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FRAME welcomes PhD intern

FRAME is delighted to welcome Margarita Kalamara, Molecular Microbiology PhD student at the University of Dundee, as an intern.

Margarita has joined FRAME for a three-month internship as part of the Professional Internship for PhD Students (PIPS) scheme, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s (BBSRC) through the East of England Bioscience (EASTBIO) Doctoral Training Partnership.

Her project at FRAME will focus on reviewing the provision of experimental design and 3Rs training on PhD courses at universities across the UK, with the aim of identifying where improvements can be made and how FRAME can influence change.

Good experimental design is one of the most effective ways to reduce and refine animal procedures, but basic principles of experimental design are not always fully understood or implemented.

PhD internship

Margarita is the second student to complete a Professional Internship at FRAME in recent years. The scheme provides students with the opportunity to carry out a work placement unrelated to their doctoral research during their PhD, to help early career researchers understand the context of their research and allow them to explore the range of opportunities in which they can apply their PhD skills and training after they graduate.

Margarita applied to join FRAME as an intern as she wanted to explore careers that would allow her to combine her background in scientific research with her passion for promoting animal welfare, as she explains:

“I very much identify with the values of FRAME and believe that the replacement of the use of animals in medical experiments is hugely important, both for the progress of scientific research and for animal welfare. Being able to work as part of a charity that does such important work has been fantastic. Not only have I learnt about the field of researching and promoting alternatives to animal methods, but I have also experienced what it is like to work in the third sector.

“Having the chance to explore alternative careers to academia and learn about my areas of interest in the context of a Professional Internship is a great privilege and I am very grateful to EASTBIO and everyone at FRAME for all their support.”

FRAME Scientific Liaison Officer Amy Beale adds: “Margarita has a keen interest in and passion for FRAME’s vision and values, and brings strong academic and research skills and a fresh perspective that is already informing our understanding of the experimental design guidance and training available to PhD researchers in the UK.”