Girl to fight allergies with study

An Aberdeenshire teenager wants to study biology and find a cure for her allergies.

As their time at secondary school draws to an end, many sixth year pupils are turning their thoughts to their future careers.

That prospect may be daunting for some pupils – but not for Gemma Banister, as the Stonehaven teenager knows exactly what she wants to do and why.

Gemma is planning to study biology at university so she can help find a cure for the allergies which plague her and thousands of others.

The sixth year pupil at Mackie Academy has already been given an unconditional acceptance to study biology at Edinburgh University.

The 17-year-old, who has a catalogue of allergies and suffers from related conditions like eczema and asthma, has her heart set on helping other people in her predicament.

She said: “I want to specialise in immunology, which is something I have already learned a lot about as my conditions all relate to the immune system.

“I would like to help develop medication, and I have already done a lot of research into the science behind allergies on my own. I find understanding that chemical process to be a big help.”

Gemma is allergic to all nuts, some seeds and raw egg whites and also has hayfever.

The rate of anaphylaxis in the UK is increasing with a rise in hospital admissions.