Who we're tracking

The Wellcome Trust case study series presents real examples of the career paths of former and current Wellcome Trust-funded researchers. We provide examples of a variety of careers both within and outside of academia, illustrating the range of career paths open to individuals with a science research background.

These case studies were last updated in May 2013.

Luis Alberto Baena Luis is an MRC Career Development Fellow investigating the mechanisms behind cell proliferation at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London. Luis earned his undergraduate degree and PhD in his home town of Madrid before being awarded a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Ekin Bolukbasi Ekin is a postdoctoral researcher working at the Institute of Healthy Ageing at UCL. Her research focuses on the mechanisms by which insulin signalling regulates ageing in flies. Ekin completed her International Baccalaureate in Switzerland before moving to Edinburgh to complete her undergraduate degree, staying on to complete a Wellcome Trust-funded PhD Studentship.

Erie Boorman Erie is a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Research Fellow working on the neurobiology of reinforcement learning and decision making at the University of Oxford and UCL. Erie is from California, and he began his studies at Stanford University before moving to the UK to study for a Wellcome Trust-funded PhD in experimental psychology.

Shelley Cook Shelley is a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Researcher working at the Natural History Museum in London. Shelley researches flaviviruses, including dengue fever and yellow fever, and the insects that transmit them. After completing her Wellcome Trust-funded PhD at the University of Oxford, Shelley worked in an investment banking job, translating science for fund managers, before returning to research.

Tracey Gloster Tracey is a Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow working at the University of St Andrews. She investigates enzymes involved in the processing of carbohydrates - molecules involved in a huge number of cellular processes. Tracey gained her PhD at the University of York before moving to Canada to work at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, funded by a Sir Henry Wellcome Fellowship.

Shane Herbert Shane is a Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow working at the University of Manchester. He investigates the mechanisms that regulate new blood vessel formation. After completing his PhD and a postdoc at the University of Leeds, Shane was awarded a Sir Henry Wellcome Fellowship, which allowed him to work at the University of California at San Francisco before he returned to the UK.

Jane de Lartigue Jane is a medical writer, producing grant applications and articles (including some on oncology and immunology) for pharmaceutical companies and those involved in cancer research. Jane received her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Leeds before undertaking a Wellcome Trust PhD at the University of Liverpool. After working as a postdoc for two years at University of California Davis, Jane began writing full time. She currently splits her time between America and the UK.

Robert Mahen Robert is a postdoctoral research scientist working at the European Molecular Biology Organisation, Heidelberg, where he investigates how proteins aggregate to form functional machinery during cell division. Robert spent a year working in industry during his undergraduate degree before beginning a Wellcome Trust-funded PhD studentship at the University of Cambridge. He has also been awarded a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Richard Milner Richard is an associate professor at the Scripps Research Institute, California, USA. His work concentrates on the regulation of blood cell development in the brain, trying to understand what causes new vessels to form. Richard began his career as an electronics technician in the Royal Air Force before completing a PhD and a medical degree at the University of Cambridge. Richard has had several awards from the Wellcome Trust, including a Research Career Development Fellowship.

Alvaro Acosta Serrano Alvaro is a principal investigator working at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, where he researches the neglected tropical diseases sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis. Alvaro was awarded his undergraduate degree in Venezuela and worked in Brazil and the USA before moving to the UK. He has been funded by a Wellcome Trust International Travelling Fellowship and Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellowship.