A pink graphic with inset portrait images of Nairn Scobie, Leighann Sherry and Fiona Stubbs above the Brilliant Awards logo, with the text inside a purple trophy shape

Lecturer in Microbiology Dr Leighann Sherry is part of an MVLS team that has been shortlisted in the ‘Outstanding Industry Engagement’ category at the BRILLIANT Festival Awards 2025.

Alongside Fiona Stubbs, the University’s Careers and Employability Manager, and the School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health's Nairn Scobie, Dr Sherry has been recognised for pioneering work in embedding internship projects into the final year of Life Sciences degrees.

The BRILLIANT Festival Awards are an annual UK-wide awards programme dedicated to recognising excellence in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education and industry engagement.

The six award categories this year are Innovators in Science, Creative Visionaries in Art & Design, Tech Excellence, Outstanding Industry Engagement, Maths Mastery, and Engineering Changemakers.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday, 11 November in Liverpool, where our nominees will join colleagues from across the UK for the BRILLIANT Awards Ceremony.

SCMH Senior Lecturer Mr Scobie said: ‘It’s a genuine honour to be shortlisted for the Outstanding Industry Engagement award alongside Leighann and Fiona at this year’s BRILLIANT Festival.

"Creating meaningful internship opportunities and nurturing long-term partnerships with host organisations takes sustained effort and collaboration - all with the goal of helping our students gain valuable, real-world experience to launch their careers. 

“To have that work recognised through this nomination is incredibly rewarding.”

Life Sciences Internship Programme

The Life Sciences Internship Programme connects final-year undergraduate students with industry partners for a 10-week placement, which forms the basis of their final-year project. 

The initiative enables students to apply academic knowledge to real-world challenges while developing both technical and professional skills.

In addition to enhancing student learning, the programme fosters knowledge exchange between the University and participating organisations, influencing workplace practices and strengthening collaboration between academia and industry. 

Students gain first-hand insights into professional environments, workplace expectations, and career pathways — experiences that go beyond traditional classroom learning.

Through mentorship and industry engagement, the initiative helps students refine their career goals, develop confidence, and build key transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving — all essential for success in their future careers.

  • Anyone interested in finding out more about these internship projects or exploring opportunities to host a student is encouraged to contact Nairn Scobie (Nairn.Scobie@glasgow.ac.uk) for further information

First published: 31 October 2025

<< News & Events


LINKS