as CRACK-IT Challenges, HESI CT-TRACS, IMI ARDAT and is an active member of the organizing committee for the GUM and IWGT meetings.

CDT Advice :

1. 1. 1. Careers: Academia, industrial, R&D and general career support
      2. Skills training: Communication, networking and leadership
      3. Inclusion: Work/life balance

Zara is a recent graduate from Glasgow Caledonian University, where she studied cell and molecular biology (BSc). She began working in industry during her second-year studies, after successfully securing a paid internship with REPROCELL. She provided administration support for the CRO during the summer months, and part-time during her final years of study. In her final year of university, she was awarded a Medical Research Scotland Summer Studentship for a cancer research project, where she helped to establish a 3D coculture model for acute myeloid leukaemia. This research was continued into her honours year, for which she was awarded the prize for best academic poster in 2019. After experiencing both the commercial-industrial aspects of research and the academic side, Zara decided to not pursue a career in academia, and started working as Marketing Manager for REPROCELL following graduation. She has been a mentee herself and had many wonderful mentors throughout university who she is still in contact with today. She would love to take part in the program to give back, and to show students the wide variety of opportunities and career paths following an academic education.

CDT Advice:

1. 1. 1. Careers: Industrial, marketing and communication, business and general career support
      2. Skills training: Communication, organisational, networking, scientific writing and academic writing
      3. Inclusion: Work/life balance, BAME, LGBTQ+, neurodiversity and wellbeing
      4. Other: Placement opportunities

Sheena MacCormick has a degree in Economics and French from Glasgow University and a post-graduate diploma in marketing and European languages. Sheena’s background is in market research, and prior to joining SHIL, she worked for a number of market research agencies on both commercial and public sector projects. She has experience in a range of market research methodologies in both quantitative and qualitative research. Before joining SHIL, Sheena worked on the English National Patient Survey programme, managing surveys across health care Trusts in England. This work provided patient feedback for both the Care Quality Commission and individual Trusts and was aimed at promoting patient-centred care.

CDT Advice:

1. 1. 1. Other: IP/confidentiality

Catherine is a researcher who has worked at Glasgow University for 20 years. Catherine previously did a BSc in Pharmacology, an MSc in Bioengineering and a PhD in Tissue Engineering. She runs a small research group and a Stem Cell Engineering Masters course, as well as Skills Training courses for the CDT and the UofG DTP. Catherine has worked part time (60%) for 15 years and balances her research group with 4 children.

CDT Advice:

1. 1. 1. Careers: Academia and general advice
      2. Skills training: Communication, organisational, networking, scientific writing and academic writing
      3. Inclusion: Work/life balance and wellbeing

Emma has a lot of experience with marketing, communications, blog/news article writing and project management. Her role at Birmingham sits across several different departments, one being the College Communications team who are responsible for Marketing and Communications within the University of Birmingham. Another aspect of her role is being a Wellbeing Champion, which entails listening to staff feedback and feeding into the college board to support the University in making decisions that can positively impact wellbeing. Lastly, Emma is part of the LGBTQ+ community so is able to give advice to others who identify as LGBTQ+ or may be questioning or exploring their sexuality and/or identity, and would like advice on navigating ‘coming out’ at work.

CDT Advice:

1. 1. 1. Careers: Marketing and communication
      2. Skills training: Communication and organisational
      3. Inclusion: LGBTQ+ and wellbeing

Manuel is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and co-director of the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment at the University of Glasgow. He did a PhD in Valencia and postdoctoral research in Prague and Leuven. He was Full Professor at Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and Visiting Professor in Georgia Tech. His group has pioneered polymers that trigger the self-assembly of proteins to promote high efficiency presentation of growth factors. His research lies at the cell/material interface, with interests in in vitro models for drug screening and disease modelling, along with materials for cancer research, stem cell engineering and regenerative medicine.

CDT Advice:

1. 1. 1. Careers: Academia and R&D
      2. Skills training: Networking, leadership, scientific writing and academic writing
      3. Inclusion: Work/life balance and wellbeing
      4. Other: IP/confidentiality, company spinouts and placement opportunities

Andrew has clinical subspecialty expertise in major nerve reconstruction, microsurgical limb reconstruction / upper limb reanimation, and sarcoma reconstruction. His research has focused on the neurobiology of nerve injury, microvascular anatomy off the skin, and tissue engineering for nerve and bone reconstruction. Andrew is Editor of JPRAS, Europe’s leading reconstructive surgery journal.

CDT Advice:

1. 1. 1. Careers: Clinical
      2. Skills training: Scientific writing
      3. Other: Clinical interactions and placement opportunities