Attendees at the Merton Biomedical and Life Sciences Network Careers Event on 22 February 2023

Merton College Biomedical and Life Sciences Network

The Merton College Biomedical and Life Sciences Network (MBLSN) brings together Mertonians who are involved in this sector, whether it be those in academia—studying, researching or teaching—or alumni who have gone on to enjoy careers in the biomedical and life sciences. One of the network’s principal aims is to provide a method for current students to contact alumni for advice and support when looking for internships, jobs or academic posts. As an additional benefit, the network enables Mertonians researching or working in similar fields to connect and engage with each other. Created in March 2020, the MBLSN has a LinkedIn group which now comprises over 200 members, covering a range of occupations and geographical locations.

The network’s first in-person event took place in February 2023, when nearly 40 students gathered for talks by Mertonians:

  • David Clark (1984), founding member and Chair of the BMLN Committee, spoke on his specialist discipline of computer-aided drug design, as well as his working life at Charles River, a contract research organisation;
  • Jonathan Kwok (2019), CEO of Infinitopes, spoke on this spin-out company from the University that is breaking ground in the fight against cancer.

In January of 2024, the MBLSN held its first reunion event, where alumni and students came together for a day filled with talks, a traditional lunch in Hall and a "speed-meeting" session that gave attendees the chance to have a series of short conversations with other delegates. Talks included: 

  • Dr Chris Cooper (1994), Director and Head of Protein Sciences, Charm Therapeutics – 'What I want to do when I grow up...’: Tales of mid-career change in the biosciences
  • Dr Andrew Allen (1984), Co-Founder, President and CEO, Gritstone Bio – Growing a public biotech company: Tales from the front line
  • Professor Hugh Watkins FRS, Fellow and Radcliffe Professor of Medicine – Creating genetic therapies for inherited heart disease. 

The MBLSN Committee comprises alumni David Clark (1984), Ethan Prince (2019), David Bernstein (2019) and Salmana Nadeem (2020) together with current students Aaron Syme (2022) Ivan Solomakhin (2024) and Miranda Bate (2024). The team organises several online meetings throughout the year, with an array of speakers who give insights into topics of relevance to career progression and day to day working life in the biomedical and life sciences. For instance, recent webinars have covered topics including life as a Patent Attorney and working with AI in the life sciences. 

If you’d be interested in being part of this growing network or joining the organising committee, please contact the Development Office. We'll be happy to direct you to the LinkedIn page or put you in touch with a committee member directly. 

[Photo from left to right: Orion, Infinitopes Chief-of-Staff; Jenny, 4th year Medical Student; David, Charles River Research Leader; Masy, Infinitopes Associate Scientist; Joana, Infinitopes Operations Manager; Jonathan, Merton DPhil student; David, Merton Biomedical and Life Sciences Network; Ava, Infinitopes Data Scientist; Salmana, President of Oxford Society for Ageing & Longevity; Ethan, Merton Biomedical and Life Sciences Network, courtesy of Jonathan Kwok]