Ewa Jurneczko

Forensic Science

What appealed to you about Northumbria University / studying in Newcastle?

I am originally from Wroclaw, Poland. Northumbria University has appealed to me as it is located in the centre of a fun-loving, vibrant city with a great student life.

What was it about the course / subject area that particularly appealed?

I have always had a strong passion for science and languages. For me studying forensic science in English combined both of my interests. I also found the interdisciplinary nature of the course appealing, as studying forensic science involves a bit of chemistry, a bit of biology, a bit of legal stuff and statistics.

What qualifications did you have?

I applied via UCAS after doing Matura (equivalent to A-Levels) in Mathematics, English and Polish language.

How did you feel during your first week at Northumbria?

I was excited and really looking forward to the lectures and lab sessions but at the same time I was worried about managing the challenges of studying.

What do you like most about the course?

I particularly like the fact that the course involves the combination of hands on lab sessions which are well integrated with theoretical work. The programme provides an intellectually challenging study of a full range of forensic applications. It consists of varied subjects including crime scene investigation, courtroom testimony, advanced chemical and DNA analysis.

Can you give an example of a piece of work you’ve been involved in?

I very much enjoyed working on my final year research project. I liked the freedom to have a really in-depth study of something I was interested in. My dissertation was carried out under the supervision of Dr Justin Perry and focused on sources of natural yellow dyes used in historical objects. During the completion of the project I was offered great support and encouragement from the lecturers and laboratory technicians.

Do you have the opportunity for any work placements during your course?

As a part of my course I spent fifteen months working for a pharmaceutical company Aptuit in Edinburgh. My industrial placement gave me an opportunity to work in both Pharmaceutical Analysis and Bioanalysis Departments. I was involved in the areas such as: method development & validation, stability testing, identification of impurities and degradation products and general laboratory procedures for sample preparation. The placement program enabled me not only to develop new techniques, but also has given me a lot more self-confidence and encouraged me to continue learning and improving skills in science.

What are the best things about Newcastle?

I work part time in a busy bar on the Quayside. I love travelling and learning new languages. Currently I am taking Spanish classes and thinking about starting to learn French. I am also a big fan of extreme sports. Last year I gained the paragliding pilot license.

What’s your accommodation like?

I live with three other students in Sandyford, which is a very popular area of Newcastle within walking distance to the university and city centre.

What would you like to do when you graduate?

Through my degree course I have gained theoretical and practical experience of using various analytical techniques such as NMR, MS, GC and HPLC. However I especially enjoyed the mass spectrometry and decided to pursue my career in research and applied for a PhD position in this area. I am fortunate to have been offered a fully funded 4-year PhD at Edinburgh University in ion mobility mass spectrometry. I am very much looking forward to starting my PhD in September to see what I can achieve. I believe that this will open a wider range of opportunities at a higher level and keep my career options opened.