Fatima Arif

Hi, I am a recent Biochemistry masters graduate from the University of Oxford. I have a range of experiences in the environment and sustainability sector. I enjoy writing and the process of investigation and research. Always looking forward to delving into topics that matter and can make a difference to the world. 

I completed my master’s thesis on the role of cellular machinery in oxygen sensing. The University of Oxford has won a Nobel peace prize for its role in researching and elucidating oxygen sensing mechanisms. I was working in a lab that contributed to this field research and I was able to produce a report with evidence-based findings. Not only did I learn to manage time effectively, but I have also developed a robust ability to analyse, extract and produce meaningful data insights. 

Prior to my masters, I spent last summer working at one of the consultancy teams of the global think tank, the World Resource Institute. I specifically joined the Cool Foods consultancy team that worked with the biggest food service companies like Aramark and Nestle to reduce their food related GHG emissions. I was able to gain insight into how a consultancy can offer unique data analysis packages, behavioural science, and other academic research-based recommendations to help their clients meet their goals. I gained an appreciation for the processes and time management required in building relationships with large corporate clients. I specifically researched the environmental and social commitments of a potential large client. At the end of the research, I made recommendations on how our consultancy could offer support that aligned with the client’s values. 

I was part of a student society in which I contributed to researching the state of solar technology and its relevance to China’s large infrastructure project known as the Belt & Road Initiative. I made recommendations and stated what lessons could be learnt from current solar farms. This involved understanding the market, and how cost of different technologies has contributed to the use of less efficient solar technology being employed. I wrote about how practical factors such as geography, existing infrastructure, climate change and technology limitations influenced the effectiveness of current solar projects.  At the end of producing a report, our findings were presented to professors, banks and several other think tanks.

My degree included topics such as: human metabolism, infectious diseases, DNA and RNA biology, organic chemistry as well as some mathematical  and statistical modules.