Dr Hazel Shaw 

Course Tutor, for Undergraduate Certificate for Infectious Diseases 

What is your academic or professional background? 

After finishing a Bachelor of Biotechnology (Honours) at the University of Queensland (Australia), I knew I wanted to continue studying and wanted to specialise in virology. I studied for my PhD at the University of Glasgow, researching how feline leukaemia virus evolves in response to an infected cat’s immune system and whether this can be used as a model for human disease. I then moved to the University of Leeds for a postdoctoral research position, looking at the nucleic acid structures in the genome of hepatitis C virus. In 2016 I started my current research position at the University of Cambridge. Now I work with bioinformaticians to identify novel proteins and regulatory elements hidden within a wide range of RNA virus genomes. We study both human and veterinary pathogens, including those at high biosafety levels such as SARS-CoV-2.   

How is your subject relevant to our current world? 

Following the Covid pandemic, the public now realises how much pathogens may impact our daily lives. However, there are many, many viruses and bacteria that have pandemic potential and scientists have been studying them for decades without many people even realising they exist! The development of vaccines and anti-microbial treatments is paramount for public health and requires an in-depth understanding of the life cycles of these incredibly interesting micro-organisms.    

What do you love about your subject? 

Sometimes you realise that you are the first person in the world to see a particular experimental result... maybe you’ve found that two proteins interact, or that a virus can infect a particular cell type. That discovery gives me a buzz, which makes all the hard work worth it!   

What books have you published? 

I have published many scientific articles across multiple channels which you can access on my LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazelstewartvirology/details/publications/  

How did you get involved with the Institute of Continuing Education? 

I have always enjoyed teaching. In my previous research roles, I participated in student demonstrations and small group undergraduate practicals for Microbiology, and in 2019 I was recognised as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in response to my teaching and supervision experience. I wanted to get more involved with teaching when I came to Cambridge and luckily the Certificate in Infectious Diseases was being developed at the time! I have really enjoyed developing this syllabus and improving it year-on-year following student feedback.   

Who or what has inspired you? 

I had some great teachers in high school – for me, those early years were central for igniting my passion for science.   

What is the most rewarding part of teaching? 

It is so enjoyable to have discussions (and sometimes heated debates!) with students; this dialogue about current scientific issues is so important. Learning scientific facts is essential, but so is being able to question them in a rigorous manner. Everyone brings something new to the table and I really enjoy meeting the breadth of people who study at ICE. Teaching adults who have returned to study (or started for the first time) is so rewarding as they have a lot of motivation and drive. They are a pleasure to teach and work with.   

What is the best study advice you have ever given? 

“You won’t get a work ethic for Christmas.” It’s true – working hard requires self-discipline, but it will be worth it in the end. 

What do you like to do outside of work? 

My two children are still quite small, so we spend a lot of time at the park and the library! When I get some spare time, I like dancing and baking.