Changing lives through scholarships

Posted on by Grace
(c) David Pratt

Third-year student Steph Tucker describes how her Futures Scholarship has supported her through the pandemic and inspired her career prospects.

When I found out I was a recipient of the Futures Scholarship I was over the moon. It was such a big relief. It confirmed to me that Bristol was the place I was supposed to be. I’m a Pharmacology student, and about a month after the pandemic hit, COVID-19 was on the syllabus. It’s been fascinating to study something so relevant to the wider world. (more…)

Creating opportunities through mentoring

Posted on by Ellie
(c) David Pratt

Chemistry student Farhan Khawaja and alumnus Hamish Beeston (BA 1992) were paired up by the Bristol Mentors programme.

Farhan’s story

I’ve always been interested in both science and the media and I’m hoping to enter a career path which combines those interests. Getting into the media industry is challenging because a lot of it is about who you know and getting your foot in the door. That’s why I applied to the Bristol Mentors programme during my third year. I wanted to connect with someone in the TV and film industry and learn more about the path they took to get there. (more…)

Investigating COVID-19 response in infants

Posted on by Ellie
(c) David Pratt

Research led by Dr Anu Goenka has shown how babies are protected from severe COVID-19 infections.

As a Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, much of my clinical and research work is carried out in the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we weren’t sure how the disease would impact the young children and infants in our care.

Babies are very vulnerable to other respiratory viruses, such as the flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), so initially we thought that they may also be susceptible to severe COVID-19. It soon became apparent, however, that the four babies at our hospital who had tested positive for coronavirus were only mildly affected by the disease, with all of them recovering after just a few days. (more…)

Professor Sarah Purdy on the University’s brilliant alumni volunteers

Posted on by Ellie

As Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience, I know how invaluable alumni volunteers are to our University community.

There are over 2,400 alumni across the world who act as Bristol Volunteers. These volunteers help in so many different ways, whether that be through mentoring students, organising activities for fellow alumni or sharing their experiences of Bristol. (more…)

Giving back through volunteering

Posted on by Ellie
(c) David Pratt

Chris Edwards (BA 2015) shared his expertise with students by volunteering as a panellist at an alumni careers event.

I graduated from the University with a degree in Italian and Spanish six years ago, and I now work for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In my role, I look at how we can partner with the private sector to support the growth of start-ups across Africa and Asia. These businesses have a huge impact on the low-income groups they serve; they provide critical products and services at affordable prices, from clean energy to safe water, hygienic sanitation, digital healthcare and beyond. We work with them to expand this impact and become financially sustainable. (more…)

Championing PhD research

Posted on by Grace
(c) David Pratt

Lucy Parnall, Head of Bristol Doctoral College and Research Strategy, illustrates the way legacy gifts have helped PhD students during the pandemic.

Part of my role as the Head of Bristol Doctoral College is to enhance the experience of postgraduate researchers and to make sure our PhD students have a positive time at Bristol. We run the PGR Hub, a dedicated space for postgraduate researchers to meet up with colleagues and attend training sessions. We also work to equip our students with the skills and experience they need to be successful during and beyond their PhDs, in academia and in other careers.

(more…)

Providing Sanctuary Scholarships

Posted on by Ellie
(c) David Pratt

Gbemisola Ogunlade (MSci 2020) explains how the University’s Sanctuary Scholarship programme changed her life.

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and I arrived in the UK when I was eight years old. It took a while for me to integrate into a new culture and make friends, but I had really supportive teachers which helped. My teachers used to tell me that I’d be a good doctor because I loved science, especially biology. But when I did my A Levels I studied psychology and fell in love with the subject. I got to learn about so many theories and philosophies that I could apply to my own life. I could see how I would be able to use it to help others and make a change in my community.

(more…)

Supporting scientific discoveries

Posted on by Ellie
(c) David Pratt

Philanthropic support has allowed PhD student Amy Holt to explore how aspirin could improve bowel cancer treatments.

I’ve always found cell biology fascinating: the way that cells work, how they build us as human beings and how they can cause disease. It’s what drew me to studying cancer. By learning about what goes wrong in cancer cells, we also learn a lot about normal cells and how they should function.

Bowel cancer has one of the highest mortality rates of any cancer, because it’s often detected at quite a late stage. Researchers have established that taking aspirin for long periods of time decreases your risk of developing bowel cancer. But what we don’t know is exactly why that is. Throughout my PhD, my research group and I have been exploring how aspirin influences cellular functions to make cells less likely to become cancerous and to slow the progression of a cancer. (more…)

Jessica Felton-Page (BSc 2007): Fighting food waste at Rubies in The Rubble

Posted on by Asli

In the UK, an estimated 20 to 40% of all fruit and vegetables grown for human consumption are rejected before they reach the shops. This means that around 9.5 million tonnes of food is thrown away annually. This is mainly because they do not match the supermarkets’ strict cosmetic standards meaning they are not the right colour, shape or size to be deemed attractive for sale.*

Jessica Felton-Page works for Rubies in the Rubble, an ethical food company that fights food waste by using the “unattractive” fruit and vegetables to make beautiful condiments. The company suggests “if we stop wasting food that could have been eaten, the benefit to the planet would be the equivalent of taking 1 in 4 cars off the road.” In 2020 alone, the company cooked 115 tonnes of rejected produce into delicious sauces, rescuing them from going to waste. Their mission is to double that number in the following year.

In early November, Jessica will join a panel discussion on Responsible Businesses, with insights and advice from other career experts in the sustainability profession. Ahead of the event, we spoke to Jessica about her journey from an undergraduate degree in Chemistry to fighting food waste at Rubies in the Rubble and her memories of studying in Bristol. (more…)

Vincent Onuegbu (BA 2018) Co-Founder of Young Goat: a clothing brand with purpose

Posted on by Ellie

Founded by a group of University of Bristol graduates, Young Goat is a clothing and lifestyle brand that’s driven by its values. Since launching in 2019, Young Goat has amassed a loyal fan base (pleasingly referred to as the Herd) and has appeared in publications including GQ and Vanity Fair. As the brand goes from strength to strength, they’re using their platform to raise money for mental health charities in Bristol and beyond.

Throughout Black History Month, Young Goat will be raising money in memory of their friend Olisa Odukwe, who very sadly passed away earlier this year. The Young Goat team will be donating all profits made through sales of a special edition t-shirt to Black Minds Matter, a charity which connects Black individuals and families with free mental health services.

We spoke to one of Young Goat’s founding members, Partnerships Lead Vincent Onuegbu (BA 2018), to hear more about what the brand stands for.

(more…)