Ali Vatanpour Azghandi
Ali Vatanpour Azghandi completed his PhD in biological sciences at the University of Salford in 1999. He is now Assistant Professor of Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Department of Tissue Culture and Transformation, and is also the permanent employee of the Agricultural Research and Education Organization (AREO).
He explains his decision to study at Salford:
“I had friends studying at the university who recommended it. A good university was important because I was already a researcher in agricultural sciences before I started my PhD. I needed to develop my skills and experience in the field. With my PhD, I gained valuable experience in complex laboratory work with plant tissue cultures and I also developed my personal transferable skills. I am now using my expertise to undertake research projects in the field of Agricultural Biotechnology as a senior researcher and a member of the academic staff. My advice to PhD students looking for employment is to find out about specialist research institutes in their field because working for such an organisation will really develop the skills obtained from doctoral training.”
by Fiona Christie