Izabella Smolicz, MB PhD Student

What was your first step into research?

I attended an INSPIRE Showcase a couple of months after joining the University of Bristol to study Medicine, where medical students were presenting their INSPIRE Summer Studentship research.

What did you make of that first step?

Before attending the showcase, I did not realise the full extent of what the INSPIRE research opportunities for medical students offered.

I was impressed by the presentations and decided to learn more about becoming involved in research whilst studying Medicine.

I started by becoming a student INSPIRE ambassador and spending just over a week in a lab at the end of first year.

This led me to complete a summer studentship in second year followed by five months of research during my intercalation, all of which gave me a true insight into research.

What advice would you give to students wanting to start research?

I would recommend attending INSPIRE Showcases as they are a brilliant starting point for students interested in research, introducing you to the type of projects that students are pursuing at an undergraduate level.

The National Student Association of Medical Research (NSAMR) conference is another event worth attending and often offers workshops targeted at medical students with an interest in research and academic medicine.

In addition, I would advise exploring different types and areas of research to gain experience, from lab work to clinical research.

This will allow you to recognise an area that particularly interests you and build core skills such as critically appraising papers and learning techniques in the lab environment.

However, if one area of research is not how you imagined, it does not mean others are the same! I feel it is important to understand that finding your area of interest may take time and not happen immediately.

When choosing a research project, I would advise spending time in choosing a supportive supervisor and ensure you meet them in person.

Meet students in the lab to see if they are happy and supported; I am sure they would be willing to answer questions you would have regarding their experiences. If you feel there is a project or opportunity that you would like to pursue, go for it!

What research are you doing now?

I am currently an MB PhD student at University College London (UCL), integrating a PhD within my medical degree.

I transferred to UCL in 2016 to join the MB PhD programme and am currently in the third year of my PhD at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. I am investigating the biology of paediatric brain tumours, with a focus on the unique insights that can be gained from clinical and molecular post-mortem investigations.

Following my PhD, I will return to medical school to complete the final two years of medicine.

Here is a link to a profile I was asked to help with by The Academy of Medical Sciences: https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/case-studies/inspiremore/case-studies/izabella-smolicz

Did INSPIRE help?

Yes! INSPIRE allowed me to become involved in many opportunities to develop my interest in research, from completing a Summer studentship after second year in vascular medicine to being a senior editor of the INSPIRE Student Health Sciences Research Journal.

Andrea Cordaro, 5th year Medical Student

What was your first step into research?

My first step into research was during my high school summer, when I conducted a field project in two orphanages in India for a school assignment.

I measured their nutrient intake with food diaries and took anthropometric measurements to correlate their growth with their nutrition.

I was very young and this was a new experience but sparked my passion for research. The whole process was challenging but it’s never too early to start!

What did you make of that first step?

I learnt how difficult it is to gather results – it requires lots of organisation, planning ahead, and having a simple and effective routine, especially if you need to collect data from a group of subjects over a few days.

What advice would you give to students wanting to start research?

It’s a fascinating field that opens your mind and you can meet many eminent people in your field of interest who are advancing medicine/science.

Don’t worry if you can’t find a project on that specific topic you like (e.g. wound healing in the skin).

At a medical student’s stage the methods and experience of working in a lab are what matter most – if you can find your preferred topic it’s a bonus but don’t make it a limiting factor.

What research are you doing now?

I am still interested in research and value the contribution this makes to the medical field. My future plans are to become an academic trainee and balance my work between research and clinical work in the field of skin cancer/regenerative medicine.

Did INSPIRE help?

INSPIRE has helped me build on my research skills significantly. I feel I have experienced what academic research is like to make an informed decision on whether I would like to pursue it – and I certainly find it fascinating.

INSPIRE allows us to gain experiences with labs, conferences, meetings, publications (and more!) that will ultimately make us better clinicians and better academics.