Introduction

I am thrilled to introduce you to a remarkable individual today. Deimante’s focus is specifically in the fascinating field of virology. As a dedicated research Master’s student, she has navigated the complexities of academia. She effectively balances the demands of her studies, work, and personal life. Her journey from a first-generation university student to a proactive researcher is inspiring, and her insights into the field of virology provide a unique perspective that is both educational and engaging.

Join me as we dive into her experiences, motivations, and the valuable lessons she’s learned along the way. From the surprises and challenges of her studies to her aspirations for the future, get ready to explore the world of virology through her eyes!

Follow her instagram: curious.research

1. What inspired you to pursue a master’s degree, and why did you choose virology specifically? 
2. What does a typical day look like for you as a master’s student? 
3. What’s been the most rewarding part of your journey so far, both academically and personally? 
4. What’s something about studying virology that surprised you or challenged your initial expectations? 
5. Where do you see yourself after completing your master’s? Do you have a specific career path or dream job in mind? 
6. What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a master’s degree in science? 
7. If you could collaborate with any scientist (past or present), who would it be and why? 
8. How do you balance the demands of your studies with maintaining your Instagram page and sharing your journey? 
9. What do you hope your followers take away from your content, especially those considering careers in science? 
10. What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you before starting your master’s program? 

1) What inspired you to pursue a master’s degree, and why did you choose virology specifically? 

When I first applied for my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science, I was determined to become a Biomedical Scientist and work within the NHS. However, as I progressed through my degree, my aspirations changed, and I realized that becoming a Biomedical Scientist wasn’t the path I wanted to follow. 

One piece of advice I always share with those considering this degree is to stay open-minded. You may not enjoy all the modules you think you will, and you might end up loving the ones you initially dread. For instance, I was convinced I’d love Haematology and hate Biochemistry, but it turned out to be the opposite! 

My interest in virology began during my first year when we had occasional virology lectures embedded within modules like Microbiology. I found these lectures fascinating and wanted to delve deeper into the subject, but I felt the coverage of virology was limited in my course. In my second year, I reached out to my now-supervisor to express my interest in undertaking a wet lab project for my final year. 

Typically, virology projects for undergraduates are computational, but my supervisor saw potential in me—perhaps my motivation and strong work ethic as an Eastern European played a role (lol)—and he agreed to supervise my project. He even gave me the option to choose between two projects. Honestly, I was ready to take up whatever he gave me just to gain the lab experience. I wanted to learn something new. 

Through this experience, my supervisor got to know my work ethic and dedication. He later suggested that I pursue an MRes to continue building on the work I started during my undergraduate degree. There was a lot left to accomplish. My actual research time was limited to about five months. This did not include the time spent training to work in a BSL-2 lab, which I did over the summer before my third year started, and learning basic lab protocols. After giving it a lot of thought and reflecting on my career goals, I decided to take his advice. I was genuinely enjoying the work and felt that continuing this path was the right choice for me. 

2) What does a typical day look like for you as a master’s student? 

I am a research Master’s student rather than a taught Master’s student. I have a lot of flexibility, which is handy in research. However, it can be tricky on days where I lack motivation. I have tried to stick very much to a Mon-Fri 9-5 routine, which would ensure I dedicate enough hours for my research and have a life-work balance. I learned the importance of balance the hard way. Toward the end of my undergraduate degree, I experienced severe burnout. This left me unproductive for extended periods of time during exam period. 

Although I’m still perfecting my routine, no two days are the same, as my schedule often depends on the experiments I’m running. I spend anywhere from 1 to 6 hours in the lab each day. My life revolves a lot around that work. The rest of my time is spent writing, reading research papers, or working on the bioinformatics side of my research. I also work from home frequently, as I find I’m most productive in that environment. 

A typical day for me starts at 7 am. I’ll head to the gym, get ready, and have breakfast before settling down to write or tackle computational tasks until lunchtime. After lunch, I usually head to campus to complete my lab work. However, on days with long incubation periods, I’ll go to the lab first thing in the morning and stay there for most of the day. I often share snippets of my day-to-day life on Instagram, showing the realities of being a postgraduate research student. 

3) What’s been the most rewarding part of your journey so far, both academically and personally? 

Academically, I am a first-generation university student, so just graduating with a bachelor’s degree was a significant milestone for everyone in my family. I am a perfectionist, so I felt a BSc wasn’t enough for me. This is why I’m now pursuing a Master’s (again, lol). That said, I’ve always had a drive to learn new things, both within and beyond academia. 

On a personal level, while I sometimes feel like I haven’t achieved much, deep down I know I have. I moved to the UK over six years ago and have been living independently without my family. Throughout my A-Levels, undergraduate studies, and now postgraduate studies, I’ve worked consistently to support myself financially. During my undergraduate years, balancing work and study was manageable, but in postgraduate studies, it has become significantly harder. Currently I have two part-time jobs and I try my best to keep up with my academic Instagram page (I think most people who have one will understand it can be a lot of work!). I have immense admiration for people pursuing PhDs while working full-time. Raising children is equally challenging. I can’t even begin to imagine the challenges they face. It’s truly inspiring. 

4) What’s something about studying virology that surprised you or challenged your initial expectations? 

What surprised me the most is how little virology has been researched and how few virologists there are worldwide. Many of us have likely heard some figures thrown around. Here’s an example: it’s estimated that there are around 320,000 unknown mammalian viruses. That number doesn’t even include viruses found in other animals, plants, or ecosystems. Yet, we currently know of just under 6,000 viruses. That’s crazy! It’s a situation similar to the vast number of unknown species in the ocean. 

Estimating the number of virologists globally is hard, but the World Society for Virology provides some perspective. As of 2021, they connected just over 1,500 members from 86 countries. While the global representation is promising, the number of virologists still feels surprisingly small compared to the immense scope of virology research waiting to be explored. And this is definitely one of the things that is motivating me to do my research! 

5) Where do you see yourself after completing your master’s? Do you have a specific career path or dream job in mind? 

I was considering pursuing a PhD in Virology, as I’m aware of some excellent opportunities available right now. However, the financial difficulties faced by PhD students have made me reconsider, especially now as I have had a taste of what postgraduate research is like. Therefore, I’ve decided not to pursue a PhD and instead transition into industry. 

My goal is to secure a spot in a graduate scheme or an entry-level role where I can start gaining experience and work my way up. I’m particularly interested in vaccine production or drug design, but I’m also open to exploring other opportunities. You never truly know what you’ll enjoy until you try! 

6) What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a master’s degree in science? 

For an MRes, my advice is to pursue it only if you are extremely self-motivated. You need to be the type of person who will get the work done without constant reminders from your supervisor. For instance, if your supervisor asks you to submit a chapter by a certain date, they probably won’t mention it again until the deadline—so it’s up to you to stay on track. This isn’t something you can cram the night before, as you might have done during undergrad. 

Additionally, be prepared for failure, especially in the lab. Experiments often don’t go as planned, and you’ll need to make numerous optimizations. However, don’t let setbacks discourage you—that’s simply the nature of research. 

7) If you could collaborate with any scientist (past or present), who would it be and why? 

The scientist I would love to collaborate (and learn from!) is Krzysztof Pyrc. You might not have heard of him. He is a Polish molecular virologist. He is also one of the scientists who identified the virus I am currently working on. I think collaborating with him would be an incredible opportunity. 

8) How do you balance the demands of your studies with maintaining your Instagram page and sharing your journey? 

I touched on this a bit in my previous answers, but for me, time management—specifically time blocking—is key. This approach helps me make the most of my time. I also try to use my time efficiently outside of those ‘blocked-off’ periods. For example, when I’m at the gym, I’ll catch up on Instagram posts and stories, interact with interesting content, respond to texts I didn’t have time for earlier, and do my Duolingo (I’m on a 600+ day streak, so I can’t let that go). 

I also focus on managing my screen time, redirecting that time toward house chores, cooking, or reading instead. 

9) What do you hope your followers take away from your content, especially those considering careers in science? 

I aim to be open and honest on my Instagram page, allowing undergraduate students who follow me to get a real glimpse into what it’s like to be a research student—the good, the bad, and the dirty. When I was preparing for my MRes, I followed many PhD students, and their content gave me valuable insight into what a research degree truly involves.  

Once I finish my master’s, I hope people will continue to follow my journey as I (hopefully) transition into industry. There isn’t enough content about what it’s like to work in this field. I’d love to help fill that gap. 

10) What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you before starting your master’s program? 

I wish someone had asked me, ‘Do you realize what you’re getting yourself into?’ because research is hard. HOWEVER, no matter how much you think you understand, you can never fully grasp how challenging it is or how much work it requires until you experience it firsthand. 

Conclusion

Engaging in meaningful conversations and sharing insights can enrich our perspectives and motivate us to pursue our passions. I would like to say a massive thank you to Deimante for sharing her journey! I hope she has inspired you (she has inspired me!)Let’s carry this inspiration forward and continue to support one another in our respective journeys.

Instagram: Curious.research