It’s been an amazing first half of 2026! Really pleased to get a couple of shoutouts in the latest Lydia Becker Institute newsletter. Check it out here: sites.manchester.ac.uk/lydia-becker...

Excited to share that I’ll be presenting my work at the BSI London Immunology Group event, Signals and Senses: External Influences on the Immune System. 📅 Friday, 11 September 2026 🗣️ Talk: 11:50 AM on "Investigating B Cell Dynamics and Interaction with the Extracellular Matrix in COPD"

Delighted to have shared my research at the Wednesday Immunology meeting today. It’s always a privilege presenting to such a brilliant, multidisciplinary group of academics across the Lydia Becker Institute! 🔬✨

So proud to have volunteered at the Global Education Innovation Forum at the UoM last week! 🌍📚 We brought together 100+ educators, researchers, and innovators from across the globe to shape the future of education. Huge thanks to the team and my fellow volunteers! 🤝

First BSI Member Rep Forum meeting in the books this week! 🙌 It was so wonderful to meet the rest of the committee. Thrilled to be representing PhD students and bringing our voice to the BSI. Onwards and upwards to the next in person meeting in London!

Delighted to be the Judges' Winner at the UoM 3MT Final! Huge thanks to the organisers, judges, audience, and fellow finalists. As someone with dyslexia, public speaking hasn't always come naturally, so I'm especially proud of this milestone. On to the national Vitae 3MT competition!

Had a fantastic time at the FBMH PGR Symposium! It was a privilege to get involved in so many ways: chairing a session, judging another, presenting my poster, entering the photo competition, and rounding off the day by winning the Fast & Curious Comp. A brilliant showcase of postgraduate research!

How time has flown by! It has been an absolute pleasure to supervise Erasmus 4th-year undergraduate student Laia on her research project over the past five months. She has been an incredible student to mentor and I have no doubt that she has a very bright future ahead of her.

I'm delighted to have received the Best Contribution to Society - Local MDC Excellence Award. A huge thank you to everyone I've had the privilege of working with in our local communities. This award reflects the power of collaboration, engagement, and giving back. 🌟

It was wonderful to represent the Faculty of Biology, Health and Medicine at The Graduate Careers Fair 2026 yesterday, held at The Academy. It was lovely to be able to give back, share my experiences, and hopefully help others navigate their own PhD journeys with a little more confidence.

It was wonderful to be part of the evaluation team at the Universally Manchester Festival yesterday. Great to chat with visitors and hear their feedback on such a fantastic day celebrating science, culture, creativity, and community.

📢 More fantastic news! @hollysedgwick.bsky.social and Dr Stephane Guillaume from the Menon lab have both been elected to represent early-career researchers at the @britsocimm.bsky.social We're proud to see our researchers shaping the future of the immunology community. tinyurl.com/yt2ep8sm

Lydia Becker members Holly Sedgwick and Stephane Guillaume will represent early-career researchers at the BSI

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Had an amazing lab away day at Alton Towers! 🎢 It was great to step away from the bench, spend time together outside the lab, and make some fantastic memories with the wonderful people of the Menon Lab. Feeling very lucky to be part of such a brilliant team.

It was wonderful to attend our Wellcome Trust Away Day at Low Wood Bay last week. Alongside the training and discussions, it was especially great to spend time with the cohort and enjoy the beautiful Lake District setting.

I am absolutely thrilled to share that I’ve been elected as the PhD Representative for the British Society of Immunology ✨ Thank you so much to everyone who voted in this record-breaking election. I can’t wait to advocate for and represent our PhD community! www.immunology.org/news/new-bsi...

What an incredible day taking part in the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run 10K as part of the Team Manchester Purple Wave, celebrating its 10-year anniversary! 💜🏃‍♂️

Had an amazing time speaking at the Pint of Science evening: The Exposome Strikes Back! 🧬 A huge thank you to everyone who came along, to the other speakers for their brilliant talks, and to the organisers for putting together such a great event.

My new blog is up! 🎓 “Resources every Manchester PhD offer holder should bookmark”. The top 10 links, tools, and university resources I recommend every new PGR saves before starting their PhD at Manchester (based on experience). manchesterbmhstudents.wordpress.com/2026/05/19/r...

Resources every Manchester PhD offer holder should bookmark

Holly, a final year PhD student researching Immunology and Inflammation (immuno-matrix and respiratory health) as part of the Wellcome Trust Immunomatrix in Complex Disease PhD programme at Manches…

manchesterbmhstudents.wordpress.com

So many exciting things are happening in 2026, and I’m thrilled to share that I’ve made it through the heats and will be competing in the Manchester 3MT final on 11th June ✨

In my latest blog, I share 10 reasons to consider Manchester for your PhD, from the vibrant student community to the incredible opportunities that have made my own PhD journey so rewarding and enjoyable. 🐝 manchesterbmhstudents.wordpress.com/2026/04/24/1...

Really proud to share I was awarded 2nd place in “Student of the Year – Benefiting the Wider Community” at the University of Manchester Volunteer of the Year Awards 2026 🎉 For my outreach work engaging the public, helping demystify pathways into STEM, and making immunology more accessible.

Once again, it was lovely to take part in the PhD Cafe ☕️ The PhD Cafe gives current Manchester students a chance to meet and chat 1-2-1 with postgraduate researchers and admissions teams in a relaxed setting (with plenty of tea, coffee, and sweet treats!).

I’m happy to share that I won Best Seasonal/Spring Transition in the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) photo competition! A big thank you to everyone involved 🌸

Excited to share that I’ll be speaking at Pint of Science 2026 on Wednesday 20th May, 7–9pm at The Salutation, Manchester (M15 6ED)! 🍻🔬 I’ll be giving a talk titled The Hidden Biology of the Air We Breathe. 🎟️ Tickets are now on sale: pintofscience.co.uk/event/the-ex...

🚀 Happy to share that the new Menon Lab website is live! I had the pleasure of helping design it, showcasing our amazing team, research, and public engagement work. Big thanks to everyone who contributed! Check it out here: www.menonlab.co.uk

It was fantastic to return and support another cohort of undergraduate and PGT students at the 2026 Allied4Health Bootcamp. Always inspiring to see such creativity, collaboration, and thoughtful ideas in response to complex issues, and a brilliant chance to share insights into postgraduate research

Had a wonderful time volunteering at the Lydia Becker stand this morning for British Science Week at Manchester Museum! Loved bringing back the newly renovated fan-favourite games, like Splat the Virus 🎯 so much fun seeing everyone join in!

Had a wonderful visit to the University of Oxford yesterday! It was fantastic working with the Oxplore team to translate our immunology-focused resources into engaging, interactive lessons. Excited to see these ideas come to life and help make complex science more accessible for learners.

Happy to be involved in creating three Biology lesson packs for ages 13–14 on the immune system and vaccine pipeline, with Olivia Shorthouse (University of Manchester) and Rachel Hindmarsh (University of Oxford) as part of T4TM. www.immunology.ox.ac.uk/about/public... www.tes.com/resources/se...

Thanks for the Memories (T4TM)

immunology.ox.ac.uk

Happy to share my latest PGR blog is live! 🎉 I explore the hidden perks of PhD life, spoiler: it’s not just experiments and deadlines. 🎓✨ Check it out here 👉 manchesterbmhstudents.wordpress.com/2026/01/09/p...

PhD life beyond the lab coat: Hidden perks of being a PhD student

Discover the diverse opportunities for PhD students at Manchester, from networking to teaching, all enhancing your research journey.

manchesterbmhstudents.wordpress.com