BTS Medical Student Award 2020

“With a burning curiosity about medical research, I wanted to carry out a lab experience to explore what this field entails.” – Ambreen

“During the summer of my second year at medical school, I was fortunate enough to spend some time working with the Dean lab, contributing to some work in investigating the role of a particular gene (dishevelled activator of morphogenesis 2 – Daam2) in lung embryogenesis. Working with Charlotte and the team was incredible, as I was able to carry out laboratory procedures we had been taught about in the early years of medical school and see, first-hand, the merits and challenges of a career in academia. 

To help support my time with the Dean lab, I applied for an Anatomical Society Undergraduate Summer Scholarship which I successfully received. As part of this award, I presented my work as a poster presentation at the Anatomical Society 2019 Winter meeting – my first conference!

I also presented by work at the British Thoracic Society’s 2020 Winter meeting and was very fortunate to receive the Medical Student Abstract award. This was a phenomenal experience, as despite a virtual conference, I was able to speak with inspirational clinical academics who further inspired me to explore the opportunities that clinical research has to offer.

My experience in the lab was critical in helping me to gain an insight into academia as a career and further fuelled my aspirations to get involved in research. I am currently completing my intercalated BSc at Imperial College London in Cancer Frontiers and look forward to pursuing a career in research alongside my clinical studies.”

– Ambreen