Bioinformatics Technician
Denisa's job title is Bioinformatician at The Institute of Cancer Research, London
My day-to-day role involves working with big data produced by machines called sequencers, to understand our genetic code better. This helps to improve cancer patients’ lives, treatment opportunities and outcomes in the clinic. We work very closely with the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
The science that comes out of our laboratory informs patient decisions every day. We work on patient diagnostics, sorting patients into groups and selection for clinical trials of experimental medicines.
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I love the science behind it, and the challenge of identifying a problem and finding a solution. That solution then goes into the clinic and makes a difference in patients’ lives – it’s incredible. We make an impact and it’s rewarding work.
I work in a very large team with lots of experts in their own fields. Each person is a specialist and as a team we learn from each other. My favourite part of working in a team is how we can break things down to something useful and worthwhile to someone else. We can deliver very high-quality science by developing our own expertise and collaborating.
My proudest achievement so far is working on a very large number of patient samples. We have patients who enrol in clinical trials who have consented to have their DNA and biological material analysed by us to help us, to identify other patients in the world who might benefit from the same medicine that they are receiving. I analysed 1,000 samples from our patients to find some common threads that helped us to communicate back to the clinic and make a decision. I was very happy to get through such a large volume of samples and get something meaningful out of them.
I hope to become a Senior Bioinformatician and progress into a more managerial role, so I can bring in the next generation of scientists, educate them and continue to push the boundaries of science.
Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.
