Dashboard – Genetics Zone

About Me:

I live with my partner in Oxford. I am a Laboratory Technician! I enjoy longboarding and skateboarding and like to collect vinyls
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I am of Caribbean heritage being half Jamaican and half Bermudian. My great-grandmother came to England to work in the late 60s and my family have been living in oxford ever since. I am the first generation to go to university.

My first love for science and, more specifically, biology and the natural world came from watching documentaries with my uncle. One day at around aged 10/11 I discovered a Sir David Attenborough documentary and from there I was hooked on biology! I realised I wanted to learn more about genetics when we started to learn about DNA at GCSE. It was very fascinating to me and throughout my education the complexity of genetics has continued to excite me.
My pronouns are:

She/He
My Work:

I am a laboratory technician in the sample processing team for a research laboratory.
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The research that the lab that I work for conducts is mainly looking at genetics and how they affect diseases such as type 1 diabetes in children.
My Typical Day:

I wake up, do a short workout then get to work for 9am. Depending on the day I may have some fresh or frozen blood samples to process. I check the post to see if we have any received any shipped samples that need logging. I have lunch with my colleagues then it may be back to the lab to finish sample processing. If there are no samples that day then I may read some scientific articles or tidy up the lab.
What I'd do with the prize money:

I’d use the prize money to do talks to help encourage BME students to get into STEM subjects.

Candidate CV questions (extra)

Education:

I went to Cherwell Secondary school then the City of oxford College to do my A levels and finally Kingston University London. I got a B in Biology A level and went on to gain a 2:1 in my bachelors degree.
Qualifications:

Maths, English, double science, french, IT, product design GCSEs

Chemistry AS, Psychology, Biology, English A levels
Work History:

My first job was as a busser/runner at a high end restaurant. I then worked as a waiter for various catering companies. I took a year out after my A-levels and worked as a teaching assistant in a primary school and a nanny. Whilst studying at university I worked at a tennis club and during the summer when I went home to Oxford I worked as a crew member and bar tender for a river cruise company that hosted boat daily river cruises and boat parties.
Employer:

Oxford University

My Interview
- How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
  
  Longboarding Lab tech
  
  What did you want to be after you left school?
  
  I wasn't quite sure but knew science was my interest
  
  Were you ever in trouble at school?
  
  yes in big trouble once with the occasional detention
  
  If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
  
  I would probably be a teacher!
  
  Who is your favourite singer or band?
  
  Drake and Kehlani
  
  What's your favourite food?
  
  duck in plum sauce
  
  If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
  
  my first wish would be to become a millionaire, my second wish would be to be able to breathe underwater and my third wish would be to gain the ability to fly
  
  Tell us a joke.
  
  why did the biologist break up with the physicist? They had no chemistry