Abigail Lucas
- mnalu@leeds.ac.uk
I completed a BSc in Medical Biochemistry at the University of Manchester, including a placement year spent at GSK in the Structural Biology & Biophysics Group. On finishing my undergraduate degree I commissioned into the British Army as a Medical Support Officer in the Reserves.
What attracted you to the CDT TERM-iMBE
A combination of fascinating final year lectures on the wound healing process and conversations with military surgeons about the issues they faced rehabilitating wounded soldiers sparked my interest in the area of Regenerative Medicine. When I looked further into PhD programmes in this general area, I saw the interdisciplinary approach offered by the CDT TERM programme at Leeds as a brilliant opportunity to explore the field in more detail. It was also down-to-earth environment that was truly translating its research into real-life benefits.
How did you hope the CDT integrated PhD would give you an advantage over a conventional PhD?
Being in a cohort of like-minded people who were all going through a similar training process together before embarking on their research projects seemed like a good way to thoroughly prepare for the PhD, in order to get the maximum benefit out of it for everyone!
What benefits do you feel you get from the interdisciplinary nature of the course?
A greater understanding of the body as a whole system, and the opportunity to collaborate with people about design problems from totally different perspectives.
Could you give one phrase that would persuade others to join the CDT?
A worthwhile challenge in an encouraging environment.