PhD student Chris Spencer, studying at LSTM, captained the University of Liverpool’s University Challenge team to a stunning first round victory over Keele University last week, securing the team’s place in the second round with a score of 295 to 40.
Chris has been supervised by LSTM’s Senior Lecturer Mark Paine in Vector Biology since 2012. His research looking at the “molecular characterisation of anopheles gambiae Haem Oxygenase” is funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
He and his teammates won the first six questions, reaching a score of 105 before Keele had a point. When asked about his success Chris said: “We had no idea we would do so well to be honest, as we were painfully aware of Liverpool’s past form in the competition. Luckily the questions seemed to fall in our favour.
The show’s first round matches are continuing, leading to the final in spring 2014, but thinking about future rounds Chris said: “We all went for the team just to see if we could do it! It all seems to have gone well so far, although, after the first round, I’m not sure we are thinking much beyond the next.”