Tim Ellis
BSc in Biochemistry with Immunology, graduated June 2013, First Class Honours Degree.
Programme Manager, Medical Research Council
My time with Newcastle University had a major impact on my career path to date, providing me with a solid understanding of the biomedical sciences, the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry and international academic collaboration. Newcastle’s Biomedical faculty supported me throughout my degree and as I completed an industrial placement year with GlaxoSmithKline and an Erasmus placement at Tübingen University, Germany – critical experience that enabled me to secure a doctoral studentship at Imperial College London. My subsequent career steps after graduating from Newcastle include:
- PhD. Candidate, Nanomedicine (2014 – 2018) - Developing nanomedical drug delivery systems to re-sensitise drug-tolerant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, utilising specialist bioimaging techniques to track nanoparticle delivery at the nanoscale.
- Policy Advisor, Department of Health, UK Government (2018-2020) – Advising UK Health Ministers on domestic policy issues relating to infectious disease, microbiological safety of transfusion/transplantation and the DRC Ebola outbreak.
- Programme Manager, Medical Research Council, UKRI (2020+) – Managing the delivery of a Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator in Oxford and managing a portfolio of translational research projects in biomarker validation and diagnostic development.
During my degree, I welcomed the Biomedical School’s strong focus on practical lab training, crucial for positions in industry, in addition to modules in business for the bioscientist. The School’s mentorship programme was important in developing a wider understanding of the biomedical landscape and I was lucky enough to be paired with a PI who had experience in spinning out their own company. Having completed my doctorate in London, I can firmly say that studying in a smaller city during my bachelor’s degree was a wise choice for me personally; Newcastle’s size provided plenty to be doing outside of my course whilst being small enough to get around and see friends. I was away at least once a month with the Caving or Fell Walking Societies and Newcastle’s nightlife needs little introduction.