A straight ‘A’s GCSE and A level student, fresh from Warwick University with a first in Medicinal Chemistry, has joined the research team at Clatterbridge Cancer Research.
Rachel Walker, 21, was offered the post of research assistant for the charity’s Applied Cancer Biology Research Group after a period of work experience there.
Her day to day work for Clatterbridge Cancer Research’s science team is a far cry from her last job, at Boots, where she worked as a sales assistant to help meet bills while searching for a research post.
These days she is working in the field of next generation sequencing – identifying slight genetic variations in both the whole genome and specific genes.
Her job includes studying p53 – ‘the guardian of the genome’ - as well as genotyping blood DNA and comparing it to tumour DNA from the same patient and creating DNA fragment libraries of various cancers.
One of four children it was clear from an early age that Rachel, originally from Rochdale, had a gift for science.
Her parents recognised her talents and her father, who had retired, took another job working in a call centre to help put his daughter through one of the country’s top universities.
Medicine and care run in the family, Rachel’s sister is a veterinary nurse and her brothers work in palliative and residential care, respectively.
She said: “My dad came 35th out of 35 in his chemistry classes, but he knew this was important for me.
“Having graduated and secured a work experience place with the team I commuted daily from Rochdale, on public transport, to the Cancer Centre in Liverpool.
“The work is fascinating and rewarding. Two of my grandparents died from cancer, my grandmother from ovarian cancer and my grandfather from lung cancer, so I’m doubly delighted to be working in this team on such important projects.
“I am really proud of what I do.”
Rachel got the news that she had the job while sitting in the lounge at her parents’ home with her boyfriend.
“I really couldn’t believe it when they said I’d got it,” she added.
“I had to ask for the sentence to be repeated. I was so excited.”
Originally she had considered studying to be a vet, a decision that was swiftly changed when she was kicked by a disgruntled cow during another, less successful, work experience placement – good news for Clatterbridge Cancer Research.
Leader of Clatterbridge Cancer Research’s science team, Prof Ross Sibson, said: “Rachel joined us for work experience and then applied for a vacancy with the genetics team.
“We were concerned that she wasn't ready and that her chemistry background, although exemplary, would put her at a disadvantage.
“How wrong we were, she has quickly mastered her work and continued her already excellent performance, taking a bright interest in all aspects.”
When not at her lab bench Rachel can be found relaxing by swimming, walking, playing the violin or, a recently acquired skill, skiing.
She includes playing violin at the Albert Hall with her school’s symphony orchestra at the School Proms among her key achievements also won a chemistry departmental scholarship for outstanding performance in advanced level examinations.
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