Career profile: advanced research assistant (malaria)
In this career profile, Abey describes his role as an advanced research assistant working on malaria. This is one of a series of career profiles exploring lots of different jobs in genomics.
About me:
Name: Abey Cherin
Job title: Advanced Research Assistant
What do I do: I work in the Genomics Surveillance Unit (GSU) lab preparing mosquito and malaria parasite samples for DNA sequencing. These samples are received from research partners all around the world and the data helps us to identify whether any new parasite strains are emerging.
To view my full career profile click the download link at the end of this page.
Skills I use in my job:
Concentration
It is important to reduce mistakes when working with thousands of samples, as it may be irreversible and affects data return.
Teamwork
I receive over 500 samples a month, so I need to work with my team to get them processed quickly.
Problem solving
Lab work never goes to plan and often requires adapting and quick changes for timely returns of data.
Organisation
I need to know where each sample is and what stage of processing it is going through.