Profile
Matthew Hurley
Working on writing up results
My CV
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Education:
Chipping Sodbury Secondary School – 1989 – 1996
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Qualifications:
University of Wales College of Medicine – 1996 – 2002
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Work History:
Hospitals in Cardiff, Nottingham, Mansfield and Chesterfield
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Current Job:
Clinical Research Fellow
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I’m a clinician scientist interested in infection and lung disease. After working for a few years as a children’s doctor, I am now spending more of my time trying to find out how some important bacteria cause infections and how we might be able to stop them. Lots of bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics and so we need to find new ways to get rid of them. This is the case for all infections but especially for people with cystic fibrosis where patients get infections in their lungs that sometimes cannot be cleared. And every now and then I do a bit of doctoring on the side.
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My Typical Day:
Prepare, coffee, experiment, lunch, coffee, experiment, coffee and prepare for tomorrow, oh and perhaps another coffee.
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Read more
There’s not really a typical day, it depends on the type of experiment I’m doing. In the morning I’ll take the bacteria out of the oven that have been growing overnight. I’ll either use them in an experiment to learn more about how they communicate with each other and team up against us, or use them in an experiment trying to stop them! Because bacteria take time to grow there’s then a bit of waiting. I’ll look at the results of experiments that have finished and look to see what to do next. In the rest of the time there’s some coffee and sometimes I’m involved in helping in other studies a the moment of one involving children that come into hospital with asthma. At the end of the day I put the bacteria I’m going to use tomorrow into the oven, and every now and then go over the road to work for the evening in the Children’s Hospital.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
Pilot an online ‘conference’ for people with cystic fibrosis
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Enthusiastic, confused, caffeinated
Were you ever in trouble at school?
No, never. A bit of a spod I’m afraid
Who is your favourite singer or band?
I’m going to sound dull but Razorlight, Snow Patrol, stuff like that
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Be able to get up in the morning when I want, get some more money to do some more experiments, be able to mix research and paediatrics for my career
Tell us a joke.
What’s round and growls? – A vicious circle!
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