Student Testimonials

'As an overseas student in Clinical Medicine, I chose CMEE because I thought computational methods in E &E can be applied to many research fields, together with my love for nature. It turned out to be more than I expected. The course modules were carefully designed so that it was not that scary as it seemed to be for a new programmer. The project module was also flexible, and I chose to study the population genetics of one pathogenic fungus, and look into the dynamic changes in their drug resistance genes. I will continue to apply what I have learned from CMEE to medicine, which I enjoyed so much during my rich and wonderful year!  ' - Jianing Zhu, Class of 2016-17. Jianing resumed her Joint Masters program in Clinical Medicine at Zhejiang University in China in October 2017.

'Choosing the CMEE MSc was one of the best decisions I have ever made. This course allowed me to transition from a purely ecological background into the world of biological computing which has opened numerous doors for me- including helping me secure a PhD. CMEE sits at the intersection of biology, computer science, and math. As biologists generate ever larger datasets, the demand for people with this skillset who are able to not only analyse this data computationally but also interpret in its biological context will only increase. I believe that everyone who applied for PhDs in my cohort was offered at least one position before the course had even ended! As a CMEE student, it was obvious to me that the course organisers and lectures had put lots of effort into the design and execution of the course. It was this level of commitment that makes CMEE stand out from other masters degrees in my opinion. They provided multiple extra help sessions, gave regular feedback on assignments, fostered a collaborative environment, and gave invaluable advice on next career steps. I can’t recommend CMEE enough, whatever your background!'  - Leanne Massie, Class of 2015-16. Leanne started a PhD in Bioinformatics and Theoretical Systems Biology in Michael Stumpf's group at Imperial College London in 2016.

'The CMEE course is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a career, in academia or industry, as a quantitative biologist. The Msc course has given me a lot of computational experience and a good idea of what PhD research will entail. I also think Silwood park has one of the most friendly and close-knit academic communities.' - Matishalin Patel, Class of 2014-15. Mat started a PhD at Oxford in the Interdisciplinary Bioscience DTP.

'The MSc in CMEE allowed me to combine two of my key interests, biology and maths, while also allowing me to develop new skills such as computer programming and modelling. I could then put these skills into practice during my research project in Iceland, from data collection right through to analysis, which was hugely satisfying.  The CMEE course puts you in a fantastic place for beginning a research career' - Louise Archer, Class of 2014-15. Louise started a PhD with Tom Reed at University College Cork, Ireland on evolution and ecology of alternative life histories in brown trout. 

'Biologists who possess mathematical and computational skills are becoming increasingly popular with potential supervisors and employers; Quantitative Biology is therefore the perfect stepping stone.' - Rebecca Spriggs, class of 2011, became a PhD student in the laboratory of David Coomes, Department of Plant Sciences, Cambridge University.

'This course helped me bring several interests together in preparation for a PhD. A fantastic opportunity for all biology students looking to develop.” – Sean Tuck, class of 2012. Sean was accepted to become a PhD student in laboratory of Andy Hector, Oxford University.

'As a student coming from a mathematical background the course helped me widen my scientific horizons and interests on topics that I previously had never considered.’ – Dimitrios Nerantzis, class of 2011, became a PhD student in the laboratory of Claire Adjiman, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London.

"The Quantitative Biology MSc provided me with a set of skills which I find to be applicable in all fields of biology. It taught me how to create models of biological processes and use these models to make predictions. I also developed programming skills and learnt how to analyse data. These are critical skills in research." - Carolina Feijao, class of 2011, became a PhD student in the laboratory of Paul Dupree, Department of Biochemistry, Cambridge University.

‘I always had help and guidance from the instructors, and by the end of the year I was able to do quite complex analyses in R. Modelling and analytic concepts are taught from a biological perspective, with practical applications of theoretical concepts. I would really recommend the MSc in Quantitative Biology to any biologist with an interest in modelling. I believe it coulhelped me to become a better researcher.’ – Michela Busana, class of 2012, became a PhD student in a joint studentship between the University of Sheffield and the University of Groningen.

“The quantitative biology masters provided a great transition from my mathematics undergraduate into the field of biology.  Small class sizes allow for one on one tutoring between Lecturers and students which is essential for inter-disciplinary research.  The course covers all the fundamental techniques required for modern day biological research and there is not a better grounding to have when applying for PhDs.” – Jack Massey, class of 2011, became a PhD student in the laboratory of Tim Coulson, Oxford University.

‘In one year, I learnt a multitude of techniques that have all proven to be invaluable in my PhD.  I had always been interested in mathematical inte rp retat io ns of biological sy stems, but the QB course introduced me to programming these models, which I enjoyed so much it is now a major compone nt of my research.’  - Rebecca Spriggs, class of 2011, became a PhD student in the laboratory of David Coomes, Department of Plant Sciences, Cambridge University.

"The course unites great teaching staff with relevant, modern and interesting courses. I have learned much from it and I believe that anyone interested in applying mathematical and computational tools to biological questions would benefit from it greatly. During this one year I was in contact with great researchers and students and I am certain that this has helped me in my career." - Ana Gomez, class of 2012.

"Coming from an ecology background, this course expanded my skill-set hugely, giving me the ability to comprehend, question and perform modern, high-standard research in ecology and evolution. Also, the mathematical, computational and general research skills acquired are highly transferable." - Paul Rassell, class of 2012, became a PhD student in the laboratory of Daniel Reuman, Division of Ecology and Evolution, Imperial College London.

"Completing this course provided invaluable experience for me to continue to pursue a career in academia. Imperial College is a fantastic stepping stone to move forward." (Jack, 2017/18)

"I felt like the MRes MCB course helped prepare me for a PhD as I familiarized myself with relevant laboratory skills and techniques and also the culture of working as part of a lab environment. This really eased the transition into PhD student life." (Wen Wen 2017/18)

"The MRes in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences allowed me to sample a wide variety of subjects in the life sciences, from metabolic engineering to structural biology. It is a great course for those who are keen to pursue scientific research but are unsure of what field in which to specialize." (Ho Ching, 2017/18)

The course gives you the opportunity to build up a wide range of connections as well as gaining hands-on experience of a lot of lab skills. These are especially useful for future work closely related to research. (Lai Man, 2017/18)

"Having studied Chemistry for my undergraduate degree and therefore having a limited knowledge of lab practice in a biological setting, I found this course challenging but very useful preparation for my PhD. The focus on the development of practical skills and report writing was especially important to me. The course provided a vital stepping stone to my PhD studies and I believe it was essential to the success of my future study." (Rob, 2018/19)

“The most enjoyable part for me was learning in the NHM; it’s an environment that encourages further learning outside of lectures, for example with volunteering within the museum.” (Class of 2014)

“It is a unique course that offers skills integral to evolutionary study. Being based at the NHM for a year is an experience that cannot be matched!” (Class of 2012)

“My project supervisors were superb, their doors were always open.” (Class of 2013)

"I had a great experience on the course. The teaching is varied and well-rounded, as is the coursework. Taking classes at the Natural History Museum creates a unique experience, and you get to learn from leading experts every day which is amazing. The summer research term gave me the opportunity to work on dinosaur biogeography with a world expert, and gave me invaluable experience which resulted in a publication worthy dissertation. Overall I found the course an engaging, challenging and supportive environment in which to learn and conduct research." (Class of 2019)

"I have been interested in and fascinated by taxonomy for as long as I can remember, so really this course was perfect for me in many ways. The module content was up-to-date and extremely relevant for many areas of biological science. The course is modified every year to accommodate progression in data collection, genomic analyses and other aspects of taxonomical and biodiversity-related information. This course has given me further opportunities to research science, I am incredibly grateful for everything my MSc gave me, especially my research experience and my statistics lessons." (Class of 2018)

"It was an amazing experience. The opportunity to study and work directly with researchers of the NHM made the difference among other similar programs. The program has allowed me to understand a bit better the work in a museum and how to reach non academia public. Currently, I work for the government in my home country. Having the perpective of citizen science and academia allows me to perform better in my daily duties." (Class of 2018)

"My research project took me to Madagascar which was a fantastic experience and helped me with my later application onto a PhD programme." (Class of 2018)

“I felt there was a great deal of flexibility in choosing our projects, giving us opportunities in the numerous areas that were taught on this course.” (Class of 2013)

“Project has easily been the best part of the course, supervisors have been very supportive. “ (Class of 2013)

Do you feel the course succeeded in promoting you to a higher academic level?

“Yes – instrumental to getting a PhD position for next year.” (Class of 2014)

“The camaraderie in our cohort was wonderful (intensified by the field course) and lasting friendships have been made.” (Class of 2014)

“The course is academically challenging and offers lots of opportunities to socialise.” (Class of 2013)

“I am not planning to stay in academia so I think (the course) has given me transferable skills.” (Class of 2014)

Hear from recent alumna, British Council Scholarship Carmen Ardiles 

Read about how former students have contributed to the collaborative project, PREDICTS

We surveyed past students 12 months after completing the MRes Tropical Forest Ecology to understand more about their career trajectories after finishing the course.  They told us:

What is your current position?

Students are successfully using the course as a training ground for getting a PhD, with students enrolled in Doctorate programmes around the world: England of course, but also Scotland, Switzerland and Australia.

We’re not just training students for an ‘academic-only’ career though. Our past students have roles working in everything from research technicians and consultants through to video and news producers and software developers.  They’re finding jobs outside of academia: some have found employment with environmental NGOs and charities, others with research institutes, tech companies and consultancies.

Has the course helped you towards achieving your career goals?

A resounding yes. Why? According to our past students:

• “The research project I secured during this course gave me the connections and country-specific experience that directly helped me achieve this position”
• “The course provided a solid foundation in terms of statistics, research experience and critical thinking to progress as a field technician.”
• “I first made contact with the company [that now employs me] while I was at Silwood”

How important have the transferable skills you developed on this course been to your career?

We don’t just teach you about tropical forest ecology on the MRes Tropical Forest Ecology. The course is designed to arm you with a formidable set of transferrable skills that give you an advantage in the workplace. Those skills include statistics, geographic information systems (GIS), data management, critical thinking and writing.

• “I use the GIS and writing skills in my current job a lot.”
• “I use the skills and experience gained during this course every day: writing, statistics, scientific thinking.”

Would you recommend the course to others?

It’s unanimous. Every student who completed this course recommended it.

As a clinician, the Master’s in Bioinformatics and Theoretical Systems Biology provided me with broadly applicable quantitative skills, which were further developed in the projects. These gave me a unique opportunity to tackle the challenges of interdisciplinary computational research with groups spanning applied mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology.

Dr Chris Chong

The Bioinformatics Master's gave me the opportunity to extend my mathematical and computational ability whilst exploring a diverse set of research problems. I highly recommend the course to any undergraduate biologist with an interest in computational methods.

Clare Andradi-Brown 

The Master's provided me with a diverse set of skills, from computational to biological, which aided the analyses of a variety of datasets. I gained skills in data analytics, mathematics and statistical analysis and applied them to research on medical datasets and to modelling biological systems. The interdisciplinary nature of the course allowed me to work collaboratively with students from different academic backgrounds. 

Sam Money-Kyre

I found the Master’s programme to be one of a kind as it offers a vast selection of fields to focus in; from stochastic equations to advanced structural molecular biology. The coursework explores these options and then it is up to the individual to really shape their Master’s via their projects later in the year. Exciting projects are available throughout the college, ranging from collective cell behaviour, to DNA organization in space, and more, which can also lead to major publications. It equipped me with both academic knowledge in all these areas and industry skills in bioinformatics and general data science.

Ntagiantas Konstantinos