Profile
Bushra Abu-Helil
My CV
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Education:
I attended St Peter’s High School but they changed to Ormiston River’s Academy while I was there. I then went to Anglia Ruskin in Cambridge for Univeristy and am now pursuing my PhD with the Univeristy of East Anglia at Quadram Institute Biosciences in Norwich.
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Qualifications:
I have a Bachelor of Science (hons) in Zoology. For this I had to write a 10,000 word dissertation on a subject if my choice. I combined lots of other people’s data to assess similiar findings related to domestic canine aggression.
Before univeristy I obtained A-Levels in Biology, English Literature, Media and Communications and Physical Education and have GCSEs in English Literature, English Language, French, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, ICT; History, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physical Education, Design and Technology and Religous Education.
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Work History:
Whilst studying at univeristy I supported myself by being a Restaurant Supervisor and was a seasonal National Citizenship Service (NCS) Activity Leader, teaching kayaking and rock climbing! After finishing my degree I became an Animal Technician at Wellcome Sanger Institute then later worked as an Associate Scientist at Cancer Research UK giving me relevant experience before I got the opportunity to do my PhD.
Experience is very important so I also particpated in a diveristy of volunteering activties including Unit Leader for Girl Guiding UK, Animal Carer at Lilongwe Wildlife Trust in Malawi, Community Rugby (RFU) Coach, Canoe Coach, Animal Care Assistant at PDSA Pet Hospital and
Volunteering at Sangam World Centre in India. -
Current Job:
Currently I am a full-time PhD student at Quadram Institute Biosciences funded by UKRI BBSRC in association with UEA, Oxford Univeristy and Aviagen.
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About Me:
I am a first year PhD student studying zoology and often referred to as the Chicken Lady 🐔 but I am passionate about ALL animals!
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I live in the Fenlands of Norfolk, surrounded by rivers and Great British wildlife. I feel very at home on the water so you would often find me paddling around my village in a canoe.
I love all animals! I have two dogs but would have a lot more animals if I could! I volunteer locally to keep track of native mammals such as otters and water voles but also take part in seasonal surveying of birds and bugs.
A PhD is a philosophy doctorate, which means after four years of hard work, experiments and studying I will be a doctor of zoological research. To earn a PhD you must investigate something totally new to prove your ability to contribute to the scientific community. I am trying to discover a new way of monitoring the health of chickens that we eat but only with their poo!
I have kept pet chickens, and even bred them myself, since I was 6 years old. Above is a picture of little me with my first pet chicken named Zara Fidget. For me, it is really important to find a way to improve the lives of chickens because they are wonderful animals and have done so much for us human beings!
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Did you know there THREE chickens for every human being on the planet?!
In fact 75% of all farm animals in the world are chickens.
Chicken is the greatest source of protein around the world. With the current climate crises, they are the most sustainable livestock. Chickens are a very important animal to humans, so we must make sure they are living the best life possible.
At the moment, vets check how healthy a chicken is by taking a small amount of blood and running some tests. We do not speak chicken, so having blood taken can be a bit stressful for them. Instead, I want to see if we can test how healthy and happy they are just from there poo! This way, we do not have to take any blood and stress them out but just pick up whatever they left on the floor.
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My Typical Day:
Everyday is different for me but I always start nice and early.
Sometimes I go to farms and chase around chickens for their poo. Once I have the poo, I can start running some experiments to have a closer look! -
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At the farms, each chicken has an individual barcode so I can keep track of the same ones throughout their lives. First, I have to find my chicken, then I plop it into a big plastic container and wait patiently for it to poo. Once I have the poo, the chicken re-joins its friends and I pop the poo into the freezer.
Once I have my chicken poo, the real fun can begin!
We can learn so many different things from poo. We can extract DNA to see exactly what microorganisms (such as bacteria or viruses) are living inside the chicken. We can detect teeny tiny molecules that are being produced. We can even see how much water and nutrients is actually being absorbed by the chicken. Using all this information we can assess how happy and healthy a chicken is.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Passionate animal lover
What did you want to be after you left school?
Zoologist! I am really proud to be doing exactly what I wanted!
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really but once for playing rugby with the boys! 🏉
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Beyonce 👑🐝
What's your favourite food?
Hummus and falafels 🧆
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
(1) Have more pet animals; (2) See more animals in the wild; (3) Have a bigger garden for all the animals!
Tell us a joke.
What do chickens study at university? Egg-onomics 🥚
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