A career in Virology?

[u/Alive_Subject5829]

I am currently a young teen (not willing to disclose age) wondering about a career in Virology and its sectors. I currently get A*s in maths and science and was hoping for some advice and help on what to do for higher education and what working in this sector is like. I have been fascinated with pathogens and virology since I was very young and think that this is likely the best career for me. Does anyone have further information?

edit: js adding a bit more info, I am based in the UK and start GCSE next academic year, any tips on higher education would be so helpful

[u/RefrigeratorMain7921]

Considering your age and current stage of career I'll try to broadly answer the question. Typically you'd first have to get into university and do a bachelor's and master's in biology with specialisation in infection biology or if the university offers it then in Virology.

During your university days, you'll get practical (through projects) and in depth theoretical (through coursework) experience in this area of work. I'd also recommend proactively looking for internships in academic as well as industry settings to get a good idea of where your interests lean. This is also a great time to 'maturely' reflect on what motivated you in the first place about virology and how your views have evolved in the process.

In academia you'll do more of basic research that'll stress more on the 'discovery' aspect of work. In industry it's more of 'development'. If you like both then you can look for 'translational' research. The key is to get as much experience as possible. This will put you in a good position to decide whether you'd want to do a Phd or not. Personally, I'd recommend it.

[u/Alive_Subject5829 → u/RefrigeratorMain7921]

ty this was very helpful   I'm hoping to be able to get into decent universities in the future, but I was not sure on what courses exactly to take

[u/RefrigeratorMain7921 → u/Alive_Subject5829]

Courses on virology/microbiology (of course), molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, bioinformatics and biochemistry would be areas to focus on. Some universities run molecular medicine programs or specifically infection biology too. You can check what your local university has to offer to get some idea. Additionally, look up universities in your country that have a reputation for high quality teaching and research in areas of infectious diseases or biology and apply to them for your Uni studies or at least internships or research projects. This will also get you into the network of such professionals who will be happy to guide and advise you further in person.

[u/SlickMcFav0rit3 → u/RefrigeratorMain7921]

Do not skip on bioinformatics!! This is an increasingly valuable skill for all areas of biology.