Helena Griffiths

I am incredibly grateful to the James Pantyfedwen Foundation, without whom I would not have been in a position to continue with my academic studies with an MSc. Thanks to the grant I received, I completed a MSc in Biomedical Science at Bangor University last year and I am proud to say that I have graduated with a Distinction. 

My goal has always been to work in the NHS and my time at university directed me towards working as a healthcare scientist. I chose this MSc course to expand my knowledge of biomedical science with a focus on the pathology disciplines to help in my future career, and I feel that the experience, skills, and knowledge I gained through this course regarding the role of pathology in the wider patient pathway has truly been invaluable. In addition to the clinically oriented modules, I also chose options that focussed my MSc onto research, which enabled me to build upon skills I had started to develop in my undergraduate degree, leading to the completion of a Masters-level project investigating the role of microRNA polymorphisms in acute myeloid leukaemia, an area of very limited research currently.

I was delighted to accept a position in an NHS Cellular Pathology laboratory which I began upon completion of the MSc. I am proud to announce I have already earned a promotion after being there only four months! I attribute my success in my career so far to the skills, knowledge, experience, and opportunities I gained from this MSc and none of that would have been possible without the grant from the James Pantyfedwen Foundation. The research experience I gained will also be excellent preparation for my participation in the research projects occurring within the lab, such as our current project which is investigating AI technology for detection of prostate cancer, as well as the clinical doctorate I hope to one day undertake as I continue to build my career in the NHS.

Therefore, I would like to say many thanks again to the James Pantyfedwen Foundation!