Maisie Billings

What is your programme of study?

Integrated Masters in Bioengineering

What A-Levels (or equivalent) did you do?

Physics, Mathematics and Physical Education

Why did you chose a career in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)?

I chose a career in engineering because of the unknown to be discovered. There is so much we know but so much we can learn still every day. It has so many interconnected areas, from sports to materials to cars, you can really do anything you enjoy.

What did you enjoy most about your MSE course?

Within my course, I enjoy the team/collaboration work you do. So much of discovery/research is not individual, and being in group projects is amazing because you learn so much from others.

What is your research about?

My course is so vast, one minute I’m learning how stem cells grow in laboratories and the next I’m learning about materials and their uses. My favourite part is learning about the human body and how engineering can impact it. My current final report, for my third year, is looking at energy dissipation in human soft tissue and the damped harmonic oscillation in the legs.

What is the coolest thing you have done in your career so far?

The coolest thing I have done is while I was at school, competing in F1 in Schools. I reached two world finals with my team. It was the most amazing opportunity, and I am forever grateful for the many personal and software skills I learnt by doing it.

What do you see yourself doing in the future?

I love the interaction between the human body and materials, so possibly prosthetics in the future. However, as a sports person as well, I could see myself going into that field of sports engineering/biomechanics.

What is your favourite material (and why)?

My favourite material is I would have to say is carbon fibre. It has exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, making it stronger than steel but light with so many other amazing properties. It can be used in so many cases, from sports equipment to aerospace.

What advice would you give your 16 year old self? 

Don’t stress about the future. Everything will work out how it is supposed to, something you may enjoy today you may not tomorrow and vice versa. The world is there to be explored.