Meet Sylvia, final year medicine student from the University of Aberdeen
The Critical Care Research Group regularly welcomes international students for industry placements or internship opportunities. Most recently we hosted Sylvia Wilson, a final year med student from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
“I was introduced to CCRG through a family friend who is an intensive care doctor in Edinburgh and told me about the Group’s internationally renowned research and world-class facilities. I travelled from Scotland to spend 6 weeks working alongside CCRG researchers in their labs, including the PRIMELab, which I was surprised to learn is one of the largest and busiest preclinical labs of its kind.”
During her placement, Sylvia was able to see how the Group manages preclinical and clinical trials, and see projects in different stages of development and implementation.
“I observed different projects that were running during my time at CCRG, working most closely on The Living Heart Project. I worked with CCRG’s Postdoctoral Research Fellows to conduct a systematic lit review to further the Group’s understanding and work in mitochondrial transplantation in donor hearts. I also assisted with an Oleic Acid systematic review,” said Sylvia.
“I was blown away by how welcoming and accommodating everyone was. Besides their world-class facilities, CCRG’s team are the best at what they do. Hardworking, resilient and so encouraging.
“I loved being able to explore a new culture and Queensland’s breath taking landscape and natural resources. I spent my weekends exploring nature - hiking, visiting waterfalls and the gorgeous beaches! Of course the best part was meeting lovely new people and making new friends, especially with the people working at CCRG,” said Sylvia.
“This has been an invaluable experience. There is no equivalent to CCRG in the United Kingdom that I am aware of, so this has been a truly unique, career-enhancing opportunity for me. I would recommend anyone wishing to develop their research skills and work in an enthusiastic and collaborative environment to learn more about CCRG and the work they do.”