Monika Gonka – Oxford Nanopore

Where did you go and what did you do?

I undertook an internship at Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) at the Oxford Science
Park, where I joined the Machine Learning Team. During my placement I developed an
app that enables initial evaluation of deep neural network basecaller models.

What made you want to do that particular PIPS?

I decided to do my internship at Oxford Nanopore Technologies because I wanted to
improve my bioinformatic skills in a company developing long-read sequencing
technology.

What skills have you gained from your PIPS?

I have improved my programming and software developer skills and expanded my
knowledge on Long Short-Term Memory models and transformer networks. I have also
learnt a lot about ONT basecalling fundamentals.

What has been the impact (or likely future impact) of your PIPS?

I grasped a deeper understanding of the industrial environment, the gained practical
experience will definitely help me in my future career.

How would you sum up your PIPS experience?

It was fantastic! I have learnt a lot, and I have met many amazing people from the
Machine Learning, Applications, Workflows, Product Management and Marketing Teams.
I also had a chance to go on the MinION manufacturing building tour. I had a great time
during my internship!

What advice would you give to other PGRs about PIPS?

Choose a field that you are actually interested in, it is a wonderful opportunity to get
industrial experience.