Daisy Naughton

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Breast Cancer Now

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

After graduating in 2017, I have worked exclusively in the third sector. From fundraising for a small independent charity to working in health policy at the NHS Confederation helping the Welsh NHS prepare to leave the European Union. Moving roles to support NHS leaders with the Covid-19 pandemic response and recovery. Since 2021, I’ve worked at Breast Cancer Now, where I lead on the organisations events, education and engagement work with healthcare professionals across the UK.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I knew I wanted to work for a charity, but wasn’t quite sure which role would best suit me or what was available. I started working in fundraising but soon realised I preferred the stakeholder management and engagement side. My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of weeks after I graduated, so when I saw a role at Breast Cancer Now open up I knew I had to apply. I like the variation of my current role, speaking with healthcare professionals and working with colleagues to work out ways we can best support them. In turn hopefully improving a patient’s experience of breast cancer.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

I was part of the Biosciences Society.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

I really enjoyed the science communication modules in my second and third year, run by Dr King. Which ended up with me choosing to do a science communications final year project, focusing on patient understanding of risk when signing up to clinical trials. I also lucked out to have a great lab partner and peers in my course!

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

Biological and Medicinal Chemistry covers so many different topics, from microbiology to physical chemistry. It gives you the opportunity to work out which areas you enjoy that you might want to explore further.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

Not many universities offer Biological and Medicinal Chemistry so that appealed to me. I also like the campus and facilities Exeter offered.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

Biological and Medicinal Chemistry was a demanding course, with lots of contact hours and regular assessments. That helped me with my time management skills which is particularly useful when managing multiple projects and team members.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Get experience doing different roles in different charities and see what areas interest you. And remember you don’t have to go into your dream job straight after graduation!

What are your plans for the future?

I like to keep working in the third sector and see where it takes me.