Gayanika Hettiarachchi
Gayanika Hettiarachchi
Graduated in 2011
MSc Biotechnology, Bioprocessing & Business Management
Nationality: Sri Lankan
First degree: Biotechnology
First jobs after graduating: Internships with the International Renewable Energy Agency and DELL Healthcare & Life Sciences
Subsequent job: Clinical IT Project Manager at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Current position (September 2019): Industrial PhD in Digital and Data Driven Healthcare at Monash University, Australia
I was very keen on exploring the commercial aspects of the Biotechnology field and very few Universities were offering such inter-disciplinary programs at the time, Warwick happened to be one. It had a very comprehensive course structure that certainly caught my interest.
The best thing about the course was the diversity of the degree cohort, the late night group work and the support received from the programme managers and lecturers. The MSc cohort was like a family so we would always meet up for a meal and even do movie nights in the class after we had finished our group work.
Doing a course such as this opens up the list of avenues for employment – it didn’t limit me to one particular field. Upon completing this course, I did two internships – one with the International Renewable Energy Agency and the other with DELL Healthcare & Life Sciences, after which I decided I want to remain in the Healthcare industry. Currently, I then worked as a Clinical IT Project Manager at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi where I managed strategic digital health projects that enhance care delivery. Studying at Warwick helped me learn those critical skills that are translational and apply to solving real-life problems in the industry. I gained the skills and confidence needed for a career in the corporate world.