Young scientist and Bioinformatics for Ukraine student Anastasiia Boshtova is about to embark on one of the most ambitious adventures of her career. This fall, she will start her MSc in genomic medicine at Oxford University in the UK.
“I applied for this particular program because I am interested in studying genomics and its applications in clinical practice, including earlier diagnostics and prevention of diseases, personalized treatments, and studying the role of genetic variation in diseases,” she said.
Boshtova became interested in biology as a child, when she worked on a scientific research project on genetics and selection of irises at the Mykolaiv Regional Student Ecological and Naturalistic Center, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine.
“When it came time to choose my specialty in university, I knew I wanted to focus on a field related to genetics. However, I also had a strong desire to apply this knowledge in practical settings. Therefore, I decided to enroll in the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, where I pursued and successfully graduated with a BSc in Biotechnology,” she said.
During her studies, she also worked as an intern at the Nucleic Acid Biosynthesis Laboratory of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, where she wrote her bachelor thesis. The process of applying for Oxford University was a remarkable test of resourcefulness.
“A challenge was dealing with the power outages in Ukraine that were at their peak during the time I was applying; we went without power for more than a day at times, so I charged every electronic device I had, worked on them one at a time, and slept in between, when each item ran out of charge,” she said.
Boshtova hopes to pursue a scientific career focused on genomics, and hopes that this MSc program will be crucial in laying a strong foundation for her future PhD research.
“I want to contribute to the rebuilding of Ukraine, its scientific sphere and play a role in the development of the next generation of our scientists without them having to move abroad to study their areas of interest,” Boshtova said.