Early Career

I studied undergraduate medicine at Oxford university and intercalated in Infection and Immunity where I undertook a research project examining secretion from cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. I started my foundation jobs in Sheffield and, although my application was initially unsuccessful, I was awarded an academic foundation post examining intracellular survival of S. aureus in macrophages with Prof David Dockrell. I took a year out locuming in acute medicine in Exeter and completing the Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Liverpool, before completing CMT in Oxford. Although I applied to the ACF program at CMT level, again I was unsuccessful. Following CMT I had been planning to work in South Africa however, this fell through at the last minute. Luckily, I had made contacts within Infectious Diseases at Oxford and they let me know of an unfilled ACF post in Brighton, which I was successful in applying for. In Brighton, I was able to build on my previous work: This time, examining the role of S. aureus Small-Colony Variants in intracellular persistence, and detection of blood-stream infection with Prof Martin Llewelyn, alongside clinical training in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology.

Clinical management of COVID-19

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic I became heavily involved in clinical management of COVID-19 which allowed my colleagues and I to be some of the first to recognise the high risk of venous thromboembolic disease associated with the infection as well as contribute to two national guidelines whilst in a busy ID role. During the second year of the pandemic I began developing a fellowship application to examine adaptation to the host environment and persistent infection of S. aureus in cystic fibrosis. During this process I made contacts at Imperial College, with a view to developing a supervisory team. However, an unfilled (I presume due to COVID) MRC funded Clinical Fellowship became available at Imperial college working with those same contacts. I was successfully appointed the role to undertake my PhD examining persistent infection and host adaptation, this time in P. aeruginosa, With Dr Andrew Edwards and Prof Jane Davies. I have just entered the third year of my PhD ad will return to clinical training at ST7.

Continued Research

I have been extremely lucky throughout this process that posts have become available at the right time and have benefitted from the NIHR scheme. However, there have been a few setbacks along the way. Persistence, maintaining an interest, and making contacts have all been crucial in achieving professional milestones. However, keeping a questioning approach to clinical presentations has allowed me to successfully undertake research in COVID-19 and blood stream infection, supported by local academics, outside of a defined academic training pathway.