Tell us a little about yourself and your work. 

I am a PhD medicine student at Queen’s University Belfast.  My research is on connecting Irish lymphoid blood cancers data to illuminate immune dysfunction and drug resistance. I am using the OHDSI tools totransform CLL and multiple myeloma data to the OMOP common data model. With a background in statistics and data science, I am passionate about leveraging data to improve health outcomes.

 Why did you want to get involved in mentoring initially? 

I was initially drawn to mentoring because I have benefited greatly from the guidance of mentors throughout my own journey as a statistician and a data scientist. I know how challenging it can be to navigate a career and technical concepts in my field and wanted to offer support to people who needed it. Seeing someone grow in their understandingof a subject and reach new milestones knowing you were part is incredibly rewarding.

What did the mentoring involve? 

It involved guiding mentees in searching for PhD positions, jobs and preparing for interviews. Mentees were helped to prepare good CVs and supported to build confidence in themselves. Additionally, resources were made available to mentees to help them upskill to increase their chances of landing positions.

 What benefits did it bring? 

The programme had a significant impact on the development of my mentees. They gained confidence in their ability to prepare for interviews, upskill and had more information to choose their careers. Personally, I learnt how to be a good leader, be patience, and communicate wellwhich are essential skills for my future career in academia or industry.

What would you say to others thinking of joining the HDR UK Alumni Network Mentoring Programme? 

I would strongly encourage anyone considering HDR UK Alumni Network Mentoring Programme to get involved. It’sa unique opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with your peers. For mentors, it is a chance to develop leadership and communication skills which are valuable in both academia and industry. For mentees, it is an opportunity to gain insights from someone who has already navigated similar challenges.

What are your future career ambitions? 

After my PhD, I want to be a researcher and a lecturer as well. This will help me to make a meaning impact in improvehealth care particularly to cancer patients. It will also give me the opportunity to explain technical concepts in simple terms to students who want a career in statistics and data science.

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