Weekly update

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks, I have finally started writing my literature review and now have 1000 words write, probably not very good words, but at least something is written down. I have had a couple of meetings including with a UK zoo, which was very interesting.

The plan for my project is going to be written so I have know which direction my research is going to go in, I know that I am studying various aspects of Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus in Asian elephants. I feel this is an interesting area and I feel that i will be ale to contribute to the research in this field.

I think elephants are amazing creatures, from researching information for my literature review, I have found they are much more complex than what I thought. Rather than just being big and grey, they have a very complex social structure which has taken up a lot of my time allocated to research this week.

Outreach

Yesterday was the science outreach event, my colleague and I designed a stall based on teaching children anatomy. We showed them a full body model which was like a jigsaw where they put the organs back inside the body. We also had a larger model of the heart, which showed the children what the inside of your heart looks like, the final thing we did was to provide a quiz sheet which went down particularly well, usually with children having to help their parents. Very young children also very much enjoyed the mirror that we provided.

I have not previously had experience with children so this was a new experience for me. I really enjoyed taking part in the event, it enabled me to learn how to communicate to children and how to make activities fun and interesting. I would like to take part in the event again next year but I would like to explore another topic.

I am going to do some reading today and hopefully make a start on my literature at some point this week; I am finding it hard to get pen to paper and actually start at the moment. I am also re vamping my blog today adding photos which I have now found :) so please take a look at the My Life page as it now hos some photographs.

End of week two......

So week two of my PhD is now over, I have delved into the world of Bio Informatics, and I now know that I need to work on researching this area as there is a clear gap in my knowledge. I have never done any Bio Informatics before so I am looking forward to learning more.

I have been given my marks for the presentation I did a couple of weeks ago, I got a mark of 80 which I am extremely proud of. 

Tomorrow myself and a colleague are hosting a stall at a science in the community event in Nottingham, where we are going to be helping children learn about anatomy with fun and interactive activities.

Its already been a long week.......

Its felt like a very long week so far, trying to get my head around bio informatics. This is an area I am pretty unfamiliar with, I have spent hours researching sequence alignment which I think I now understand the basic principles of.

I feel like I have not achieved very much this week, on my week to do list I have only managed to tick off two things, I am feeling a little disheartened this week. Creating a to do list was possibly not as good of an idea as I thought, especially when you can barely tick anything off. I feel that I do know enough and I'm worried that I will look stupid.

I have a busy weekend as well, Science in the community outreach program on Saturday, where my colleague and I have created a stall on anatomy. Where we are going to enlighten children and give them some information on the human body. We are also providing chocolate and sweets.

Literature review....part 1

So I am doing a literature review as part of my PhD, which is proving to be tougher than I thought, especially in such a niche area of science.

I have made a plan of what I want to put in my review, just a plan of content headings for the moment... which is a start. I have also started a collection of notes which I have made from reading books and journals.

My head is full of information now to start writing it down......

Brain frazzle....

So its my first week starting my PhD project.... I have read for around 12 hours a day at University and at home filling my head with virology knowledge.

I attended at interesting seminar yesterday evening on the chemistry of cocktails where I tried an interesting green cocktail which was rather strange. I am also attending another interesting seminar today on herpes in fish, I honestly never knew fish could have herpes.... you learn something new everyday.

This weekend I am intending to relax a bit as I now think my brain is starting to frazzle with the amount of information I have crammed in this week.

Day One....

Today is the first day starting the PhD project I chose, I have been recommended to read many books, which is going to take up much of my time in the foreseeable future.

I have now joined two societies and will hopefully be going to conferences very soon. So today I had an induction this morning, then I met with my supervisor to discuss the upcoming few days and what I need to be doing. Then we had a welcome lunch which was nice... and in this beautiful sunshine which we very rarely have made a nice change. I tried to be healthy and had a salmon and cream cheese sandwich yes it did come with chips but only a handful.

New start.....

My spring school training finished today, and I start my PhD on Tuesday studying elephant viruses. Spring school was good I learnt presentation skills, how to update my/create and academic CV, and what I can expect in the future. 

Im looking forward to hard work and working in the laboratory nearly everyday, this will be my next 3.5 years of research and reading. 

I am hoping to start writing small bits of information on elephant virus awareness in the up coming months.

Race for Life 5K

Hiya everyone

Im participating in Race for Life 5k in June, raising money for cancer research. If anyone would like to sponsor me please go to my just giving page

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/laurabennett6


Thank you :)