Tim Perkins
Genetic Research Scientist, rows for Cambridge
BSc (majoring in Biophysics and Chemistry) 2001

I finished my biophysics degree at UWA in 2001 and headed for Europe where I took up a job as Research Assistant at Imperial College, London at the Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection.

I now work at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Centre, famous for human genome research, with a world class Pathogen Biology team. The work is on gene expression in salmonella and recently deep sequenced bacterial mRNA which I believe to be a world first.

My other passion is rowing which I started at school and then joined the Western Australia’s Institute of Sport’s talent identification program. I went on to represent Australian in sculling at the World Junior Championships, Nation’s Cup, and World Cup and won the Double Scull at the World Junior Championships.

A highlight of my rowing career was winning the 1999 King’s Cup for Western Australia beating a truly international field. This year, with a lot of my PhD work done, I was successful in earning a place in the Cambridge boat and was awarded a Blue.