We regularly discuss issues concerning research careers and researcher wellbeing. We also explore alternative career options through the information events and workshops.
Latest event: Building Resilience & Emotional Intelligence, February 2025
In the competitive and often stressful environment of academia, early career researchers face unique challenges that can impact their professional growth and personal well-being. For this hybrid event, Professor Anastasia Kalea reflects on useful tools and strategies to navigate the complexities of academic life with confidence and poise.
Your ECR Committee Members
The committee acts as your representatives in the Division of Medicine Athena SWAN self-assessment team. We want to meet the needs of early career researchers and we welcome comments and suggestions on issues and events you would like us to consider.
Contact us: med.ecr-network@ucl.ac.uk
- George Robinson, Senior Research Fellow, Inflammation (Co-chair, 2023-)
- Angela Tam, Senior Research Fellow, Rheumatology (Co-chair, 2023-)
- Lizzy Rosser, Senior Research Fellow, Inflammation (ECR Lead, 2023-)
- Marie-Belle El Mdawar, Research Fellow, UCL Respiratory (Previous co-chair)
- Sandra Gomez Lopez, Senior Research Fellow, UCL Respiratory (Previous co-chair)
- Puja Mehta, Clinical Research Fellow, UCL Respiratory (Clinical chair, 2021-)
- Pilar Acedo Nuñez, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Liver and Digestive Health
- Adrian Brown, NIHR Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics
- Zoe Whiteman, Postdoctoral Researcher, UCL Respiratory
- Jude Holmes, PhD student, Imaging (Research Assistant ECR Representative)
- Claire Beesley, PhD student, Inflammation
- Efstathia Papada, Lecturer, Nutrition
- Connar Mawer, PhD student, Respiratory
- Rym Abida, PhD student, Inflammation
Spotlight on early career researchers
Early career researchers within the Division of Medicine share their interests, experiences, challenges, and successes. Nominate an early career researcher at med.ecr-network@ucl.ac.uk.
Connar Mawer, UCL Respiratory
Connar Mawer recently received a UCL Inclusion Award (2024) for Championing Disability Inclusion.
Dr Lizzy Rosser, Inflammation
Lizzy talks about her groundbreaking research, advice for early career researchers (ECRs) and life outside the lab.
Thomas McDonnell, Inflammation
Dr Thomas McDonnell shares his recent fellowship success and career journey in academic research.
Nishkantha (Nish) Arulkumaran
Nish shares his recent publication success and career journey as a clinical scientist in research.
Mariana and Leo, Infection and Immunity
Dr Mariana Diniz and Dr Leo Swadling share their achievements in the fields of immunology and infection.
George Robinson, Adolescent Rheumatology
George tells us about his Versus Arthritis Career Development Fellowship award and plans for the future.
Pilar Acedo, Institute for Liver and Digestive Health
Pilar tells us about how she became Junior Principal Investigator and co-head of the Pereira/Acedo Lab.
Masahiro Yoshida & Kaylee Worlock, UCL Respiratory
Masahiro and Kaylee discuss their new work on immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adults.
UCL resources
- myUCLCareers
- UCL Doctoral School
- Doctoral Skills Development Programme
- Organisational Development (OD) at UCL
- Being well at UCL
Twitter/X: @DoMEarlyCareers
LinkedIn: EarlyCareerResearch UCL
ECR Events
We organise events relevant for early career researchers from both basic science and clinical backgrounds.
International Women’s Day 2024: Women’s Health Research Spotlight Seminar
- Keynote speaker Dr Nicky Keay: Female sex hormones and exercise during the life cycle
- Dr Hannah Peckham: Complex interplay between sex chromosomes, sex hormones and class-switch recombination of B lymphocytes.
- Dr Julia Zollner: Is genetics the key to understanding intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy?
- Florence Rowe RD: Investigation into the Association Between Hormones Levels, Vitamin D, and Muscle in Peri and Post-Menopausal Women.
How-to guide: Fellowships at UCL (October 2023)
Dr Jenny Cowan discusses life as a post-doc abroad, applying for independent fellowships and choosing a good sponsor institute.
Dr Lizzy Rosser offers insights into her journey and top tips she's learnt from applying for UCL fellowships.
Navigating the internal UCL Fellowship Application Process
- Marion Atkinson (Deputy Director of Ops, Faculty of Medical Sciences)
- Prof Derek Gilroy (Scientific Director, Division of Medicine)
Fellowship applications for ECRs
Featuring speakers from the BHF, MRC, CRUK and NIHR.
Is allyship even possible?
July 2023
Dr Naftali Kaminski views the role of men in the fight for gender equity in medicine. He is Boehringer-Ingelheim Endowed Prof. Internal Medicine and Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Yale School of Medicine.
Communicating science
June 2023
Prof. Christina Pagel (UCL Faculty of Maths & Physical Sciences) tells us about using information to help people within the health service make better decisions by presenting data in a more intuitive way.
Chasing my cure to our cures
March 2023
David Fajgenbaum is author of 'Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope into Action'. While battling idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD), he discovered a treatment that is saving his life and others.
International Women's Day 2022
For the 2022 International Women's Day (IWD) celebration female researchers in the Division of Medicine joined forces to invite reflection and inspire everyone in academia to 'Break the Bias'.
The ECR Network also released the first edition of its new Podcast with Prof Liz Jury and Prof Rachel Batterham, who shared their inspiring stories with Dr Puja Mehta and Dr Adrian Brown.
