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‘I’ve always loved science’
From university lecture to dream career
By Sam Strangeways（https://www.rgmags.com/author/samstrangeways/） October 9, 2026（https://www.rgmags.com/2026/10/ive-always-loved-science/）
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When biomedical science undergraduate student Jhaleisjha DeSilva walked into a lecture at De Montfort University in Leicester, England, she had no idea she was about to encounter a fellow Bermudian.
But she is forever thankful that she did.
By coincidence, biochemist Carika Weldon, now the founder and CEO of genetic research company CariGenetics, was the lecturer. She has since had a profound influence on Ms DeSilva’s career path.
“It was literally a surprise,” recalled Ms DeSilva. “She started talking and she told everyone that she was from Bermuda and I was like ‘oh, nice’.
“As soon as the lecture was over, I went up to her and I was like, ‘By the way, I’m Bermudian as well,’ We’ve spoken and known each other ever since and she’s been like a mentor to me.”
That professional relationship has now resulted in an “amazing” outcome for the 27-year-old.
Ms DeSilva is the inaugural recipient of the Marie V Gibbons Scholarship, an award named after Dr Weldon’s beloved late grandmother and set up to help Bermudians become fully qualified lab technologists in Britain.
The scholarship is open to Bermudians with honours degrees in biomedical science from British universities and enables them to do a one-year placement at the Poundbury Cancer Institute in Dorset to complete their portfolio for Health and Care Professions Council registration.
Ms DeSilva said: “It is the whole package, because everything is paid for. All I have to worry about is completing my portfolio.”
The icing on the cake is that a job back in Bermuda at CariGenetics awaits her upon completion of her placement and portfolio.
Ms DeSilva described that as a relief, after a struggle to find her dream job in the UK.
“It’s been such a long time and it’s been quite hard because the competitiveness in London was so extreme and I did have a very difficult time trying to find something that matched with what I wanted,” she said.