Sample Cardiovascular Research Personal Statement
Over the course of completing a BSc in Physiology at the University of Glasgow, I feel I successfully made a transition from seeing the sciences as subjects to be learnt through textbooks and supervised laboratory work to viewing them as constantly evolving disciplines, characterised by near-limitless unanswered research questions. The basis of my love of science has therefore shifted from a desire to learn to a wish to help push the boundaries of scientific knowledge. Having developed a solid interest in cardiovascular biology, I now wish to take the first step in embarking upon a career in scientific research through studying for an MSc in Cardiovascular Research.
My BSc has provided me with both a well-rounded understanding of the science behind the human bodyand a firm foundation of knowledge and research skills in cardiovascular research, upon which I hope to build through completing the MSc. In my final year I developed a very strong interest in vascular biology, generated initially by taught modules, andsubsequently strengthened through completing a research project in this area, for which I was awarded the Undergraduate Prize for Physiology by the university. My interest in this area has endured due to the engrossing experience of carrying out this research and my recognition of the crucial role that vascular biology research has played – and will continue to play – in creating therapies for vascular diseases.
My undergraduate research project was entitled “The role of anandamide and GPR55 in modulating vascular neuroeffector transmission in the rat tail artery”. Although I recognise that there is a large gulf between undergraduate research projects and professional research, the fact that the project corroborated other research that suggest that a greater understanding of cannabinoids could contribute to advances in creating new therapeutic approaches for diseases such as hypertension was a great reward to me. Moreover, I enjoyed all aspects of carrying out the project, and valued the experience and knowledge it gave me, not just of current research in vascular biology, but also of how to devise, execute, analyse and present a research project.
The possibility of gaining a much greater level of competence in these areas attracts me to the MSc. I wish to follow up masters-level study with carrying out PhD research – and hopefully beyond that a postdoctoral research career – and as a result I see it as vital that I gain a thorough grounding in research skills and methods associated with vascular biology. I am equally enthusiastic about the prospect of studying taught courses that focus explicitly on cardiovascular research. Above all, I look forward to applying the theoretical and practical grounding that I gain to carrying out research in the latter part of the masters.
My interest in cardiovascular research is the key component of a broader interest in health care that I have built on through carrying out work placements in the healthcare sector. Most recently, I worked as an assistant to a dental surgeon based in St. Lucia. The placement helped me to make a greater mental connection between scientific research and the day-to-day delivery of healthcare. After learning about an oral health campaign that was being run in St. Lucia, for example, I became interested in research relating to oral health care and other types of disease, and was fascinated to learn of research that indicates a link between oral health care and heart disease. Such potential discoveries further stimulate my interest in scientific research. Indeed, quite apart from my deep intellectual interest in vascular biology, the fact that cardiovascular diseases continue to be the biggest cause of death is, in my view, a highly compelling reason to be involved in this area. I hope, upon completion of the MSc, to carry out doctoral research, and ultimately contribute to human wellbeing through working as a postdoctoral researcher in the field.
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