Jonathan Mok
- Subject area
- Biosciences
Coming to study at Loughborough University has been easily the best decision I have made, not only for the academic journey I have gone through, but also for the experiences and people I have had the pleasure of encountering along the way.
I chose to study Biological Sciences at Loughborough, as I enjoyed the subject as school and thought the course here looked very interesting. Alongside this, the University felt very welcoming with great facilities. The freshers experience at Loughborough was great and I met some of my closest friends living in student accommodation in first year, the atmosphere on campus is amazing.
The learning throughout my course has been very enjoyable, from molecular based modules and lab skills in first and second years to conducting more in-depth research in final year. I have extremely enjoyed the research projects in particular, as this experience has allowed me to develop as an autonomous scientist and prepared me well for the next steps in academia.
During my studies, I was inspired by my lecturer’s passion for breast cancer research and knew I wanted to work with them for my undergraduate and Master’s projects.
Using the library’s extensive access to online scientific journals, I researched the literature surrounding breast cancer and exercise. I found that nobody had characterised the lasting effects of endurance and resistance exercise on the side effects of adjuvant therapy (such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy etc.), so I decided to undertake a research project to address this gap as my final year project. My research has now been published in the journal - Scientific Reports - an achievement I’m really proud of!
My findings revealed that combining these exercises can significantly improve fatigue in breast cancer patients – which is an important discovery given this side effect reportedly affects between 62% and 85% of patients undergoing treatment. I hope that my research will progress literature and help those undergoing aggressive cancer treatments to return to a functional lifestyle post-treatment as well as improve disease prognosis.
The academic support from staff in the biosciences department is exceptional. The staff have given me support and guidance for not only academic related queries, but also postgraduate paths and advice. The careers network has also assisted me, helping build my CV and cover letters for postgraduate applications which I have found to be very beneficial.
After graduation, I plan to continue my studies and am currently looking for PhDs in Oncology or alternatively to work for a BioTech company to acquire more laboratory experience to progress my academic journey.
My time here has prepared me to be an autonomous scientist, confident enough to go out and conduct independent research that inspires me, when the opportunity arises.