Profile
Benjamin Foster
-
About Me:
I currently live in Longsight, near Manchester. I am a protein biochemist so spend most of the day in the lab near The Christie hospital. I’m often found running in South Manchester or out with my dog, Juno, on walks in the local parks.
-
Read more
I grew up near Manchester in the North of England. I have always played for a local football team as a kid, when I was at university, or when I was moving around due to work. I spent 18 months in Munich, Germany where I spent most of my time either in the lab, playing football, or hiking in deeper Bavaria. I am a vegetarian, which was quite difficult living in Munich. I volunteer for a local community group called GoodGym in Manchester and Stockport, which revolves around carrying out community-based activities, such as gardening, cleaning, painting, litter-picking, and more while also leading running and physical activity group sessions. My favourite film is Gladiator and I have a big obsession with comedy sitcoms from the 1980s and 1990s. I am a Huddersfield Town football fan and I was a season ticket holder as a kid until leaving for university but I have been to see them at Wembley three times now in playoff finals. I have been growing a moustache during November as part of the Movember campaign to raise awareness for mental health for over 10 years now!
-
My pronouns are:
he/him
-
My Work:
My work involves working out how proteins communicate with each other to make sure DNA doesn’t become, or remain, damaged.
-
Read more
I describe myself as a “protein biochemist” in that I can make biological molecules known as proteins and use them to copy what goes on inside living cells and living systems. Using this simpler system, I can work out how these proteins behave under normal conditions as compared to abnormal conditions, such as during disease, to work out their function and why they do what they do. Getting a better idea about the molecular details of these communication or signalling pathways will provide clearer insight into the mechanisms involved and designing drugs against known diseases.
-
My Typical Day:
I wake up early to feed the dog and take her out for the morning walk. I get to the lab early (around 6 or 7am) to start any longer experiments while responding to urgent emails or queries that have come in overnight. I tend to spend the few hours before lunch helping, mentoring, and supervising students in the lab before heading back home to let the dog outside during my “lunch break”. I get back to the lab to continue experiments in the afternoon, often have meetings in the department, seminars to go to, or tutorials to teach before replying to any emails before heading home in the evening.
-
Read more
My commute is 95% time running back and forth to the lab (sometimes I get the bus), which is a good workout between home and work. Most of my day now revolves around meetings for work or for contributions to the wider department while also carrying out teaching for undergraduate students, either in the lab or during tutorials. There are so many cool seminars and talks from international researchers so I try to get to as many as I possibly can!
-
What I'd do with the prize money:
Expand on the tools and resources we have for departmental outreach at local schools or the ability to travel with the activities I currently have to hand at nearby schools.
-
Education:
Primary school (4-11 years old): Milton St John’s primary school, Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne
Secondary school (11-16 years old): West Hill, Stalybridge
6th Form (16-18 years old): Blue Coat C of E 6th Form, Oldham
Undergraduate and Masters (BA and MSci): University of Cambridge (Selwyn College)
PhD in Biochemistry: Imperial College London (MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences)
-
Qualifications:
12 GCSEs: 9 A*, 2 A, 1 C
A level: Maths (A), Chemistry (A), Biology (A) and AS Level: History (A), Further Maths (A), plus Critical Thinking and General Studies
BA and MSci in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge
PhD in Biochemistry at Imperial College London
-
Work History:
Local Sunday paper round delivering bulky Sunday papers to wide area covering farms and cow fields in the process.
Cafe work (cleaning and serving) at the weekends and during holidays when I was at school and 6th form college. It was hard work at the time but the extra pocket money helped pay for driving lessons and my driving test.
Bar work and bar supervisor at Selwyn college bar during my undergraduate and Masters. Enjoyed the extra work and responsibility during term time and to meet lots of new people during the summer break and at alumni events while working.
PhD student and postdoctoral researcher in London and Munich. Mostly lab-based work as a student (with a stipend to cover rent and costs) for 3.5 years before moving to Munich to continue the work when my supervisor moved the lab abroad. I was investigating epigenetic pathways in mammalian development.
Postdoctoral Research Associate and Retained Lecturer in Biochemistry in Oxford. Investigation of signalling pathways in DNA repair and teaching of undergraduates in biochemistry and organic chemistry.
Research Associate in the Genome Stability Lab at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre. Investigation of signalling pathways in DNA repair and teaching of undergraduates and supervising postgraduates in biochemistry.
-
Current Job:
Research Associate
-
Employer:
Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester
-
My Interview
-
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Lab(rador)-loving biochemist
What did you want to be after you left school?
A Biochemist (not a joke)
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes. Usually after a tough playground game of football
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Engineer
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Fatboy Slim
What's your favourite food?
Bread
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To be louder when I speak. To be able to speak and understand more languages. To be able to code.
-