CATEGORY
Science and healthcare pioneers
The UK is a science superpower, made possible by first-generation graduates who power our NHS and make groundbreaking discoveries that benefit the UK and the world we live in.
Groundbreaking
These stories feature nurses, midwives and doctors on the ground; PhD students doing groundbreaking research, and even a former paralympian founding a company making fun prosthetic leg covers. Our world would not be the same without them.
Meet them
Swansea University
University of Manchester
University of Birmingham
University of Leicester
Canterbury Christ Church University
University of Southampton
University of Essex
University of Chester
Bangor University
University of the West of Scotland (UWS)
Coventry University
Middlesex University
University of Oxford
University of East London
Caitlin Tanner
PhD student
Caitlin is bilaterally profoundly deaf and wears cochlear implants.
She graduated with a First in Adult Nursing in 2019 and qualified into an intensive care unit, where she worked for three-and-a-half years during the Covid-19 pandemic.
While working during this tumultuous time, she pursued her master’s in education for healthcare professionals part-time, gaining a distinction.
She then applied for the prestigious Swansea University Research Excellence Scholarship and was awarded this to pursue her research on the experiences of deaf nurses within the UK.
University set Caitlin's trajectory forward into a path she didn't believe she could achieve because of her deafness, and the support of her university educators fuelled her confidence in herself and her academic capabilities.
Swansea University
“Not only am I helping patients, but I’m also researching how to make the clinical environment better suited for staff nurses who have hearing loss.”
Charlotte mellor
PhD student
Charlotte is a PhD student funded by Cancer Research UK. Her research focuses on the role mitochondria play in programmed cell death. She won the British Association for Cancer Research Student Impact Award 2023 for her commitment to widening participation.
University of Manchester
"Without university, I wouldn’t be working in the field I’m in. It’s opened the door to working in a field I didn’t even know existed.”
Chris Jones
Clinical lecturer,
University of Cambridge
Chris is a graduate from the University of Birmingham and clinical lecturer at the University of Cambridge. He’s local to the Birmingham area, having grown up and attended school in Bromsgrove.
As a medical student, Chris balanced his clinical training with extensive research experience, including through securing six funded internships. He also developed national initiatives to support doctors in training who specialise in oncology to gain research experience.
Chris has supported the university by acting as a mentor for students from a range of backgrounds who are interested in pursuing a medical career.
He now works in the Cancer Research UK RadNet, Cambridge’s radiation research centre, as well as the Fitzgerald Laboratory at the Early Cancer Institute.
University of Birmingham
“Without university I wouldn’t have been given an opportunity to give back through teaching, caring for others and contributing to research that will hopefully improve the lives of countless more.”
Connor Duffy
Post-Doctoral researcher, University of oxford
Connor Duffy studied Physics at the University of Leicester and is now a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford.
At uni, he discovered his enormous passion for the subject and had first learnt about his PhD topic, gamma-ray astrophysics.
In his PhD, he focused on instrumentation for the next generation of ground-based telescopes. This experience helped him to progress as a research scientist and become a post-doctoral researcher.
Connor is now working as a Winterover Experiment Operator for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole, where he'll spend the next 12 months operating and maintaining IceCube. This work will ensure that the detector is observing astrophysical neutrinos for as long as possible.
University of Leicester
“Without my degrees, I would not have had the employment opportunities that I have had at world-renowned research institutions.”
“Having qualified as a doctor, my life is very different to the one I would have had if I had followed in my parents' footsteps.”
Chris Jones
Jessica Boxall
MSc Public Health student
Jessica came to the University of Southampton in 2017 to study Biomedical Sciences after being inspired to pursue a career in research science.
Being a first-generation student and coming from a single-parent household, she had many obstacles to overcome. But her perseverance and the support she’s received from her family and the university have helped her succeed.
Jess is currently doing her master’s in Public Health and Nutrition and has recently returned from a research trip delving into food insecurity in Ghana.
She now helps to inspire other first-gen students by supporting the mentoring scheme which provided such crucial support to her.
University of Southampton
“Coming to university has helped me become independent and stand on my own two feet.”
Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth
CEO, Project Seagrass
Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth has just been named on the BBC’s 100 Women list featuring the most inspiring women in the world. She says her success has its roots in her having been able to develop her passion for marine science at university.
She was the first in her family to go into higher education and completed her PhD at the University of Essex after studying at Bangor University and Newcastle University.
At Essex, she discovered her interest in seagrass meadows, which are under threat. Since graduating, she's worked to raise awareness of their value and in 2013 she co-founded a charity, Project Seagrass, to conserve seagrass ecosystems.
University of Essex
“Adequate funding support is really important to promote equality of access to education.”
Lyndon Howson
BSc Zoology student
Lyndon is a Zoology student with a passion for conservation. He’s recently been shortlisted for a Mammals Champion award launched by the Mammals Society to recognise those who give up their time and energy to work for a brighter future for British mammals.
University of Chester
“University has been a transformative experience that has significantly impacted my life by opening doors to opportunities I could have never imagined otherwise.”
Mark Williams PLY
Founder, LIMB-art
Mark is the founder of LIMB-art, a former Paralympic swimmer and medalist from North Wales.
His life took a significant turn in 1982 when he lost his left leg in a car accident while riding his bike home from school.
Over the next eight years, Mark evolved from a shy 10-year-old boy who couldn't swim into a confident athlete. He achieved remarkable success in swimming, winning medals at the 1988 Seoul Paralympics and the 1989 Miami World Championships.
In 2018, he and his wife Rachael founded LIMB-art, a company dedicated to producing unique and fun prosthetic leg covers. Their mission is to help prosthetic users boost their confidence, be proud of their prosthetics, and enjoy showing them off.
After studying at Bangor University’s North Wales Business Academy, Mark says that he's much more confident in his business decisions. The course also helped him to connect with others and grow his personal and business network.
Bangor University
“After university, I am much more confident in my decisions and it helped connect and grow my personal and business networks.”
Mia Burleigh
PhD student
Mia left high school at 16 with no qualifications. In 2014, by then a single mother of two young children, she completed an HND in Applied Sport and Exercise Science at Ayrshire College and was offered a place for direct entry to the third year of UWS' Sport and Exercise Science programme.
Mia went on to achieve a First and immediately began a PhD at UWS. Mia’s research has paved the way for new therapeutic developments in oral and cardiovascular health.
University of the West of Scotland (UWS)
Michelle Poole
Midwife
After a series of life-changing events in 2021, Michelle took the plunge to go to university to become a midwife.
In August 2023, Michelle took a three-week elective placement in a maternity hospital in Tanzania. The trip provided a stark reality of midwifery care outside of the UK and challenged her thinking around the MBRRACE report and Black, Asian, and ethnic minority women in the UK.
It reshaped Michelle’s outlook on midwifery and the type of midwife she aspired to, inspiring her to work to bridge gaps in health inequalities.
She’s committed to fighting for the empowerment of BAME women and to ensure they receive care that reflects the ethos of the NHS – and that every woman has the right to receive.
Coventry University
“This experience has taught me anything is possible if you’re willing to put in the hard work and determination to reach your goals.”
“When I first started [University], I had no faith in myself and didn’t believe that I could do it. As the years went by, I realised that this is where I was meant to be, and my confidence grew.”
Sam Lansdell
Nicolette Porter
Midwife and Msc Women’s health student
Nicolette grew up in Ilford in Essex. Her consistent hard work and dedication led to her achieving a First in Midwifery at Middlesex University.
Now a qualified midwife, she’s currently working part-time in a busy NHS trust in London and completing an MSc in Women’s Health at University College London.
In 2021, she won Student Midwife of the Year at the Student Nursing Times Awards and in 2022, she was a recipient for a scholarship grant for students of Black African Caribbean heritage.
As a person with autism, Nicolette is passionate about showing how neurodivergence isn’t incompatible with a successful career in healthcare. She argues people with differences can bring their own valuable insight to the profession.
Middlesex University
“Going to university has not only prepared me for my role but has also influenced my identity as a healthcare provider.”
Professor Russell Foster CBE
Award-winning researcher
Professor Russell Foster CBE is Head of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Director of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford.
Russell and his team are credited with key contributions to the discovery of photosensitive retinal ganglion cells in the mammalian retina, which provide light input to the circadian rhythm system.
Russell has won multiple national and international awards and was elected to the fellowship of the Royal Society in 2008 and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2015 for services to science.
He's written and co-authored 297 scientific publications and five popular science books. His most recent, Life Time, was a Sunday Times bestseller.
University of Oxford
“The experience was truly transformative. It opened-up countless opportunities, and I was liberated to follow my passion for science.”
Jennifer Dominic
Senior brand and customer manager, MSD
Canterbury Christ Church University
Not your typical journey
Jennifer’s university story is not your typical one. Despite having lived in the UK since the age of 11, a change in immigration rules at the time of applying to university meant that she was considered an international student.
Unable to accept her place as she couldn’t afford international fees, she also couldn’t apply for international bursaries as she was already living in the UK. She was caught in a system that didn’t recognise the position of young immigrants.
She took a year out, worked, saved, and discovered that Canterbury Christ Church offered a fee waiver to support students from challenging backgrounds.
“University is the beginning of doors opening. When you cultivate those opportunities properly, you make your university experience more than just a paid-for experience. It has a bigger value than anyone could think of.”
Jennifer graduated in 2016 with a First in Bioscience and is now Senior Marketing Manager at MSD, a premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company.
From starting as a Clinical Trial Assistant, to being Chief of Staff and now leading a successful marketing team, Jennifer’s career path has been remarkable, but not surprising. Everyone who has studied or worked with her has seen her determination, drive and resilience.
She’s specialising in oncology and cancer therapeutics, managing a team of people from apprentices to associate directors to ensure that patients get access to innovative new medicines in the UK.
Jennifer is also helping to set her company’s strategic direction for diversity, equality, and inclusion by founding and co-leading the League of Employees of African Descent globally for her company, as well as sitting on their Europe and Canada Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.
Determination, drive and resilience
“I always tried to make the most out of every opportunity to gain credibility, and university gave me those opportunities. It set me up for success.”
Sam Lansdell
PhD student
Sam had been out of education for many years before she returned as a mature student at the age of 28.
In 2018, she graduated from UEL with a First in Biomedical Science, before being accepted onto a PhD in Microbiology.
Sam has been developing a new field-based test to see which diseases tics around the UK are carrying. This will help to assess the risk level for the population and guide future interventions to minimise the wider impact of tics.
Sam is hugely passionate about encouraging and supporting young people to overcome barriers to higher education. She regularly delivers science-based sessions to secondary school children to inspire their passion and enthusiasm for the subject.
University of East London