Sevda Boyanova

Pathway 1+3

Cohort 2016

1+3 Student

My undergraduate degree was an Integrated Master’s (MSci) in Neuroscience. I did it at the University of Glasgow, with one year of work experience at Eli Lilly, UK. During my undergraduate degree, I have done summer laboratory internships at the University of Glasgow, the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

I chose the DTP because it offers flexibility in the first year. You get to experience the research and the environment in three different labs, before committing the next three years to a single project in one of them. Also, KCL offers a very big variety of exciting research projects, across different departments, so you can get exposure to many different viewpoints and approaches to a given research question. Finally, the university campuses are located in central London, which is always a great advantage!

I like that the research projects on offer are interesting and challenging, and on the cutting edge of science. Also, there are a lot of social events and gatherings organised throughout each year where students can meet and share experiences. Another advantage is that students are encouraged to take the lead in organising different parts of the programme and their suggestions and opinions are valued.

Rotation Projects:

1. How environmental effects influence genetic risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder: addressing the 2-hit hypothesis in a rodent model (Dr Laura Andreae and Dr Grainne McAlonan, Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
2. Targeting mitochondrial retrograde signalling as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease (Dr Joseph Bateman and Prof Clive Ballard, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases)
3. From bench to bedside: the BBB in health and Alzheimer’s disease (Dr Sarah Ann Thomas, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences/Department of Physiology)