Profile
Sarah Curtis
My CV
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Education:
Berkhampstead School
Charlton Park School
Dene Magna School
Royal Forest of Dean College
University of the West of England
University of Bristol -
Qualifications:
GCSEs
A level Human Biology and Environmental Science
BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
Ph.D (Human Molecular Genetics)
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Work History:
Working pupil (horse groom) for Leslie Law in Wales (before he became double Olympic three-day event champion at the 2000 Sydney Olympics!)
Receptionist (working in my parents’ garage)
Groom (Herefordshire) working with horses
Groom (Surrey) for International event rider
Polo groom (Gloucestershire) managing a team of four horses and ponies
Polo groom (season two) for another team
College (A levels)
University undergraduate (foundation year before doing degree – 5 years)
During summer vacation:
Purchase Ledger Clerk (Orange Telecommunications)
Expenses Clerk (Orange Telecommunications)
Invoice query clerk (National Blood Service)
Groom for four horses (Vienna, Austria)University postgraduate (Ph.D – 3 years)
Research Fellow (University of Sydney – 3 years)
Research Associate (University of Bristol – 10 months)
Research Associate (University of Bristol – 2 years)
Research Associate (Cardiff University – 3 years)
Research Associate (Cardiff University – 2 years to present)
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Current Job:
Research Associate (Cardiff University – 2 years to present)
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About Me:
I’m an enthusiastic scientist, mum of two teenage girls and love science, horses and cars.
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Read more
I live in England on the Welsh border with my husband and two teenage girls. We have a naughty Patterdale terrier called Gwennie. We’re building a house which is really exciting! I make lots of cups of “builders” tea to keep us going. When I was younger, I rode horses every day. I’m still horse mad! I love watching documentaries, eating trifle and walking my little dog! My daughters think I look like a mad scientist with my curly hair, but I don’t have smoke coming out of test tubes!
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I have a really exciting job as part of a team, trying to invent a new flu vaccine. My work involves studying which parts of the flu virus are gobbled up by the cells in our body and presented as fragments on the top of the cells (like a flag) so that our immune system cells can recognise these flags and kill the virus. We then make viruses with mutations which will hopefully make the virus fragments (flags) on the top of the cell more sticky with our immune cells, so making a stronger immune response.
I’m doing this in animal cells and testing which flu viruses work most effectively. My experiments involve equipment like microscopes, lots of tubes, food for cells and funky purple dyes so you can count how much virus there is in lung cells.
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My Typical Day:
I get up at 5 am (usually the moon is shining during the winter months!) I drive to Cardiff and go to straight to the lab to start my experiments (normally with a cup of coffee while getting things ready). I leave mid afternoon to do the school run before getting home to feed and walk the dog and make dinner. I then look forward to watching a bit of tv before bed.
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I get up at 5 am every morning and jump in my car for the 45 minute drive to Cardiff. I go straight to the lab around 6.30 am where I put the food for my cells in the water bath to warm up (cells like warm food!) I then go back to the office where I check my emails and read my plan for the day. If it’s someone’s Birthday or other special occasion (like publishing a scientific paper), we always celebrate with cakes and biscuits. I then do my experiments (usually with the help of a couple more cups of coffee!) On a good day when I have finished my experiments, I can analyse my data and make colourful graphs and tables. That’s one of the best parts of the day! I then drive home, pick my girls up from the train on their way home from school, walk the dog and cook dinner (unless my husband gets to the kitchen first). I enjoy watching tv to relax and go to bed around 9 pm.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would love to visit my daughters’ school where I could talk to the children about what it’s like to be a scientist and where my scientific journey has taken me from England to Australia and back again!
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Ambitious, resilient, enthusiastic.
What did you want to be after you left school?
An Olympic horse rider!
Were you ever in trouble at school?
No! Of course not!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
The 1975
What's your favourite food?
Family size trifle (or ham egg and chips…)
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
For my children to be happy and healthy when they grow up. To finish building our house! To become a Professor.
Tell us a joke.
Q: Why did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall? A: To make up for his miserable summer.
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