Profile
Joanna Cruden
Oh my goodness I have won! well done Team Jo and thanks for all your votes, I will be back to check for new questions :) This has been great and I am going to have a list of all of your schools so I can send you a copy of the book! Thank you. I am over the moon :)
My CV
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Education:
I was at Park School from 1980 – 1985, then Writtle Agriculture College, City of Westminster College and Middlesex University
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Qualifications:
I have a Bsc (hons) in animal technology, a Diploma in Health and Safety, a diploma in teaching in further education and a professional qualifications
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Work History:
I worked for an animal breeder from 1985-1990, then moved to a pharmacutical company until 2005, then I moved to the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, and in 2007 I started at Imperial College London before coming to GlaxoSmithKline in 2011
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Current Job:
Animal Welfare Officer
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Ever since I was a young girl I wanted to work with animals and to help people. Working with laboratory animals has helped me to improve the lives of many animals and ultimately the lives of people who need the medicines we make.
Animal welfare is a high priority not just for me but for all of the scientists and animal technicians working in laboratories. It is important we have a good understanding of the animals we work with to enable us to meet their needs and give them the most appropriate housing and care because not only will this ensure our animals have a high quality of life we will also produce the most robust scientific results.
Animals play a small but vital role in medical research. I am part of a group that investigate how we can reduce the numbers of animals we use, refine the well being of the animals we house, and replace animals in science with other methods and techniques where we can without compromising the scientific results and being focused on our ultimate goal which is to see patients do more, feel better and live longer.
One of the most exciting things I do is go into secondary schools and talk to the students about the work I do with animals. I get great feedback and have interesting discussions, I learn a lot from the students and I also help them understand more about the work I do.
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My Typical Day:
Looking after the animals, paperwork, meetings and answering questions
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My days are very varied, which is part of the reason I enjoy my job, I do not always know what the day is going to bring. Some days I spend mostly in the office working on the computer or at meetings, answering questions, researching projects and writing instructions for other scientists (protocols). I try to get to the animal unit every day so that I can carry out behavioural observations and discuss the experimental work, while checking the animals are in good health usually I am not so keen to get back to my desk!
When I go into the animal unit I am dressed like this:
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would use the money to produce a book with pictures of the animals and how we look after them
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Pragmatic, compassionate, chocaholic
Were you ever in trouble at school?
I got a board rubber thrown at me several times…..
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Scouting for Girls, Adele, Michael Bublé, Robbie Williams
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To find the alternatives to using animals in research, to own a string of arabian horses and good health
Tell us a joke.
A man walks into a bar and asks for a gin and tonic, he then walks up the wall and across the ceiling before leaving, a customer remarks “that is unusual” and the bar man replies “I know he usually has a beer”
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