Life Sciences, University of Dundee

03/09/2026

It was fantastic to visit the Masters Show 2026 at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee last week.

The students enrolled on the Medical Art MSc visit our Faculty to hear pitches from our scientists for potential projects they could work on for their second and third semester projects. Every year, students have created amazing works and this year is no different. Three students - Alice Priestley, Emma Taylor and Audrey Le Ballantine - exhibited pieces that they created from collaborations with members of our Faculty.

If you missed the show, here are some shots of their work 👇️

02/09/2026

Meet Our Graduate: Dyani

🎓 From Dundee to Singapore, industry experience, and now King’s College London!

“This degree isn’t proof that I’m smart. To me, it’s proof that hard work can change what you believe you’re capable of.”

This summer, Dyani graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences, making the most of every opportunity available throughout her degree.

In her second year, she spent time studying at the National University of Singapore, ranked 10th globally in the QS World University Rankings. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “I learnt as much about myself as I did academically and travelled to places I’d only ever dreamed of.”

After completing her third year, Dyani took on a Year in Industry, securing a placement with Lonza, a contract development and manufacturing organisation serving the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nutrition sectors. “There, I learnt how to work in a professional environment and developed skills I could never have gained in a classroom.”

And her journey doesn’t stop here. Looking ahead, Dyani says, “Looking to the future, I am excited to announce that I have accepted my offer at King's College London to study a Master’s in Nutrition, a subject I’ve become genuinely passionate about.”

Congratulations, Dyani, on all you've achieved so far. We wish you the very best as you begin your Master’s journey at King’s College London!

If you have been inspired by Dyani’s story, you can learn more about our courses: https://buff.ly/VdLlJAV

Places still available for September 2026 entry.

Looking at 2027 entry? Sign up for one of our autumn Open Days. Bookings now open: https://buff.ly/x0nz0yd

We have been the top UK university for Biological Sciences research since 2014 (Research Excellence Framework).

Discover your future, discover your Dundee.

📸 Photo credit: Dyani (images 1-3).

01/09/2026

Meet Our Graduate: Sofiya

Sofiya graduated this summer with a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology. She undertook her Honours project in the Zachariae Lab. She said, “Despite being one of the most challenging chapters of my life, this experience has fundamentally shaped the type of person I am and the scientist I want to be. My thesis in computational biophysics ... has opened up a new field of research for me.”

Sofiya paid tribute to her mother by saying, “My utmost gratitude goes to my mum, who migrated from Ukraine in order to enable me to pursue all of the dreams around my education that she never got to experience herself. She is the most intelligent and selfless person I know, and I would not be anywhere close to where I am now if it hadn’t been for her.”

Sofiya will start an MSc in Drug Discovery and Development at University College London in the autumn. “I am beyond excited for this new chapter in my education.”

If you have been inspired by Sofiya’s story, you can learn more about our courses: https://buff.ly/VdLlJAV

Places still available for September 2026 entry.

Looking at 2027 entry? Sign up to attend our autumn Open Days. Bookings now open: https://buff.ly/x0nz0yd

We have been the top UK university for Biological Sciences research since 2014 (Research Excellence Framework).

Discover your future, discover your Dundee.

📸 Photo credit: Sofiya.

01/09/2026

Yesterday, we welcomed pupils from Mearns Academy to The James Hutton Institute and shared plant research undertaken by the scientists there including those from our Faculty.

19/08/2026

🎓️ Meet Our Graduate: Beth

Beth graduated this summer with a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences. She undertook her Honours project in the Lamond lab in the Division of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology (MCDB). She said, “Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my 10 weeks in the lab, including my amazing supervisors and everyone in the MCDB division for their invaluable guidance and advice!”

Beth shared her research findings at the Honours Symposium. “It was amazing to be surrounded by such talented and inspiring people, and to read about the incredible research conducted by my peers. I feel so lucky to be able to study Biology at a university where so much groundbreaking, innovative research is being done!”

Looking back on her university journey, Beth had many thank you’s, “Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my time at university; family, friends, lecturers, and colleagues! Very excited to be a graduate, and to move onto my next chapter with all of the knowledge and experience that my degree has given me.”

If you have been inspired by Beth’s story, you can learn more about our courses: https://buff.ly/LAUSL0f

🗓️ Places still available for September 2026 entry.

Looking at 2027 entry? Sign up to be informed when our autumn Open Day bookings are open: https://buff.ly/tGe5QBm

🏆 We have been the top UK university for Biological Sciences research since 2014 (Research Excellence Framework).

Discover your future, discover your Dundee.

📸 Photo credit: Beth

14/08/2026

Planning to attend the Edinburgh Festival Fringe? Like science? Like to laugh?

Join The Provocateurs at the World-Famous Stand Comedy Club for live debate and no easy answers, exploring today's big questions and cutting-edge research.

We're delighted that our very own Dr Mary Wheldon, a medicinal chemist in the University of Dundee's Drug Discovery Unit, will take to the stage with Hard Drugs!

Choose profit, choose western diseases, choose fast solutions, choose easy targets. Dr Mary Wheldon didn't. She chose to work on neglected diseases. She talks about the realities and challenges of doing not-for-profit medical research.

📅 Wednesday 26 August | 17:35-18:35 | Stand 4

📅 Saturday 29 August | 13:45-14:45 | Stand 2

🔗 Book your tickets via the links in the comments 👇

Expect big questions, challenging perspectives and no easy answers.

13/08/2026

Where could a Master's degree take you?

Meet Kashish, a graduate of our Biomedical & Molecular Sciences with Business MSc.

Drawn to the opportunity to combine science and business, Kashish found a supportive learning environment that helped her develop both academically and professionally.

Reflecting on her time at Dundee, “Everyone was so helpful right from the start... I lucked out with my supervisors, they are amazing, and I had the best time.”

Today, she is a PhD student at the University of Leicester, developing patient-derived lung organoids to study asthma mechanisms and personalised therapeutic responses. She is also continuing her entrepreneurial journey through the ConceptionX programme, helping turn cutting-edge research into real-world impact.

If you have a UK 2:2 degree in biological, biochemical, biomedical sciences or a related subject, our MSc could help you develop the scientific knowledge, research experience and transferable skills needed for careers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and beyond.

Scholarships available including an Alumni Scholarship of up to £3k

🔗 Find out more about the course and September 2026 entry via the link in the comments.

12/08/2026

🎓️ Meet Our Graduate: Juan

Juan graduated this summer with a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences (Plant Science). He started university as a Forensic Anthropology student but switched his focus to plants. This cumulated with him undertaking his honours project in the Martinho lab based at The James Hutton Institute.

He explained, “As I learned more about plant sciences, I became fascinated by the molecular mechanisms behind dramatic phenotypic changes in plants, epigenetics in particular, where it's modifications to the DNA rather than of it that drive the change. That fascination led me to switch to Biological Sciences (Plant Science), and eventually to the highlight of my degree: joining Claudia Martinho's lab at the James Hutton Institute.”

Juan is continuing building a career in plant sciences, firstly working the summer as a Crop Inspector with Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, surveying potato crops across Perthshire for viral and bacterial disease. He will then join Wageningen University, Netherlands to start an MSc in Plant Biotechnology/Science. Juan concluded, “Endlessly thankful for the best four years at Dundee, and I can't wait to see where this takes me next!”

If you have been inspired by Juan’s story, you can learn more about our courses: https://buff.ly/LAUSL0f

🗓️ Places still available for September 2026 entry.

Looking at 2027 entry? Sign up to be informed when our autumn Open Day bookings are open: https://buff.ly/tGe5QBm

🏆 We have been the top UK university for Biological Sciences research since 2014 (Research Excellence Framework).

Discover your future, discover your Dundee.

📸 Photo credit: Juan.

05/08/2026

Meet Our Graduate: Laynna

Congratulations to Laynna on graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences!

Laynna undertook her Honours project in the lab of Dr David Murray where she developed biosensors for different phosphoinositides that could be used to study how their distribution changes under different physiological conditions. She said, “This project was an incredibly rewarding experience that strengthened both my wet laboratory and research skills. I’m very thankful to everyone in the lab who supported me throughout the project.”

Looking back on her time at Dundee, Laynna said, “This journey has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It has challenged me academically, helped me grow both personally and professionally, and has been so much fun. If I were 18 again and given the choice to do this degree all over, I would say yes in a heartbeat.”

We wish Laynna well for the future, which starts with her entering the cardiology field by undertaking a summer internship involving cardiovascular bioinformatics.

If you have been inspired by Laynna’s story, you can learn more about our courses: https://buff.ly/k6bucVG

🗓️ Places still available for September 2026 entry.

Looking at 2027 entry? Sign up to be informed when our autumn Open Day bookings are open: https://buff.ly/BS3Kplf

🏆 We have been the top UK university for Biological Sciences research since 2014 (Research Excellence Framework).

Discover your future, discover your Dundee.

📸 Photo credit: Laynna (images 1-3).

04/08/2026