Student's project wins gold award

By jduffy

A BUDDING medical researcher who attends KEGS has won a prestigious national science and technology award.

Sixth former Sophie Austin spent more than 100 hours completing a detailed research project which has scooped her a British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) Gold CREST award.

Following a week's work experience at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in February, Sophie won a bursary and a further five-week summer placement where she worked with a team researching new painkillers.

Her project work was entered into the Creativity in Science and Technology (CREST) scheme and won her the top gold award and the opportunity to take part in the BA Young Scientists and Engineers Fair in London next spring. Sophie is due to sit her A-levels next summer.

Stephen Ham, director of science at KEGS, said: "We are extremely proud of Sophie's success. The CREST award is highly coveted and represents around 100 hours of detailed project work. Sophie's experience has confirmed her ambition for a career in medical research."