Victoria – Graduate Data Wrangler

What is your role at MRC Harwell?

I’m a Graduate Data Wrangler. On a day-to-day basis, I process the data that comes from the MLC, perform quality control checks and statistical analysis and make sure that it’s ready for clients of the MLC. My role involves a lot of developing pipelines in Python and R, as well as cross-talk with the phenotyping team to make sure that the data is being processed in a way that’s appropriate for each test.

What is your background? Did you see yourself doing this kind of job when you were younger?

I completed a Master’s at the University of York in Biomedical Science. I knew that I wanted a career in science even back in high school, but I never saw myself going down a route with computers. I despised ICT lessons, and naively thought that I could pursue a scientific career without ever having to fight with a spreadsheet! It was only when I had a data analysis module at university that I realised I had the knack for both coding and data science, and most importantly, I enjoyed it. During the pandemic, there were not many opportunities to do a wet lab project, so I was assigned a Master’s project which involved coding an R app to simulate data from a laboratory experiment. I appreciated having the flexibility to handle complex data on greater scales and present it in different and interesting ways.

What have you enjoyed most about being on the Graduate Programme?

I’d say the best thing about this graduate scheme has been interacting with multiple people in a scientific community. There’s a lot of interlinking within the MRC. We all rely on each other and share our knowledge of different processes; it’s been great to get to know and work with people with different backgrounds and experience.

I’ve also enjoyed having the opportunity to learn a completely different coding language. Before I came here, all I knew was R and then when I joined, I had the new challenge of learning Python from scratch. My team supported me and gave me the resources to become fluent, and I’m now at a point where I can swap between the two languages comfortably.

What do you want to do next?

I have a general idea of what I want to do next. I’d like to do a PhD in neuroscience, but I still have some time left on this graduate scheme, and that could change.

I think that is one of the benefits of this graduate scheme, it is a little longer than other ones. So, I still have that time left to decide. If I find something during this graduate scheme that I have a particular interest in, I can pursue it.

Whatever I do next, I’d like it to incorporate the technical skills I’ve learned over the course of my career here.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I really enjoy artsy things in my spare time, it gives my mind (and eyes!) something else to focus on. I used to draw digital art, but now I’ve moved onto embroidery and pottery painting. I’m also trying to pick back up old hobbies that had to be put aside during my studies, like music. I’m quite literally blowing the dust off my flute!

Victoria joined the MLC through our Graduate Development Programme. You can find out more about the programme as well as interviews with our other graduates on our Graduate Development Programme page.