From campus to containment: my placement experience at the Pirbright Institute
Oliver Boakye, a PhD researcher in Vaccinology and Immunology, reflects on his placement at The Pirbright Institute that built on his veterinary medicine background and offered valuable insight into the links between science, policy, diagnostics and animal health management.
When I found out I'd secured a PIPS (Professional Internships for PhD Students) placement at the Pirbright Institute, I knew it would be something special. Pirbright is one of the UK's leading centres for research into infectious diseases of livestock, and as a PhD candidate in vaccinology and immunology with a background in veterinary medicine, it felt like a natural, exciting next step. My placement was hosted within the National Virology Reference Laboratory (NVRL) group, where I was fortunate to work alongside Kerry Newbrook and under Carrie Batten's leadership.
The decision to go to Pirbright was deliberate. My PhD sits firmly within a One Health framework. Pirbright's work, which straddles animal health, public health, and disease surveillance, embodies that philosophy in practice. I wanted to see how cutting-edge science is done beyond the university lab, and this placement delivered that in full.
The placement also provided tangible skills highly relevant to my PhD. I learnt new, more reliable approaches to analysing and interpreting data.
The high-containment laboratory
One of the most immediate skills I gained from this placement is working safely in high-containment laboratory environments. Receiving training in containment procedures, biosafety practices, and laboratory risk management gave me a greater appreciation of the rigorous measures required when working with economically important animal pathogens. This experience broadened my understanding of research conducted under enhanced containment conditions and strengthened my awareness of laboratory safety culture.
The placement also provided tangible skills highly relevant to my PhD. I learnt new, more reliable approaches to analysing and interpreting ELISA data. Working with experienced researchers at Pirbright exposed me to more robust and reproducible methods for assessing serological responses and comparing antigenic relationships between viral strains, using the Bluetongue virus, a closely related virus to my virus of interest, the African horse sickness virus (AHSV). These skills will directly benefit my PhD.
Equally important was the opportunity to collaborate with scientists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. Engaging with virologists, immunologists, laboratory diagnosticians, and support staff highlighted the importance of teamwork in delivering impactful scientific research. These interactions provided valuable insights into how large research institutes operate and how collaborative networks contribute to disease surveillance, outbreak response, and scientific discovery.
Perhaps the most significant outcome of the placement was the broader perspective it offered on future career opportunities. Beyond reinforcing my interest in research, the experience highlighted the close links between science, policy, diagnostics, and animal health management. It showed how scientific evidence can inform national and international disease control strategies, inspiring me to consider future careers that bridge scientific research, policy development, and animal health governance.
Overall, my PIPS placement at the Pirbright Institute was an enriching and rewarding experience that enhanced my technical skills, expanded my professional network, and provided valuable insights that will continue to shape my PhD and future career aspirations. It was a life-changing experience, and I'd encourage any PhD student with the opportunity to take the leap.
Overall, my PIPS placement at the Pirbright Institute was an enriching and rewarding experience that enhanced my technical skills, expanded my professional network, and provided valuable insights that will continue to shape my PhD and future career aspirations.