Sadie Dingwall

• Course studied: Human Bioscience BSc (Hons)*
• Year of graduation: 2020
• Current job title: Senior GCP Compliance Officer
• Current employer: The Institute of Cancer Research
• Industry sector: Academic Centre

I’ve always loved science but at the time of choosing my university course I had no idea of the career I wanted to pursue. The University of Northampton was the only place at the time that offered a Human Bioscience degree that covered such a wide range of subjects, so I chose to study there rather than choosing a course that would narrow my career choices.

I finished my undergraduate degree in 2020 and began a master’s degree in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics in September of the same year, graduating in 2021 with a distinction. I then worked in a pharmacy until a vacancy came up at the Institute of Cancer Research and began my career as a Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Compliance Officer in April 2022. My role is to provide oversight for nine laboratories within the Institute that are involved in the collection, processing, and analysing of samples from patients in a clinical trial at the Royal Marsden Hospital. I’ve since been promoted to a senior position, and I hope to manage the whole team in the future.

There are many skills and knowledge I gained on my degree that are most useful in my current role. Some of these include immunology, microbiology, pathogen and disease, but many more skills provided me with knowledge that I wouldn’t have been able to progress my studies without.

My favourite part of the course was the final year dissertation, where I was working in the microbiology laboratory. I loved being in the lab – carrying out experiments and learning from them enabled me to find my passion for research.

As well as my studies I was a Student Ambassador for the University. This role allowed me to gain confidence with public speaking, which helped me with interviews, and I learned to cope with my nerves and how to convert these emotions into excitement and passion for what I had to say.

The advice I’d give to undergraduates interested in this career path would be to learn how to read and understand scientific papers as soon as you can, as the best scientists never stop reading.

Studying at the University of Northampton is the best decision I’ve ever made.

*We no longer offer Human Bioscience BSc; however, you may apply for Biological Sciences BSc and Biomedical Science BSc.