Khuluud’s story: Research Access Programme 2022

I’m Khuluud and I am a graduate of an MRes in Cancer Biology from Imperial College London. I have an interest in cancer and immunology and additionally, in how machine learning can be applied to advance medical research. 

As part of the Institute’s Research Access Programme placements run over eight weeks in summer 2022, I conducted a research project in the Liston laboratory. The group work on a variety of topics within the Immunology research programme and I was tasked on using machine learning to identify and predict immune patterns in children vaccinated against covid. I have always been intrigued by the use of machine learning in medical research and was excited to conduct such work myself.

Broadening career outlooks

An aspect of the programme I especially enjoyed was the core programme sessions, where we came together with the other students on the programme and were introduced to the variety of career paths that are available in science. As someone with additional interests in scientific outreach and communication, I found the presentations on this, as well as the insights into the wider diverse range of roles, of great interest. 

Research exposure and new skills

The next step for me is my DPhil in Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford where I will be working on enhancing anti-tumour T cell function by controlled inhibition of checkpoint receptor signalling. This placement has cemented my interests in research and in pursuing a PhD and has further expanded this interest to data analysis and science communication.

The placement has given me exposure to an area of research that was novel to me. Prior to my placement, coding and machine learning have been buzzwords that would simultaneously both intrigue and intimidate me. Now that I have been able to step into that world of research and pick up on its application in medical research, not only has my skillset increased, but so has my confidence. It is a vital skill that will without a doubt be of great use to me in the next step of my career.