Nicole Schafer

Paediatrics/St Cross Scholarship

Joining us from: Yorkshire, UK

DPhil Paediatrics (2023)

I am a graduate of Stellenbosch University, South Africa,  where I completed my MB,ChB. After this I moved to the UK where I completed my MPhil in Genomic Medicine at the University of Cambridge and then carried on to work as an academic foundation doctor in Yorkshire. 

For my DPhil I am working in the Woods/Roberts group under the supervision of Thomas Roberts. During my time here I will be looking at finding RNA targets for gene therapy in Paediatric neurological disease. In my free time I am a keen mountain biker and road cyclist, I also enjoy anything that will get me into nature. I love reading a good book and am very excited about all the incredible libraries and book shops in Oxford. 

The Paediatrics/St Cross scholarship has allowed me to pursue my dream of reading for a DPhil.  I feel incredibly privileged to be given this opportunity which really is a dream come true. There are so many opportunities that being a part of the Oxford community is affording me including pursing my research interest and growing my skills as a researcher. With these skills that I will gain and the research that I will be doing I hope to be able to make a positive impact and further understanding of potential genetic therapies of children born with genetic neurological disease. I am passionate about using my knowledge and skills to improve the lives of others and this opportunity will help me on my journey to do so. 

I love St Cross for its diversity, relaxed atmosphere and graduate international community.  It is a very friendly  place and I am learning so much from my peers about different academic fields and places in the world. Diversity is celebrated and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this college community.