Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic ScienceResearch is a team endeavour. A large group of different professionals work at the IMS-MRL supporting our research in many different roles.
Our success as an Institute owes a lot to the incredible skills, hard work and dedication from many people who work in our research operations, admin/facilities and core facility teams.
Our research operations colleagues also have an essential role in training our students and postdoctoral researchers about new techniques in clinical and laboratory research.
We aim to provide a stimulating working environment for all our staff, including staff employed in research teams, admin/ facilities teams and the core facilities. We recognise that academia has fewer clear progression pathways for people in research operations and supporting roles. We are working to develop new ways to support career development and training within our Institute.
Colleagues in research operations and supporting roles at the IMS-MRL have access to development opportunities through the University of Cambridge (Ourcambridge scheme). Regular networking events, such as the IMS-MRL summer garden party, also provide informal opportunities to talk to senior colleagues for mentorship and advice.
I knew I didn’t want to pursue a PhD, but wanted to develop my skills and gain further expertise. Therefore, I resorted to changing jobs every year and moving locations in order to progress, moving around the UK and then to Australia. This allowed me to gain a wide range of new skills and develop myself both personally and professionally. I joined the IMS-MRL to stay in science but also to develop my leadership and management skills.
Hannah Mannering, Disease Model Core Manager
I moved to the UK from Italy in 2012, attracted by the quality of the medical training in this country. I worked hard to adapt my medical and communication skills to the new environment, which allowed me to successfully obtain a training post. More recently, I decided to ‘branch out’ from a purely clinical role into a part-time research role, which has been challenging and very rewarding at the same time, owing to the need to rapidly acquire new knowledge and skills.
Jacopo Scotucci, Clinical Research Associate
I grew up in London and Yorkshire, where I attended a failing comprehensive school in a very deprived area. I don’t have a particularly academic or scientific background, so the fact that I get to work at the IMS-MRL absolutely blows my mind. Now I have a career doing something I love – I can’t quite believe it.
Elizabeth Turner, Research midwife
I didn’t study a science at A-Level as I started out thinking I wanted to a career in law or finance, but I was very wrong. As a research assistant in the IMS-MRL, I had the opportunity to do a PhD as a staff member. I’m proud of myself and like to think my alternative training has made me a well-rounded character – ideal for clinical research in a participant facing role.
Danielle Jones, Research assistant and PhD student
