Mentoring
UCL Institute of Ophthalmology is committed to helping staff at all career stages to develop their career. Our mentoring scheme provides guidance and support from experienced mentors to mentees.
Research staff
Anyone can benefit from one-to-one independent support to develop their career, and mentors act as independent guides to help you through crucial stages in your career. The institute runs its own mentoring scheme, targeted at early career staff. Our mentoring programme is a joint scheme with UCL Ear Institute, providing an even more diverse range of mentors (especially for those who would prefer a mentor outside the IoO).
The institute's mentoring scheme was set up in 2016 and is now run by a join team:
- Maryse Bailly, Maria Balda, Clare Futter, and Andrea Martello (ECR representative).
- EI: Mike Bowl, Magdalena Zak (ECR Representative)
- Administrative support: Ah-Lai Law (IoO Equality Challenge)
The team organises training, arranges suitable mentee/mentor matches, and collects feedback. Our scheme has supported almost 100 mentees in the last 5 years, with very positive feedback, and we have trained over 30 mentors. As our mentors have helped our mentees take charge of their careers, some of the most successful outcomes include PhD students finding the postdoc of their dream, and postdocs finding jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, medical sciences, and academia (lecturers, teaching fellows).
The IoO mentoring scheme currently runs on a yearly basis, providing a mentor/mentee relationship for academic/research staff for a year. This scheme is particularly recommended for early-career research staff at critical stages in their career (e.g. final PhD year, postdoc/fellowship level, starting lecturer/fellow), and those who need guidance to identify the next stage in their career. Although the scheme runs for a year as a standard to ensure everyone gets an opportunity to participate, the mentoring relationship may be extended if the mentor and mentee wish to do so. Everyone can also apply to the scheme more than once if needed, e.g. if your situation has changed and you feel you need specific guidance. We encourage staff to not only seek a mentor but to consider the benefits of becoming a mentor.
The next round will be open for registration in November 2025, for a start in January 2026.
If you wish to participate in the mentoring scheme, either as a mentor or a mentee, or would like more information, please contact Maryse (IoO) or Magdalena (EI).
If you are not ready to commit to the one-year mentoring relationship but would like some one-off help, several senior staff are also providing career advice on a request basis at the Institute through our Career Advice Surgery.
PhD students
For PhD students, we offer a buddy scheme. All new students are automatically paired with a second-year student. This is a less formal set-up than mentoring. Buddies are there to guide you through the start of your PhD and help you with any difficulties you may come across with the work or balancing the PhD with life. For info, please contact ioo.pgr@ucl.ac.uk.
Quotes from past mentees
“For me [the mentoring scheme] was an extremely positive and helpful experience. My main aim was to develop my career by building on my postdoc experience and develop this into a different/more advanced role (...) My mentor was excellent (...) and this has been really critical, particularly in giving me ideas and the confidence to apply for new posts and, I am absolutely sure, in being offered (and accepting) a lectureship.” Francesca, post-doc mentee 2016-17, now Lecturer at University.
“Taking part in the mentoring scheme gave me the confidence to explore new avenues and ultimately to accept a new job in an industrial position, where I am now able to apply the varied skill set I’ve acquired during my academic studies. (...) I think it is a great resource for postgraduates at the IoO to have access to the mentoring scheme, and a great asset to have so many more experienced staff members willing to help those at earlier stages in their careers.” Kate, post-doc mentee 2016-17.
“I was fortunate to have an excellent relationship with my mentor from the onset, and I found their advice invaluable in deciding the next steps in my career. This included how to prepare for an interview for a postdoctoral position, which I was ultimately awarded. So you could say that in a short time (about 3-4 months), UCL mentoring got me my next job!" Mat Tata, 2017-18.
