Alumni blog

Alumni profile - Lotte Veale

(Development and Global Health MA, 2020)

If I could go back and do it all again, I would. I have gained so much knowledge in only one year and didn’t want it to end! It’s such a great place to study, and the course was faultless. If you’re unsure, don’t be – just do it.

Alumni profile - Professor Andrew Pollard

(Medicine BMBS, 1989)

Read our interview with alumnus Professor Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, to gain an insight into the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which has now been given regulatory approval and is being rolled-out to the most vulnerable people in the UK and globally. Professor Pollard also reflects on his time at Barts and his fondness for mountaineering.

Alumni profile - Fahmida Ashiq

(Law LLB, 2003)

Fahmida Ashiq shares her journey from working as a lawyer to being a full-time artist, receiving commissions from royal families, working with interior designers and the wider impact she aims to have on the world.

Alumni profile - Dr Hannah Thompson

(Tumour Biology PhD, 2019)

Being named on BioBeat’s annual 50 Movers and Shakers in BioBusiness report, a report which highlights the trailblazers and trendsetters shaping the future of the UK life sciences sector, was such a lovely achievement which recognised my role in working with patients and oncologists to help develop CCG.ai’s artificial intelligence platform for treatment monitoring of cancer... As for my future career, I look forward to a wide range of opportunities with the healthcare, environment and people sectors, helping to grow businesses and make a difference to the world.

Alumni profile - Seye Odukogbe

(Medical Engineering MEng, 2008)

In its first year Cycle to Class, the company I founded, gave out just over 350 bicycles, and today, we’ve impacted over 3,000 lives, worked with more than 20 communities in rural places, and trained over 500 children how to cycle and do basic maintenance of bicycles.

Alumni profile - Phoebe Cousins

(History BA, 2016)

Queen Mary has shaped the way I think about the past, the future and my confidence in myself and what I can achieve through dedicating time, passion and knowledge to the things I’m truly interested in.

Alumni profile - Eleanor Krawczyk

(Film Studies MA, 2020)

Filmmaking was completely new to me, but the Documentary Practice module was a revelation, and I was not prepared for how much I loved it. We were taught both the theory of documentary as well as weekly workshops teaching us the vocation itself; learning to use the equipment was something I took to a lot more than I expected! 

Alumni profile - Dr Victoria Grace Walden

(Film Studies PhD, 2017)

The thing I most enjoyed about my PhD was the ever-expanding community it exposed me to, from colleagues and peers at Queen Mary, many of whom I have retained friendships with, to wider academic and professional networks. It gave me the confidence to reach out to institutions working in Holocaust and genocide memory and education to form partnerships that we hope will push forward socio-cultural change. 

Alumni profile - Roxy Baker

(History BA, 2016)

In challenging times such as the one we are living through, being able to connect with people is vital. A historical understanding of the Holocaust reminds us of the importance of this, and what types of events could happen and what types of humans we could be if we choose division and radicalism over tolerance, and homogeneity over diversity. 

Alumni profile - Bhavin Borkhatria

(Dentistry BDS, 2015)

I thoroughly enjoy seeing nervous patients and watching them grow in confidence.