‘I wanted to do more with data from the lab’

Second-year master's student, Gwenny Leistra, chose this master because she wanted to utilise all the data that is produced in the lab.

'During my bachelor I did research in a laboratory and I saw that a lot of the data we generated was not used. In hospitals this is also the case with patient data like heart rates and blood pressure. I chose this master because I wanted to do more with this data. The data is already there, why not use it to discover more about correlations and causations?'

'The master has been very nice so far. The lessons are very relevant and the teachers are always close by to answer questions. We also have to do a lot on our own, in study groups, for instance, but there are classrooms available where we can sit whenever we want to do this. This really improves the collaboration.'

'In the first semester we had a "Quantified self"-project, where we had to measure ourselves with a smartwatch and visualise the data. In the next semester, we are doing an "Omics"-project in collaboration with the UMCG to visualise big data. The nice thing is that we use the skills we pick up during the courses in these projects, so the balance between theory and practice is perfect. We can use everything we learn directly.'

'If you don't have experience programming or with omics it might be wise to study a bit before your start, but you also get introductory courses to help you along. I really think I am gaining knowledge and skills during this master programme that will help me in the future. I would like to do a PhD in data sciences, and I think I have more chance of getting into such a programme with a master degree.'