Antonette Andrews

Blog written by Antonette Andrews, Clinical Trial Practitioner

I started my first research job at UCLH shortly after graduating from my BSc in Biomedical Science. At the time I knew that I wanted a career outside of the lab and I enjoyed the idea of working with patients.

Working in research really interested me and suited my skillset and previous knowledge and experience in health. Since then, I have worked as a Clinical Trial Practitioner on a large-scale lung cancer screening project, delivered multiple UPH studies at our COVID vaccine research hub and now manage and support studies across the trust in specialities including Oncology, Covid, Infectious disease and Surgery.

One of the things I enjoy the most is working at the forefront of research. We get to work on trials from start to end and see the way it changes patient care and the way we do things within the NHS. The role itself can be quite varied, I get to do a mix of clinical and administrative duties and for me no two days are the same which keeps it interesting.

A career in research can be challenging at times but gives you the opportunity to both utilise and expand your knowledge and skills and, in the end, is very rewarding.