Imperial people

Celebrating our community COVID-19

“My heroes are those that are caring for the animals, the animal technicians who cannot work from home and must be at work to carry out their role every day of the week so that research at the College can continue. Their commitment and dedication is outstanding.” 

Before joining Imperial, I worked for a global pharmaceutical company and had the opportunity to travel and work in challenging roles. These included the management of animal research facilities, quality assurance and compliance, risk management and building projects, to name a few. (more…)

Read Rob Floyd, Director of the Central Biomedical Services Department in full

Celebrating our community during COVID-19

“The wardening teams across all halls have reacted exceptionally to the crisis. My students are particularly upset that we no longer can do Sunday breakfasts!”

I came to Imperial five and a half years ago to start my PhD in the Department of Materials, and am now a Research Associate in Corrosion. In my first year here, I also started as a subwarden in Wilkinson Hall. Since then, I have become an Assistant Warden at Parson House and Pembridge Gardens, living onsite at Parsons House. Other than the Boathouse, Parson House is the smallest of all of the Imperial halls, with only 42 residents. This means that we create an incredibly tight knit community within the hall, by weekly Sunday breakfasts and other activities such as theatre trips and pizza nights. (more…)

Read Abigail Ackerman, Research Associate, Department of Materials in full

Celebrating #OurImperial community during COVID-19

“We really want to support everyone to do the research, not just for the sake of their own research project, but for the wider community. That’s what will make the impact.”

I’m originally from the Netherlands, but I came to Imperial 25 years ago as a Master’s student and have been at the College ever since – through my PhD and postdoc positions, and now in the Safety team. I love science, and while today I don’t work in the lab, my job lets me see lots of the research that’s going on across the College, which is really exciting. (more…)

Read Dr Marian Blokpoel, Biological Safety Officer, Health and Safety Services in full

“I feel very passionate about my work because it enables us to explore realms of human experience which have gone relatively unnoticed in scientific research.”

I studied Psychology in Santiago, Chile, my home country. After working for a couple of years there, I enrolled for a Master’s in Neuroscience at the University of Bologna in Italy, where I did some experimental work on the mechanisms associated with time perception and learning. (more…)

Read Chris Timmerman, Research Assistant, Department of Brain Sciences in full

“My research involves investigating how continents rip apart to form new oceans, and what controls the size and style of earthquakes at subduction zones.”

My road to Imperial started with a childhood interest in picking up pebbles on the beach and making plaster cast fossils with my dad. At school I enjoyed maths, physics and chemistry, but did not enjoy any of them enough on their own to commit to doing them at university!

Fortunately, one day I sat in my school’s library and discovered a subject called Earth Science in a university prospectus. I had never heard of it before, but it fit all of my interests perfectly, and I have never looked back. (more…)

Read Dr Rebecca Bell, Senior Lecturer, Department of Earth Science & Engineering in full

“I appreciate the flexibility, the work attitude and opportunities for development at Imperial. I am very proud to work for Imperial, a university at the forefront of research.”

Before joining Imperial, I worked as a biostatistician at IQVIA on a large scope of projects in various disease areas and trial phases. I have always enjoyed using an analytical approach to problem solving, which is why I studied for an MSc in Medical Statistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I have always been interested in healthcare, so before I became a statistician I undertook a BSc in Biomedical Sciences at Brighton University.

At Imperial I have two roles. Firstly, I work as a clinical trials statistician, working collaboratively with other researchers to set up, run and analyse novel interventions to evaluate their benefit in patient care. My day can include designing a new study, writing analysis plans and programming statistical analysis. (more…)

Read Jack Elkes, Clinical Trials Statistician, School of Public Health in full

“Being Norwegian, I have a great love for the outdoors and I will search for any excuse to be on a mountain! I like to spend my time hiking, running, rock climbing and traveling… and I absolutely love snow – it’s magical!”  

I first came to Imperial to complete my undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) back in 2006. I’ve always had a special interest in mathematics, so once I got my first introduction to control engineering in my second year, I was smitten. I completed my PhD in nonlinear control with Professor Alessandro Astolfi in EEE, and I am now a lecturer in the Department of Aeronautics.

My job involves doing and supervising research on various topics in control engineering. We follow an abstract approach: we describe a system (any system!) with a mathematical model and develop systematic methods to design feedback to make the system behave in a desired manner. The abstract approach makes control engineering very powerful, which is why it is everywhere! (more…)

Read Dr Thulasi Mylvaganam, Lecturer in Control and Multi-Agent Systems, Department of Aeronautics in full

“I was supported by the Learning and Development Centre in becoming a Chartered Scientist (CSci) – my proudest moment at Imperial so far.”

I began my career at the University of Birmingham in 2011, where I studied for a degree in Chemistry with Pharmacology. Shortly afterwards, I completed a MRes in Environmental Nanoscience, investigating the potential impact of manufactured nanomaterials on the environment and a PhD in synthetic and analytical chemistry, devising new nanosensor materials to make pH measurements in micro-environments. (more…)

Read Dr Adam Davis, Teaching Laboratory Manager, Department of Chemistry in full

“I love being surrounded by friendly, bright and talented researchers, and thankful that working at Imperial allows me to live my dream of being a part of the space sector.”

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to work in the space sector. As I was nearing the end of school, I decided to go into mechanical engineering with the goal of leveraging this education to a space career.

I completed my undergraduate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo in Canada, with a specialisation in heat transfer and metallurgy for automotive applications (i.e, not space). Following this, I worked as a process engineer at a hearing aid manufacturing company, Unitron Global, where I developed manufacturing methods and standards for custom hearing aids (again, not space). (more…)

Read Joshua Rasera, Research Assistant, Department of Earth Science and Engineering in full

“My research focuses on understanding Imperial students’ sense of belonging, and how that influences their contributions to and participation in social and political life inside and outside of the College.”

My experience as an educator and mentor for secondary school students in the United States inspired me to pursue research that empowers young people.

I realised that my true passion is to conduct and disseminate the research that influences policy and social attitudes. I am most interested in how young people develop and express their own opinions and effect social change, and I completed my doctorate at the University of Oxford earlier this year, before joining Imperial in April. (more…)

Read Dr Julianne Viola, Research Associate, Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship in full