Three PhD students in the LMB’s Cell Biology Division recently completed three-month policy internships: Razina Kazi and Anna Edmondson at the Academy of Medical Sciences and Katherine Brown at Sense about Science. Their placements offered a unique opportunity to step outside the lab and engage with science in a broader societal context. From contributing to policy reports and attending parliamentary committees to supporting public engagement initiatives, they gained valuable insights into how science intersects with policy and communication.
Why did you apply for a policy internship?
Razina Kazi (RK): As I approached the end of my PhD, I wanted to explore career paths beyond the lab. I’ve always been interested in the intersection of science and policy, so this internship was a chance to understand how evidence informs decision-making in real-world contexts.
Anna Edmondson (AE): I was curious about how science can influence the wider world. Policy offers a direct route to impact, in which scientific insights can rapidly shape decisions. I saw this as a potential career path worth exploring for after my PhD.
Katherine Brown (KB): Nearing the end of my PhD, I was interested in exploring impactful careers outside of the laboratory setting. I discovered Sense about Science through a fellow PhD student, who had a great experience completing an internship there, and I felt Sense about Science’s mission to promote the public interest in sound science and evidence really resonated with me.
What did your internship involve?
AE: I worked across both UK and international policy teams, supporting event planning and streamlining rapid response processes. I also assisted an international conference on child global health which brought together scientists, patient representatives and policymakers from around the world to share challenges and solutions to common public health issues.
RK: The internship was highly varied, most of my time was spent with the UK policy team, where I contributed to projects on child health, AI regulation in drug discovery and the application of quantum sensing technologies in healthcare. I supported work on a report on sustainable health research, collaborated on consultation responses, and attended a parliamentary committee on financing and scaling UK science and technology. I also assisted in identifying peer reviewers for grant applications and observed grants panels in action. Day to day tasks included, literature reviews, desk-based research, attending meetings and drafting briefings and other documents. As part of the internship scheme I had the opportunity to spend the day at MRC and Wellcome, learning about the policies that guide their funding and research activities.
KB: I was given meaningful responsibility early on and worked on projects aligned with my interests. Including Sense about Science’s Responsible Handover of AI initiative, helping to implement their Responsible Handover framework – an AI governance approach aiming to ensure critical information is not lost during the transfer of AI and data-driven tools throughout development to adoption. This included collaborating with a leading bioinformatics platform and helping design training materials. I also supported a public engagement project, co-creating accessible summaries of medical research with researchers, medical professionals and members of the public, aiming to help inform decision-making by the public, policymakers and the medical community.
How did it differ from your PhD work at the LMB?
AE: Shifting from eight hours of flexible, hands-on lab work to a structured 9-to-5 routine of desk-based literature searching and note-taking was initially a bit of a shock, but one which I quickly settled into. I also gained insight into how policitians define evidence very differently to scientists, with policitians often being satistifed with legal-style reasoning as opposed to data-based arguments.
RK: My PhD is entirely lab-based and I spend most of my time at the bench, so being desk-based all day was a change. Writing for policy audiences required a different style — brief, clear, to the point. It was a valuable contrast to academic writing and helped me appreciate the importance of communication in shaping policy. The work was very collaborative, quite different from my PhD which is more independent. I found working as part of a team to be both a valuable experience and something I very much enjoyed.
KB: At the LMB, my work is highly focussed and technical. In contrast, my internship was varied and people-oriented. I interacted with stakeholders, attended networking events and helped run workshops – all of which expanded my communication and collaboration skills beyond the laboratory.
Were there any areas of overlap with your work at the LMB?
RK: One skill I carried over was the ability to digest large volumes of information and summarise it clearly — something I’ve developed during my PhD and found invaluable in policy work.
AE: After finishing my internship at the Academy, I immediately began writing my thesis. The skills developed during the previous few months helped tremendously with literature searching. I was able to identify and extract key information from research papers much more quickly, enabling me to work on my thesis with greater efficiency. I was surprised by how little perfectionism is required in policy — it’s more about speed and clarity than finesse. That said, I missed working with experimental data and realised I’m happiest when I’m closer to science.
KB: My experience as an early career researcher helped me contribute meaningfully to Sense about Science’s Voice of Young Science programme, an expanding international community of Early Career Researchers who are inspired and motivated to stand up for science and evidence in public discussions. I could draw on my own journey to provide insight to others navigating similar paths.
Did you learn anything that surprised you?
KB: I had not expected to gain such deep insight into organisational strategy. Sitting in on monthly review meetings and participating in discussions around long-term planning was incredibly valuable and something I will carry forward in my career.
RK: I gained a new understanding of how organisations like the Academy work together with stakeholders to advocate for evidence based decision making. Seeing how experts are brought together to shape reports that can influence government policy was eye-opening — it gave me a real sense of how scientific research can drive societal progress and make an impact.
AE: I was shocked by the disconnect between scientific researchers and polictians. Scientists aren’t rewarded for engaging with politics, which creates a communication gap. It made me realise how vital organisations like the Academy are in bridging that divide, and how important it is to credit scientists who do engage.
Has the internship changed your career plans?
AE: I was unsure about my next steps, but this experience opened my eyes to the wide variety of science-related roles out there. Surprisingly it also reignited my interest in startups and innovation — especially after meeting inspiring female fellows of the Academy. I now feel more confident in pursuing leadership roles.
RK: The internship confirmed my interest in science policy and showed me how many opportunities exist beyond academia. I’m still figuring out my next steps, but I do know I want to stay connected to science in a broader context.
KB: I had already been leaning towards a career outside of academia, and this internship solidified that decision. I am thrilled to be returning to Sense about Science after my PhD, as it is exactly the kind of work I want to be doing.
What advice would you give to other PhD students considering applying to an internship?
AE: Just do it. It’s a great way to break out of the academic bubble and develop new skills. Even if you return to academia, you’ll come back with fresh energy and a broader perspective. It’s a myth that taking time out for an internship harms your PhD — for me, it was the opposite.
KB: I wholeheartedly recommend it. I learnt a great deal from this experience, and it has given me substantial insight into the important role researchers can play in society. Furthermore, I had a fantastic time at Sense about Science and would highly recommend completing an internship with them.
RK: I’d strongly encourage anyone to apply, it was an amazing experience! Whether you’re planning to leave academia or stay, it will help you understand how science can inform policy and where you fit in the wider scientific research ecosystem.
Further references
The Academy of Medical Sciences Internship Schemes
Sense About Science Internships
From PhD to elite sports policy research: Aiwei Zeng’s Policy Internship
From fertilisation PhD studies to artificial intelligence in healthcare: Hannah Webb’s policy internship at The Academy of Medical Sciences
Sense About Science Voice of Young Science