Classmates Celebrate Graduation After Studying Same Degree Course

In the autumn of 2015, classmates James Gaunt and Tom Sheard had their winter graduation at the University of Leeds.  On leaving school, they had studied the same degree course, Biological Sciences with a year in industry at Leeds University.  Their careers are now taking different paths, as described in the summaries, but they remain great friends.

My BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds was a wonderful 4 years (including a placement year), and involved me getting stuck into a lot of voluntary work, leading a project in a local Care Home. I drew a lot of joy in the fact that I got to experience university, and graduate alongside, James Gaunt, a great friend from Merchant Taylors’. This year I have been doing a masters course MPhil Adaptive Organismal biology at the University of Manchester, studying the hearts of birds with electron tomography, and I have just secured funding for a PhD at the University of Leeds with the Medical Research Council, looking into the way structures in the heart are remodeled in human heart failure using stem cells and super resolution microscopy! – Tom Sheard

I was able to attain a 15 month industry placement at Roche Pharmaceuticals before completing my final year reading Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds. At the university, I progressed hugely with my rowing, a passion born at the Merchant Taylors’ School Boat Club, ultimately leading to competing at the Henley Royal Regatta. Having graduated, I am now a Clinical Research Associate continuing my career in pharmaceuticals and seizing opportunities to work with novel, fantastic therapies some of which have been designated as “breakthrough” by the U.S Food and Drug Administration. – James Gaunt

James and Tom at Graduation

James is second to left