Robin
MRes Bioinformatics and Theoretical Systems Biology
I studied maths and statistics for my undergraduate degree, which I really enjoyed. I first found out about my current course subject as a field of study when I took elective courses in mathematical biology. This introduced me to the systems biology side of things, specifically modelling a range of biological systems with maths.
This led me to the MRes in Bioinformatics and Theoretical Systems Biology at Imperial College London which I saw as a perfect way of both using the knowledge I gained from my undergraduate and exploring a new side of science. It has also given me the opportunity to gain some more computational skills like machine learning techniques which is another massive plus from an employability standpoint.
Applying to Imperial
Imperial appealed to me because of the course structure. There was a big emphasis on balancing the maths, computer science and biology aspects of bioinformatics. It also wasn’t just about the course content. The students in my cohort also come from a mix of scientific backgrounds which makes it a great learning environment.
Of course, the reputation of the University, and London location, made it even more exciting when I got the offer.
Before I started, I went to a webinar on what it was like coming to Imperial. It really helped me get excited about starting and dealing with thoughts like ‘Imposter Syndrome’.
Advice for anyone considering the course
I think the most important thing to convey in an application, and especially in an interview, is an interest in the field. Bioinformatics is a multidisciplinary subject, so I made sure I got across what excited me about each aspect of it in my application.
A shared love of science
A big thing I appreciate about Imperial is the fact that everyone here is interested in science. It sounds obvious, since it’s a university dedicated to STEM, but it’s great to be able to talk science with everyone here. My course was a little unique to start with. The first couple of weeks were spent catching the biologists up on Maths basics and the mathematicians up on the biology basics. We were learning things from each other’s undergraduate degrees and so it was a great way to learn from each other and get to know everyone.
I get along really well with the people on my course and I particularly appreciate the different academic backgrounds everyone has. The workload was quite high in the first semester, as all of the taught component of the course was done between October to December, but I still had time to meet people outside of the course as well by joining a couple of societies.
The global community at Imperial has also been a real benefit to coming here. Aside from the education, meeting new people and getting a deeper and broader perspective on the world is a key motivator for going to university.
Joining societies
Outside of studying, I have got involved with the windsurf and hockey societies. This was made slightly more difficult by a fairly big knee injury, but everyone has made me feel really welcome. If you don’t have anything in mind, attending the Welcome Week fairs are always a good place to find a society that interests you.
Starting a PhD after my Master’s
I have an offer for a really interesting PhD. Before starting the course, I never thought I wanted to go down the PhD route, but the interest in the course and the confidence I’ve gained through it in my research ability has changed my mind.
The Careers Service was great for hearing about roles relevant to me and for the seminars they run on things like interview advice to help with applications. My tip would be to get advice from as many people as possible on each application. Whether that is from within the College from an academic advisor or outside by networking on LinkedIn.
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