Andi Wilkins

Masters Student Jan 2017 - Mar 2020

Neuroscience, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Research Assistant Jan 2017 - Dec 2019

University of KwaZulu-Natal

I was the research assistant for my supervisor's research team. I was in charge of the following: 

• Orders for the group, including determining which reagents, disposable and other items were needed in the group and/or lab, obtaining quotations, placing said orders and ensuring that the orders were received by the correct individuals and ensuring that they were stored correctly. 
• Scheduling and coordinating meetings, as well as typing the meeting's agenda and memorandum. 
• Assisting my supervisor with writing funding proposals and applications. 
• Assisting my supervisor with designing studies for incumbent students.
• Teaching new students the necessary laboratory skills, e.g. animal handling, animal behavioural tests, dosage calculations, ELISA and PCR, necessary to complete their projects successfully. 
• Assisting students with understanding their projects, writing their proposals, literature reviews, articles, posters and theses. 
• Assisting students with their animal work, writing and biochemical tests. 
• Creating study material, teaching, creating test and exam questions as well as marking tests for parts of my supervisor's modules.  

Mentor Jan 2017 - Dec 2017

Physiology, University of KwaZulu-Natal

This position required me to provide extra tutorials for students in the physiology module(s) of the following courses: medical sciences, medicine, pharmacy, sport science, audiology and nursing. 

These tutorials included:

• the use of multimedia to engage students and help them to understand the material better
• the creation of extra worksheets/questions to help students better prepare for tests and exams.
• revising the tests with the students in order to better prepare them for exams
• one-on-one sessions upon students' request

University of KwaZulu-Natal 2017 - 2020

Field of study: Physiology (Neuroscience and Psychiatry)
Degree: Masters

My thesis was titled: "The Creation of a Sexual Defeat Model in Rodents".

In this project I created a model of sexual violence in Sprague Dawley rats in order to help address the pandemic of sexual violence. 

University of KwaZulu-Natal 2016 - 2016

Field of study: Physiology
Degree: Honours

My Honours thesis was titled: "Febrile Seizures Result in Motordefecits in a Prenatally Stressed Rat Model".

University of Johannesburg 2012 - 2015

Field of study: Biochemistry and Physiology
Degree: BSc