Henry Russell
Studied BSc Biochemistry, Graduated 2009
Since graduating Henry has had a research paper published from his 3rd year undergraduate project:
Henry J Russell, Tomas T Richardson, Kieran Emptage, Bernard A Connolly, Nucleic Acids Research 2009; doi: 10.1093/nar/gkp800
http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/gkp800
I decided to undertake a Biochemistry degree at Newcastle following a very science-orientated set of A levels and a gap year in industry at a Biotechnology company. Not only was I drawn by the excellent teaching facilities on offer at the University, but also the appeal of living in the city of Newcastle due to very good reviews from friends. After arriving at Newcastle both these aspects exceeded expectation, with the School of Biomedical Sciences offering a great platform for learning, and the experience of living in halls of residence offering the opportunity to meet long-lasting new friends.
What I particularly liked about the first part of my degree was the exposure to a range of different subject areas by virtue of the common Biomedical Sciences first year which covered not only Biochemistry, but also Pharmacology and Microbiology among others. I decided to pursue Biochemistry into second and third year, and appreciated the greater level of detail and focus in this specialised subject. Also, I believe the “open door policy” adopted by many of the lecturers with regards to help on particular topics is a very valuable attitude shown towards students. Another highlight was the third year research project assigned based on the students’ interests which gave me a good exposure to studying in an established research institution. With the help of these facilities I graduated with first class honours in the summer of 2009 and will join the University of Manchester in September to undertake a PhD.
In my PhD I will focus in the area of Biochemistry I am most interested in, enzymology, inparticular studying the early interactions of an enzyme with its substrate using state of the art technology. I came across this position with help from Newcastle’s enzyme specialist Prof. Harry Gilbert who referred me to the supervisor I will work under at Manchester. I believe the teaching and training I have received from the School of Biomedical Sciences will give me an excellent platform to succeed in this PhD position.
