Africa Smith de Diego

I graduated in 2015 from INSA Lyon (France) WITH a MEng in Biotechnology and worked for 6 months in France a company specialised in bioassays.

What previous lab experience do you have?

My undergraduate and masters, involved a lot of lab placements. Moreover, I took part in the iGEM (international Genetically Engineered Machine) competition and was able to do a lab project in a team for 6 months. I also spent 6 months working in the lab of a bioassays company as a project manager.

What attracted you to the Centre for Doctoral Training in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine – Innovation in Medical and Biological Engineering

The possibility of working in a multidisciplinary setting and applying my knowledge in the exciting field that is tissue engineering.

How did you hope the CDT integrated PhD would give you an advantage over a conventional PhD?

The CDT enables more interaction with peers as it follows a cohort scheme. Also, the CDT has allowed me to see the different areas of research in which the institute is involved before choosing a subject.

What benefits do you feel you get from the interdisciplinary nature of the course?

I feel the interdisciplinary nature of the course has helped me consider different approaches when trying to solve a problem and come up with more innovative ideas.

What have you found most challenging about the CDT course?

The most challenging aspect of the CDT would be the fact that we have to step out of our comfort zone and learn new things about fields unrelated to out background.