We are excited to announce that Bana Mustafa is the winner of the 2015 BRC summer scheme blog competition.
Bana was one of 150 A-level students who worked alongside scientists in a 2-week laboratory placement this summer. Students were asked to write a blog detailing their experience and Bana’s blog, which described her achievements at UCL’s Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, was awarded first prize at a presentation evening this month.
Working alongside Dr Shane Minogue, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Cell Biology, Bana carried out a research project ‘Miracle Cures and Deadly Threats’ on how the media portray diseases. The project focused on how many diseases were erroneously portrayed as major threats.
Bana said: “It was an amazing experience and as well as enhancing my current knowledge, I was introduced to various new concepts and equipment within the lab!”
To read Bana’s winning entry click here.
The in2science UK scheme offers students from underprivileged backgrounds the chance to work alongside scientists with the aim to inspire and motivate them and to support them in their application to competitive research universities.
Dr Rebecca McKelvey, a former teacher, set up in2science UK when she was shocked to discover that in the UK in only 18% of pupils on free school meals go into higher education compared to 36% on non-free school meals and 98% of students from independent schools.
Rebecca said: “For most of the students on the scheme these two weeks are very important. It gives the student not only an insight into science but also experience in speaking to people who they do not necessarily meet in other areas of their life.”
To date the scheme, which has been running for five years, has enabled over 150 students from low income backgrounds to experience research science first hand at top London institutions. As of 2014 nearly 80% of BRC summer school attendees went on to university, a third of which were prestigious ‘Russell Group’ universities.
To read more visit www.in2scienceuk.org.
