London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Educational/professional background

Hi, my name is Bolu. As an undergrad, I studied nursing, and I worked as a registered nurse in accident and emergency and worked in various departments during placement. I have now made the transition into an MSc Medical Microbiology.

Research interests or career goals

I’m interested in working in the laboratory skills and working in infectious disease research. Furthermore, I’m particularly interested in sexually transmitted infections and exploring antimicrobial resistance. In future, I hope to explore and understand how microorganisms cause diseases and infections. Also, I hope to investigate new microbial mechanisms that improve prevention and treatment.

Why I chose LSHTM/my programme

I came from a career that didn’t require me to be in the lab, which at times made it harder to grasp the skills. My clinical experience made me question and have an interest in the unseen: how microorganisms work at a cellular level. However, studying medical microbiology, you are required to attend three-hour labs four times a week, Monday–Thursday, during the autumn, which is quite intense, but this allows you to learn a plethora of skills. It can be a lot at first, but LSHTM has a great support system as you’re allocated a personal tutor based on you interest, where you can express your concerns receive supported.

My clinical experience made me question and have an interest in the unseen: how microorganisms work at a cellular level. I chose LSHTM because of the great support, being taught by lecturers who are active in research, and the diverse environment, as it’s in London with different students from across the world.