Bioinformatics Technician

Denisa's job title is Bioinformatician at The Institute of Cancer Research, London

What I do

My day-to-day role involves working with big data produced by machines called sequencers, to understand our genetic code better. This helps to improve cancer patients’ lives, treatment opportunities and outcomes in the clinic. We work very closely with the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

The science that comes out of our laboratory informs patient decisions every day. We work on patient diagnostics, sorting patients into groups and selection for clinical trials of experimental medicines.

Hear more about Denisa's role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

I did an A-level equivalent in Maths, Further Maths and Chemistry. I found Maths in particular really helped with my further education.

I was interested in bioinformatics, and I learnt that there was a technical role where you could support projects without needing to undergo a doctoral degree. I went online and found this role. I applied and had to do a test which covered how I approach things, how I problem solve and why I was interested in big data.

It has been a steep learning curve with a lot of training on the job. Luckily my team has accommodated me, and slowly added more responsibilities to my workload. I’m now in a position where I have my own knowledge and expertise that is unique in my team.

A typical day in my
working life

I like to start the day with the most challenging task and get that done. I work with a lot of software in my data science role, so I aim to sort out my more difficult coding problems first. When I am not sure what to do, I will involve my teammates to help with problem solving.

After lunch, I usually do my other technical work and have a few meetings to catch up with management to let them know what I have been doing and how things can be improved.

At the end of the day, I like to reflect on what went well and what didn’t go well and what priorities there are for the next day, so when I come in I can be as productive as possible.

It is worth considering a career in science as it’s becoming more inclusive and more accessible to people from different backgrounds.

What I love most about my job

I love the science behind it, and the challenge of identifying a problem and finding a solution. That solution then goes into the clinic and makes a difference in patients’ lives – it’s incredible. We make an impact and it’s rewarding work.

A little more about
my everyday role

The best bits about working in a team

I work in a very large team with lots of experts in their own fields. Each person is a specialist and as a team we learn from each other. My favourite part of working in a team is how we can break things down to something useful and worthwhile to someone else. We can deliver very high-quality science by developing our own expertise and collaborating.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

My proudest achievement so far is working on a very large number of patient samples. We have patients who enrol in clinical trials who have consented to have their DNA and biological material analysed by us to help us, to identify other patients in the world who might benefit from the same medicine that they are receiving. I analysed 1,000 samples from our patients to find some common threads that helped us to communicate back to the clinic and make a decision. I was very happy to get through such a large volume of samples and get something meaningful out of them.

The next steps in my career journey

I hope to become a Senior Bioinformatician and progress into a more managerial role, so I can bring in the next generation of scientists, educate them and continue to push the boundaries of science.

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

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