Leeds Biotechnology graduate wins British Council Alumni Award

Mariam ElShatlawy, a First-Class Honours graduate in BSc Biotechnology with Enterprise, has been recognised with the prestigious “UAE Social Action Award” by the British Council.

This award celebrates her exceptional efforts in tackling misinformation about COVID-19 on social media using her background in science and her academic achievements, including publishing a research paper with Professor Richard Bayliss and Dr Josephina Sampson.

During the Covid pandemic, I realised misinformation was spreading faster than the virus itself. So, I took matters into own hands as I couldn’t bear sitting at home doing nothing about it.

It was then when she decided to step out of her comfort zone and transform her Instagram handle into a public account, @thebiofreak.

The account became a platform for debunking COVID-19 myths and making accurate, accessible content available to a wider audience.

Mariam’s content focused on the nature of the virus, the differences between vaccines being manufactured, and raising awareness about immune-susceptible individuals.

This was grounded in the knowledge and confidence she had gained during her time at the University of Leeds.

Mariam's award from the British Council is wonderful news and well-deserved. Her work in supporting other students is truly inspirational. She also has a real flair for communicating science, whether in an academic paper, a social media platform, or a professional presentation in the biotechnology sector.

Within the first few hours of posting her debut video, it reached 5,000 views and attracted connection requests from prominent science communicators who expressed their gratitude and proposed collaborations.

This milestone opened Mariam’s eyes to the potential of social media as a tool for science communication.

“Although the number may sound small, when you consider that Instagram is a massive platform, the awareness about health technology reached a whole new audience,” added Mariam.

Throughout her degree, Mariam leveraged her platform to support international students considering studying science abroad and over time, the aim of @thebiofreak expanded to sharing unbiased information about diseases such as cancer and guiding students on navigating STEM degrees.

Her content included “day-in-the-life” videos, snapshots of laboratory work, and biological experiments. One of her TikTok videos gained over 3 million views and drew attention from Microsoft, inspiring students to seek her advice on career paths.

To date, she has supported over 50 young people, helping many pursue careers in biotechnology.

And she also worked with the Careers Centre at the University of Leeds to support students with career advice and job applications.

“When I was younger, back home, I struggled to explore what opportunities were out there as there was little information available about biotechnology in particular. Pursuing a Biotechnology degree was quite unusual until COVID-19 happened, and people became more aware. I wanted to help others as pursuing my passion for science has led me to amazing places already. I’m grateful for my family, friends, and Professor Richard for believing in me, and I’m proud I didn’t give up when times got tough,” Mariam reflected.

Finding success at Leeds

Born and raised in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Mariam left her at home at 17 to pursue her passion at University of Leeds.

During her time at Leeds, Mariam was able to meet people from diverse backgrounds which exposed her to different perspectives and lived experiences.

“I’d walk to university and I’d see everyone dressed differently. Everyone would speak differently and study different courses; everyone is pushed and driven towards their passion. It showed that there is creativity and uniqueness in every individual.”

Being part of a Russell Group university known for its research also helped Mariam to meet individuals who showed the same passions for science, learning, and academia.

This grew my love and ambitions to making science an accessible career path to societies all over the world through my digital platform.

Her successes on Instagram and at the university have led to her featuring in Cosmopolitan ME magazine and becoming a STEM ambassador at AstraZeneca.

She now works at Infinitopes, a bio-tech spin out company at Oxford University which specialises in cancer vaccine discovery and development.

You can reach out to Mariam on LinkedIn.

Discover more about the BSc in Biotechnology by watching the below video:

About the British Council

The awards aim to celebrate the outstanding achievements of business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders for their contribution to global challenges.