Submitted by A.S. Quenault on Tue, 04/11/2025 - 17:02
In August, the BSU was delighted to welcome Anjali Jadeja for a work experience placement.
Anjali is studying Biology, Chemistry and Physics at A-Level and was keen to get a taste of what it's like to be a researcher, so she spent two weeks of her summer holidays working with us at the BSU. Under the expert supervision of PhD Student, Connor Fitchett, and Assistant Research Professor, David Robertson, Anjali tackled a project investigating the ethics of clinical trials using response-adaptive randomisation (RAR). Anjali compared two major trials, both of which used RAR - the 1985 ECMO trial and the 2010 I-SPY 2 trial. Anjali was introduced to using the statistical software programme, R, to calculate the operating characteristics of the trials based on data from relevant research papers. She also explored the papers in detail and spoke to one of the authors to better understand the maths behind RAR. During her placement, Anjali also produced a scientific poster and report summarising the work she did and the results she found.
Anjali's placement was coordinated through STEM Point, an educational charity that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to young people in the East of England and beyond, with a focus on providing opportunities for students from low income households.
In October, Anjali celebrated her placement at an event in London, where not only did she present her fantastic scientific poster, she also gave a speech sharing insights about her experience. Anjali said:
"The experience I gained at the MRC Biostatistics Unit was invaluable. I am deeply thankful for the confidence I developed during the process. My supervisor and the team were extremely supportive as I navigated researching and learning how to use statistical software. I was emboldened to give a speech at the celebration event from the confidence I gained during my time at the BSU."
It was a privilege to have Anjali at the Unit. Alison Quenault, Communications Manager at the BSU, who facilitated Anjali's placement, said:
"Placements like these are incredibly worthwhile, both for school students and for researchers. We are very proud of everything that Anjali achieved during her time with us and we look forward to hearing about the next steps in her STEM journey."