FoodBioSystems DTP Alumni
Dr Sarah Davey
Graduated from the FoodBioSystems DTP in 2024
Where do you work now and what does your day-to-day work involve?
I’m currently a postdoctoral research associate working on drug discovery for schistosomiasis at Aberystwyth University. My primary role involves the development of computer vision models for measuring drug-induced changes in parasite phenotype and motility in-vitro, however I also contribute to the maintenance of our in-house Schistosoma mansoni lifecycle, perform transcriptomics analyses and develop experimental hardware such as microscopes and 3D-printed laboratory equipment. Between projects I assist in the supervision of students, manage the website Barrett Centre for Helminth Control, and write papers for publication.
Did the DTP provide any specific skills or opportunities that supported your career development?
My CASE partnership definitely paved the way for me to obtain my current position. Through the placement I quickly learned foundational Python skills and an ability to think programmatically, which gave me the confidence to pursue projects outside my comfort zone.
What would your advice be to other students considering a FoodBioSystems PhD?
This DTP will give you many opportunities to step out of your comfort zone and try things that doing the PhD project alone doesn’t allow you. Taking advantage of the available training will definitely broaden your skill set and subsequent employment prospects after you graduate.
Dr Sara Healy
Graduated from the FoodBioSystems DTP in 2024
Where do you work now?
I’m a Lecturer in Veterinary Parasitology at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC)
Did the DTP provide any specific skills or opportunities that supported your career development?
Yes, during my PhD I undertook a digital learning placement (PIPs), developing an online parasitology tool, helping students to learn about zoonotic diseases. I then undertook a short research study using the tool, gathering feedback and outcomes from students in a focus group.
Sara’s PhD project title was ‘Assessing food-borne risks of Toxocara infection in support of public health and food quality assurance’. You can read more about this research in the following publications:
What would your advice be to other students considering a FoodBioSystems PhD?
I really enjoyed the DTP, the training opportunities and summer school were useful and it was really nice to meet other candidates.
You can find Sara on LinkedIn
Dr Charlotte Howard
Graduated from the FoodBioSystems DTP in 2024
Project title: Enhancing the sustainability and improving quality of apple production through ecosystem service management
Co-supervised at: Cranfield University
This is a CASE studentship and the project is supported by an agriculture company.
What is your project about and why is it relevant to the UK food system?
The aim of my project is to investigate the use of wildflower areas in commercial apple orchards for supporting the natural predators and parasites of major apple pests. Ultimately, I aim to provide relevant information for apple growers about wildflower margins as a tool for reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.
What have you enjoyed most about your DTP training so far?
I have enjoyed the sense of community that comes from being part of a cohort. It has also been very interesting to learn from those in the cohort about the work being done outside of my own research area
Dr Daniel James
Graduated from the FoodBioSystems DTP in 2025
PhD Project title: Mechanistic studies on the impact of dietary protein on gut barrier function, microbiota, immunity and metabolism.
Where do you work now and what does your day-to-day work involve?
After passing my viva I moved to Sydney and secured a position at a global probiotic manufacturer and distributor. Here I get to use the knowledge on the microbiome and health that I have developed over the 4 years of my PhD as well as the interpersonal skills acquired while taking part in conferences and working groups. My day to day involves creating relationships with businesses in the probiotic industry and advising them on new probiotic formulations that could be made based on the research available on our strains.
Did the DTP provide any specific skills or opportunities that supported your career development?
Without the PIPS placement opportunity I would never have had the experience in business necessary to secure this job. Importantly, if the placement wasn’t mandatory, I likely wouldn’t have done the placement at all. So let that be motivation for you to aim for a placement in a sector that is exciting to you. It’s worth it!
What would your advice be to other students considering a FoodBioSystems PhD?
Get to know your fellow PhD students in the DTP as well as you can. Learn a little bit about their area of research from them (even if it’s nothing like yours). I have already used information I learnt from other PhDs during our summer schools!
Dr Dannielle Roche
Graduated from the FoodBioSystems DTP in 2024
Project title: Biostimulants improve soil and plant conditions to enhance the health-related properties of fresh produce
Co-supervised at: University of Reading
This is a CASE studentship and the project is supported by a food retailer
What is your project about and why is it relevant to the UK food system?
Growing enough food to feed 10 billion people by 2050 is a global challenge. However, less attention is paid to improving nutritional quality of food and how this impacts human health. Biostimulants, natural products, have the potential to improve crop quantity and quality thereby supporting the food system, from the ground up.
What are you looking forward to doing next in your project?
I am looking forward to using initial pilot data collected so far in the lab to navigate my way through my experimental phases in order to answer my research questions that I have developed in the early stages of my PhD.
Dr Christina van Midden
Graduated from the FoodBioSystems DTP in 2024
Where do you work now and what does your day-to-day work involve?
I work as a Higher Scientific Officer at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute. I am collaborating on a research project, which involves co-designing experiments with project partners in the Republic of Ireland and USA, managing experiments including staff coordination, data collection and analysis, report writing, producing educational materials, and disseminating newly gained knowledge to a range of public audiences.
Did the DTP provide any specific skills or opportunities that supported your career development?
Working with a CASE partner in my PhD developed my collaboration and working with stakeholders, which was one of required key skills listed in the advert for the job I got.
What would be your advice to other students considering a FoodBioSystems DTP?
The DTP includes a 3-month (PIPs) placement opportunity. This is particularly helpful for people who wish to gain experience in the industry sector, either to help with getting a non-academic job or to help decide future career path.
What is your most memorable moment/activity from the DTP?
The annual summer school. This brings together the whole DTP in one place for training and social activities. This was particularly useful for getting to know the other people on the DTP from the different institutes and building a professional network.
You can find Christina on LinkedIn
Dr Christopher (Christy) Wray
Graduated from the FoodBioSystems DTP in 2025
Where do you work now and what does your day-to-day work involve?
I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the breast cancer genetics group at The University of Oulu, Finland.
We are utilising whole exome sequencing and optical genome mapping to identify both genomic structural variants associated with predisposition to breast cancer (germline variants) and those within tumours (somatic variants) to better understand disease progression, drug response and patient prognosis.
My work is largely bioinformatics based, developing pipelines to prepare, analyse and visualise genomic data, as well as preparing manuscripts for publication and co-supervision of graduate students.
Did the DTP provide any specific skills or opportunities that supported your career development?
Both the bioinformatics work carried out on my project, as well as additional training opportunities offered by the DTP were vital in helping to obtain this position.
What would your advice be to other students considering a FoodBioSystems PhD?
Think hard about exactly why you’re considering a PhD, it is a big undertaking that can open many doors but ask yourself what kind of career you are seeking, and will a PhD help you along that path. If the answer is yes, the DTP is a great environment to do so and will offer many training and networking opportunities which are vital for a career in academia and elsewhere.
Reach out to potential supervisors of projects you’re interested in, they can give you a better idea of what the work is like, whether the group would be a good fit for you, and potentially even help to prepare your application and for interview. Even better, if possible, speak to current or former members of the group, who can give you a really good idea of what day to day life is like.
What is your most memorable moment/activity from the FoodBioSystems DTP?
During my PhD I had some incredible opportunities for travel – Canada, USA, many places around England, Wales and Ireland, but the most memorable for myself was a trip to Seville for a (mostly) Spanish-speaking conference.
You can find Christy on LinkedIn and Research Gate.