Jade McGow

I joined Newcastle University to develop my research skills after completing a BSc in Biomedical Sciences. With broad interests spanning immunobiology, microbiology, and genetics, the MRes in Medical and Molecular Biosciences was the perfect fit. The programme’s strong emphasis on independent, hands-on lab work, combined with its balance of taught modules and a substantial six-month research project, allowed me to fully immerse myself in a research environment.

For my project, I worked under molecular and cell biologist Dr Ian Cowell in the laboratory of Professor Caroline Austin — a highlight of my time at Newcastle. My research explored the molecular mechanisms behind neural differentiation in neuroblastoma cells and contributed to the publication “TOP2B Is Required to Maintain the Adrenergic Neural Phenotype and for ATRA-Induced Differentiation of SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells” in Molecular Neurobiology (available here). This work involved advanced molecular and cellular biology techniques alongside rigorous data analysis, equipping me with the skills to tackle complex scientific questions.

After graduating, I became a Technical Specialist at Fibrofind, a Newcastle University spin-out specialising in the pre-clinical testing of novel compounds. Here, I get to work on multiple different tissue types, which means I’m constantly developing my knowledge of diseased states within different tissues. My role is varied — one day I might be culturing tissue, the next running qPCR, performing staining, or analysing results. No two days are the same, and I enjoy seeing how our work can directly influence the development of new treatments, as well as provide valuable data that helps inform decisions on progressing to clinical trials.

Overall, my MRes in Medical and Molecular Biosciences not only gave me technical expertise, but also taught me to think critically, adapt when experiments don’t go as planned, and work collaboratively — all of which are essential skills in my current role.