Welcome to my blog!
This post is a bit of a introduction.
I am Sofiia, starting university next year to study biomedical science and in love with all things musicals, animals, biology, STEM, science, disability awareness, neurodiversity inclusion and more.
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Some links:
email: sofiiafurman.reachout@gmail.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiia-furman-8a6853340/
https://x.com/SofiiaFurman_x
https://www.instagram.com/sofiiaf_insta/
https://www.threads.net/@sofiiaf_insta
(insta for my puppy @sunshine.superdog)
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| Introduction | I’m Sofiia- a biology student who loves musicals, animals, health, STEM, biomedical science, biosecurity, disability awareness and more! |
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| Interests | biology, biomedicine, biomedical science, science, stem, medicine, health, biosecurity, musicals, animals, disability awareness, neurodiversity, inclusion |
| Favorite Music | Hamilton, In the Heights, Wicked, Matilda, Les Mis, Dear Evan Hansen, Amelie, Anastasia, Waitress, Frozen |
What is your favourite unique and specific compliment you ever recieved?
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My bio blog: Sofiia Furman Biology Blog (plus some personal things on musicals, life, notes, podcast planning, conferences, papers, internships, wet and dry labs, lit reviews, rabbits, dogs, life with puppies, policy and comms, public and global health)
Currently volunteering and helping out with Leaf courses and other projects...
A bio podcast I run: Under the Microscope Biology Podcast (also YT and podcast apps under ‘Under the Microscope Biology Podcast’ or Insta/X/Threads/Facebook (mainly Insta and Threads) on @UTMPodcastbio
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My experiences
Starting Biomedical Science at Bath University 2025. Currently open to wet and dry lab biology experience, and upskilling in data analysis and bioinformatics. Help run Leaf courses.
Past experience: founder of EAXplore, completed EA Intro, Handbook Calls, and CF2023 alum. Founder of school MedSoc and BSLSoc. 2nd Place in National Public Speaking at English Speaking Union 2022, winner of BrightIdeas Medical Research.
Podcast https://utmbiopod.buzzsprout.com/ on biologists doing good, blog https://sofiiabioblog.blogspot.com/
Pate’s Grammar School Alevel and GCSE
Grade: Biology A, Psychology A, Chemistry pending 2025
Grade: Biology A, Psychology A, Chemistry pending 20
9 A* (9 in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English Lit, English Lang, History, Geography, Drama and 8 in Higher Mathematics)
Volunteer 2023-2024, Community Organiser 2024-nowVolunteer 2023-2024, Community Organiser 2024-now
LeafLeafEducationEducation
After participating in online courses (Save 10 lives before age 20) and in person Changemaker Fellowship 2023, volunteered as student liason for History to Shape History cohorts, and as community manager for over 400 students in Summer 2024 in AI, History, Biology and Maths courses. Continuing on with helping out with admin, writing, safeguarding assistance and organisation.
Other experiences:Other experiences:
-2023 Changemaker Fellow: completed ‘save-10-lives’ programs and ‘EA VP’ and ran handbook calls on multiple different topics such as healthcare inequality, resource management and vaccine systems. Winner of ‘Explore Fellowship’ through biomedical talk
-Won 2nd in UK in public speaking at ‘English Speaking Union 2022 public speaking competition’ on disability access and support, winner of debate and public speaking competitions on contraception, mental health, social media and others
-Volunteer- tutor for SEND children, Y7 mentor, GP and health volunteering, animal centres, primary schools, kitchens and language teaching volunteer at weekend school
-Proficiency in Russian (from Ukraine), BSL learner (and founded sign choir for over 250 students), CyberAdvanced, CyberFutures and GCHQ CyberFirst programs completed for 8 years in computer science and information security- working on biological overlap, including researching DNA and health data safety, biorisk mapping and in silico models
-Advocate roles- science ambassador, disability access to higher education, Unifrog neurodiversity ambassador-2023 Changemaker Fellow: completed ‘save-10-lives’ programs and ‘EA VP’ and ran handbook calls on multiple different topics such as healthcare inequality, resource management and vaccine systems. Winner of ‘Explore Fellowship’ through biomedical talk -Won 2nd in UK in public speaking at ‘English Speaking Union 2022 public speaking competition’ on disability access and support, winner of debate and public speaking competitions on contraception, mental health, social media and others -Volunteer- tutor for SEND children, Y7 mentor, GP and health volunteering, animal centres, primary schools, kitchens and language teaching volunteer at weekend school -Proficiency in Russian (from Ukraine), BSL learner (and founded sign choir for over 250 students), CyberAdvanced, CyberFutures and GCHQ CyberFirst programs completed for 8 years in computer science and information security- working on biological overlap, including researching DNA and health data safety, biorisk mapping and in silico models -Advocate roles- science ambassador, disability access to higher education, Unifrog neurodiversity ambassador
Primary research and independent data analysis- Jan-Dec 2023Primary research and independent data analysis- Jan-Dec 2023
-Designed a primary study on ‘Ehlers Danlos syndromes and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis’ with 105 responses with statistically significant findings on new data trends in healthcare, media and symptoms experiences, conducted ethical reviews and wrote paper
-Presented this research to a 400 seat lecture theatre at university research conference and won 1st prize-Designed a primary study on ‘Ehlers Danlos syndromes and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis’ with 105 responses with statistically significant findings on new data trends in healthcare, media and symptoms experiences, conducted ethical reviews and wrote paper -Presented this research to a 400 seat lecture theatre at university research conference and won 1st prize
Research and lab experience positions, including wet lab work at RG universities- summer 2021-22Research and lab experience positions, including wet lab work at RG universities- summer 2021-22
-Research, lab assistant and educational positions at multiple universities, including Bath, Bristol, Oxford, Warwick, Cambridge and others to gain understanding of biomedical innovations and develop technical skills
-Partook in data analysis, source evaluation and paper critique, as well as wet lab work including on using microscopy to study cancerous stem cells, cytotoxicity differential staining, model animal use, preparing stock solutions, antimicrobial agents analysis, and use of lab equipment
-Completed wet lab projects from scratch on ‘superfood solution affect on E coli agar plates’, as well as assisting in dry labs projects on cancer biology, immunology, genetics and antibiotic resistance
-Wrote papers on scientific literature analysis, primary data and research methodology, gaining valuable biological foundation-Research, lab assistant and educational positions at multiple universities, including Bath, Bristol, Oxford, Warwick, Cambridge and others to gain understanding of biomedical innovations and develop technical skills -Partook in data analysis, source evaluation and paper critique, as well as wet lab work including on using microscopy to study cancerous stem cells, cytotoxicity differential staining, model animal use, preparing stock solutions, antimicrobial agents analysis, and use of lab equipment -Completed wet lab projects from scratch on ‘superfood solution affect on E coli agar plates’, as well as assisting in dry labs projects on cancer biology, immunology, genetics and antibiotic resistance -Wrote papers on scientific literature analysis, primary data and research methodology, gaining valuable biological foundation
Science leadership 2020-23Science leadership 2020-23
- Continued my role as science mentor and ran BrightScience groups for 5 years as team leader, and CREST award biology group
- Founded and ran Y11 medical society, and online weekly discussion group on global health and public health, presented talks on biomedical science- Continued my role as science mentor and ran BrightScience groups for 5 years as team leader, and CREST award biology group—Founded and ran Y11 medical society, and online weekly discussion group on global health and public health, presented talks on biomedical science
Supercurricular biology education projects- 2020-23Supercurricular biology education projects- 2020-23
-Completed many education projects including lecture series, BrightIdeas, science research competitions, won scholarships and awards on biology essays
-Cambridge PHD biology tutors program- did weekly small group tuition on cancer biology with literature review and academic poster design elements
-Wrote and presented posters on TB, diabetes, clinical trials, conservation, medical access, antibiotic resistance, epigenetics and autoimmune diseases at many universities and youth conferences
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Stay kind and curious!!
HEAs
In my eyes, I have not made an effective impact yet in any cause area, especially biosecurity or public health, and yet I think compared to most 18 year olds I have started making choices that will set me up to have an effective career and mindset, plus I have been gaining comm building skills throughout my work.
Next year @Jian Xin Lim🔹 kindly offered for me to take over EABath (when I start uni) and I also help out a bit at Leaf. And it got me thinking
What is the ideal outcome of a HEA? Are all HEAs on the same path? Say someone took on all reasoning, and chose earn to give and donated millions to GiveWell (think similar to FTX without any integrity issues in terms of involvement), if all EAs did that we’d get diminishing returns on the top charities, we’d lose the community, other cause areas may suffer and also it just would feel a bit of an afterthought. And yet would we consider that individual a HEA if his reasoning for all the earning and donation aligned with the 4 tenets and had that idea of helping others effectively?
Compared to someone who maybe is against animal welfare issues. If that person earned to give as a head of factories with poor conditions, they may lower costs and conditions to donate more (let’s say purely to donate more) whilst the person concerned with animal welfare who is also an EA may try to do the opposite. So are they both HEAs? Do we have a metric?
Just some rough thoughts swirling around, nothing concrete or important but would love to hear