Yvonne Abakah

I graduated from University of Southampton in BSc Biomedical Sciences on the 24th of July 2023. My degree course was an invaluable opportunity to feed my pursuit of understanding life from the micro-level of cells and genomes to the macro-level of organ systems and physiology. 

Particularly, I also discovered a passion for laboratory work during the practical elements of my degree. Being able to validate the knowledge I was taught in lectures via laboratory practicals - such as microscope and assay studies, was incredibly validating. After three years of regular sessions in the laboratory with practice in diverse methods and experimental designs, I am competent with standard lab tools and techniques such as micropipettes, centrifuge, serial dilution, bioassays (e.g. gel electrophoresis, ELIZA) etc.

Furthermore, I have also honed my skill in scientific communication via written reports following conduction of lab practicals as well as long form reports in the style of scientific journal articles. Notably, I also applied my skill in scientific communication as a Junior Research Fellow during an internship in my second year at university which let to the implementation of a new scheme to address the problem identified in our research.

Sales Assistant at Welcome Co-Op Parkview retail ltd. (May 2022 - March 2023)
 

Sales Assistant at Costcutters Post Office (September 2023 - current)

I worked in retail during my degree and immediately after graduation. During my time as a Sales Assistant I further developed my interpersonal skills, attention to detail via the responsibility of cash handling and as a keyholder employee at Costcutters, and my ability to cope and multi-task in demanding, fast-paced environments.

Junior Research Fellow at University of Southampton (July 2022) 

In a team with other students and lecturers across different disciplines within the university’s School of Environmental and Life Sciences, we completed a research project on experiences of disadvantaged student groups in this school. We conducted qualitative research in the form of focus group discussions. Following data analysis and collaborative production of a written report on our findings, our report was commended by university leadership which led to the implementation of a scholarship scheme to address the inequalities faced by specific groups of disadvantaged students.

University of Southampton | BSc (2.1) Biomedical Sciences (2020-2023)