Poppy Mallinson

Project: Investigating effect of rural-urban migration on cardiovascular health outcomes in Brazil using national routine data

What were you doing before you joined the MRC DTP scheme?

Working as a research assistant at LSHTM.

Why did you choose your primary institution (LSHTM or SGUL)?

I was already working with a supervisor here who I wanted to continue working with.

What do you enjoy most about your day-to-day work and the people you work with?

Everyone is interested, positive and helpful, without being competitive.

What do you value most about the MRC DTP studentship?

Opportunity to form a supportive cohort with the other students. Lots of encouragement to do training opportunities, placements and generally broaden our horizons beyond our main narrow research projects.

What additional training have you attended with MRC DTP money?

Lots! Specialised courses in statistical methods and machine learning at the Royal Statistical Society, genetic epidemiology and causal inference in epidemiology at University of Bristol, and data linkage at UCL, to name but a few!

I’ve also had the opportunity to gain transferrable skills, such as engaging the public and policy-makers in scientific research, and giving oral presentations.

Do you have any tips for future MRC DTP scholarship applicants?

Contact potential supervisors and other academics for as much feedback as possible on the applications and on planning a PhD topic. They could also get in touch with existing students for help with this perhaps?