Patricia Paluch Apprentice Laboratory Technician
Patricia is an apprentice in the MC² Facility where she will be trained in a range of analytical instruments, with a focus on microscopy.
Contact details
pp583@bath.ac.uk +44 (0)1225 386681
Role
Patricia will initially cover Silvia Martinez Micol’s role during her maternity leave, providing general laboratory support and instrument maintenance as well as assistance with the preparation of material and biological samples for microscopy. After this time she will continue to develop her skills and support to users access the MC² services.
The particular focus of her apprenticeship is to become familiar with support for a variety of complex microscopes including Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Raman Microscope and various other analytical instruments e.g. Fourier Transform IR Spectroscopy (FTIR), Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting (FACs) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX). Although she will not be running the instruments until further in her apprenticeship, she will learn the operating principles and help with the sample preparation and maintenance aspects.
Career
After completing pedagogical studies, Patricia worked at the Municipal Welfare Centre in Jaworzno, Poland, as a social worker. In 2009, she transferred to the Department of Psychological and Social Readaptation assisting individuals and families with mental health issues. In December 2011 the Mayor of Jaworzno appointed her to the position of the Head of the Municipal Disability Assessment Committee, making her responsible for administrative organisation, team supervision, preparation of financial plans, and the compilation of information and opinions.
In 2014, she moved to the UK and in 2017 started working at the University of Bath in the Department of Estates as a porter in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. One year later, she became a Laboratory Assistant in Biology and Biochemistry, where she worked and was trained in lab skills by the B&B teaching technical team.
Education
Patricia completed a higher masters studies in the Faculty of Education at the Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow, in the field of social rehabilitation and family pedagogy.
During her work in Poland she also completed 2 years training on “Psychiatric environmental therapist” organized by the Silesian Association “Ad Vitam Digitam” in accordance with the programme approved by the Executive Board of the Polish Psychiatric Association.
Now Patricia is embarking on a whole new training adventure, with her Apprenticeship as a Laboratory Technician. This is a two year course, with on the job practice and assessment and will build on her existing skills, and provide valuable support to the MC² team and user base.