Jaya Sharma, BSc Neuroscience Industrial Placement
Where did you do your placement year & what was your job role?
I completed my placement at the Mayo Clinic’s Neuroscience Department in Florida, USA, under the Biomedical Sciences International Internship. I worked as a research intern in a lab looking at the genetic basis of Alzheimer’s Disease, where my roles were similar to those of a technician. I mainly helped with conducting experiments related to my project, but also had the opportunity to work on one of the computational aspects of the project. My placement in the USA allowed me to experience what working and living abroad is like and allowed me to use my year to explore a different culture, alongside gaining further insight into what research is like there.
Why did you decide to do a year in industry?
I wanted to do a year in industry as we were informed that students who undergo one improve in their final year of their degree. There was also the added benefit of gaining real-world insight into what jobs my degree could lead to, and if that was the type of work that I wished to pursue in the future. I have found that doing a placement year did help to improve my understanding of the content taught in my final year and put into context why we are taught it. Doing the placement write-up in addition to reading manuscripts and being in a lab environment also greatly helped when writing my dissertation. My practical skills also vastly improved from working in a lab. I also got to see the different roles within a lab and the work required for each one, which has allowed me to evaluate whether I want to work in this environment or not, and at what level.
Could you describe a typical day on your placement?
My days were dependent on the experiments being conducted. I worked on a main project alongside the lab technician who was leading it, and had a couple of smaller secondary projects, which were self-led. On long experimental days, I would typically prepare any materials that I could the day before and begin working on the experiment as soon as I got into the lab. On days which had shorter experiments, or none planned at all, I would attend meetings, focus on any non-experimental tasks required, such as updating our records or preparing materials, attend seminars and talks, and sometimes shadow other lab members to see different techniques used in the lab. I found that as I was more involved in my projects, the more time I spent on longer experimental days, and I was given more independence on the bigger tasks.
What were your key responsibilities? How did these develop as your placement progressed?
At the beginning of my placement, my responsibilities mainly involved learning the techniques required and assisting with the experiments needed to be done for my project. I also completed an online course to learn the programming language R. As the year progressed, I gained more independence and responsibilities, including helping to train the person taking over my role. By the end of my placement, my responsibilities included preparing the materials used in the project and keeping stock, conducting nuclei extractions from frozen brain tissue, independently conducting DNA isolations, qPCRs and updating the experimental records for the outputs for each sample. I also worked on adapting code written by a previous member of the lab to fit the samples we were working on, using the R programming skills I had learnt earlier in the year.
We want other students at Leeds to know what an exciting opportunity the year in industry is. What was the real highlight for you?
The highlight of my placement was being able to gain true insight into what the field currently looks like. The reputable nature of the Mayo Clinic in the US meant that they were able to host speakers from other large names within neuroscience and held many different events aimed at increasing education and discussion. I had many opportunities to attend seminars, departmental conferences and meetings, and even had the opportunity to see the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases on post-mortem brains. All of this allowed me to see the true passion that researchers have for their work and the advancement of the sciences.
What aspects of your degree were relevant to your placement?
I found that the general practical lab skills taught in first and second year were relevant on placement, for example, pipetting and centrifugation were used a lot during my experiments, and having the basic skills was important. Other techniques, such as western blots and immunohistochemistry, are used a lot in research, so it was helpful to have prior knowledge when listening to other lab members and researchers present on their work. As my lab was specifically looking at the epigenetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s Disease, university modules regarding genetics and neurodegeneration also provided a good background to the work I was doing; however, as a lot of the research used complex ideas and techniques, any knowledge or practical gaps were filled during my time there.
What opportunities has your industrial placement opened up to you?
This year, I decided to become a member of the British Neuroscience Association, as my placement gave me a greater appreciation for having a community to share advancements in the field with. Working abroad has also made me more open to the idea of working in a different country again, increasing my field of job opportunities, as being completely self-sufficient for a year has shown me that it is not as daunting as I thought it would be, and I grew to enjoy the independence by the end.
What advice would you offer to other students considering doing a year in industry?
I would recommend doing a year in industry, as no matter how much you enjoy the placement, it will provide insight as to what you want and like in a career. Additionally, this is a great way to get more experience with job applications and interviews in an environment in which you can get plenty of help from the career services provided by the university, so even if you are facing rejections, you can seek help and try to keep applying. Applications can be time-consuming alongside studying, but giving it a try can be worthwhile. If you are considering a placement abroad, make sure to plan for it ahead of time, as there are many initial costs and extra steps required before you begin working.
What were the most enjoyable and most challenging aspects of your placement?
I really enjoyed getting more practical experience. I found labs confusing during university, so having more intense training allowed me to greatly improve my skills. I also found that once I knew what I was doing, I really enjoyed the lab work, and it gave a great sense of achievement when I started to perform experiments independently.
I found that my inexperience was the most challenging part, both academically and in a working environment. I was aware of each mistake I made and was worried that I was more of a burden than a help to the lab. That being said, my placement taught me that it is better to speak up on these issues, and I voiced these concerns to my supervisor, who hadn’t realised that I had felt this way. I asked for more training and responsibilities, and this greatly improved my skills and understanding. Once I did this, I found working more enjoyable as I wasn’t so worried.