Andrew Slatter, PhD in Biochemistry

Great experience for a young person. Fabulous activities and attractions with a rich diverse culture.

What advice would you give to current or prospective students?

For PhD or research students: Try to climb out of 'rabbit holes' as quick as possible by asking for help.

What is your current job title and company name?

Associate Director, Scientific Research - Illumina Inc.

Please provide a brief summary of your core duties and the skills you use

Lead a team of 12 scientists ranging from degree to experienced PhDs, developing new and innovative methods for preparing samples for next generation sequencing and genomics. I regularly use molecular biology and biochemistry skills/knowledge obtained in my UCL PhD.

Briefly describe your journey, from graduating to where you are now

I left my PhD in 2009 and went straight to work for a small startup in Cambridge with 10 people. It was aiming to develop novel methods for sample preparation for the newly emerging field of next generation DNA sequencing. At the startup I was fortunate to be involved during the early phase of the rapid expansion of the field of genomics which gave me the opportunity to join Illumina in 2014. Illumina are the world leader in providing products and solutions for genomic analysis and have a large R&D facility in Cambridge. I started as an individual contributor in the lab, but soon grew to supervising more junior early career Scientists and now lead a medium sized team. I'm not in the lab anymore but still enjoy looking at data and brainstorming with my team.

How do you think UCL has helped you in your career to date?

My PhD was critical for my career. I learned how to independently work and solve my own problems.