ApconiX Welcomes Catherine Savidge
ApconiX is delighted to welcome Catherine Savidge who joins the Acuity Target Safety Assessment team and will be working with Dr James Sidaway. Catherine recently graduated from the University of Newcastle and is on a 6-month placement with ApconiX.
Academic Career
Catherine studied both the humanities and science at A level, but her love of biology won through, and she studied Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Newcastle. Catherine has just recently graduated and decided to take a gap year and gain experience of industry before deciding on her future career pathway. Catherine is considering various possible routes including a bioinformatics MSc and graduate programmes in larger organisations. She could, however, absolutely love it at ApconiX (who wouldn’t) and decide to stay a little bit longer!
Initially, Catherine was looking for laboratory experience, as COVID had curtailed much of the laboratory work for her degree, and had researched the many science-based companies at Alderley Park. Because of her interest in bioinformatics, Catherine was curious about target safety assessments, intrigued by drug discovery and having always enjoyed the literature searching and writing side of her degree. Luckily ApconiX had an opening at just the right time.
Catherine’s interest in bioinformatics was peaked during her third year dissertation. Having expressed an interest in immunology and epidemiology, Catherine’s dissertation was a “Stochastic Agent-Based Model for Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Transmission Dynamics in Britain: Evidence from NATSAL-3”.
Work Experience
Catherine has gained varied experience outside her degree including volunteering at North Wales Clinical Research Centre, Ashleigh Court Care Home, HMS Care, and shadowing healthcare practitioners and consultants at The Maelor Hospital. She also gained virtual work experience at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.
As well as degree related experience, Catherine has enjoyed working in the retail food industry at festivals and events.
Working at ApconiX
Catherine has settled in well and is enjoying writing and contributing to target safety assessments.
“I’ve gained valuable experience in the short space of time that I’ve been here at ApconiX! Contributing to TSAs, including the bioinformatics, has proved very rewarding and the team have all been really welcoming. “, commented Catherine.
Dr James Sidaway added, “Catherine’s placement is working out really well, we look forward to seeing how career progresses.”
Interests Outside Work
Having studied art at school, Catherine continues to enjoy biological art sketching, particularly as a therapeutic outlet. Catherine also plays chess, having represented the north of England and Cheshire in the past.
A keen sports woman when she was younger, Catherine enjoyed playing tennis competitively and represented Cheshire in shot put, and nowadays is a regular member of her local gym.
