Meet
the future you
STEM
careers panel
- What’s the most exciting or rewarding project you’ve been part of in the last year?
I
would have to say the ‘Women in Innovation’ funding competition. I was involved
with running this competition for Innovate UK and I read hundreds of applications
from incredibly innovative women. Attending the final stage interviews and
meeting the most innovative women in their respective sectors was humbling.
These women came from a diverse background and in many cases overcame huge
challenges to reach success, and I found myself inspired by their stories and
amazing innovations.
- How does what you do change people’s lives?
I
currently work at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC) and my role means I help fund innovative solutions to global
challenges, such as feeding a growing population, or addressing the health
challenges of an aging population. One exciting project was Worms in Space,
which involved worms traveling to the international space station so we can
study the molecular cause of neuromuscular decline which occurs during
spaceflight, but is also relevant to human aging. This research could lead to
revolutionary new treatments and healthier lives for our aging population, as
well as allow us to travel to other planets.
- What’s the coolest bit of equipment you’ve used?
I used a next-generation genome sequencer robot,
which is a machine which can sequence your DNA. I sequenced the DNA of a large
group of people who had either pancreatic or ovarian cancer, then developed an
algorithm to identify unique mutations and link these to the patients’ outcomes
and responses to different drugs or treatments. This could eventually be used
by doctors, who could sequence a new patient and look at the specific mutations
they have and know which treatments are likely to be effective. Being able to
sequence a genome within a few hours is an incredible scientific achievement
which would have been unthinkable a few decades ago.
- What did you enjoy most at school/college?
At
university I loved the freedom to choose the classes which interested me, so I
took extra classes in virology and parasitology, as well as a class in Chinese.
I loved being in an environment where I could study anything I wanted, and my
tutors were very supportive and helped feed my curiosity. I also took advantage
of the global university network to study abroad for a year in California. This
allowed me to take classes which were not offered by my home university.
Studying abroad was amazing and I would highly recommend it, as it helped me
build a global network and become more adaptable to new ways of thinking and
working.
- Why/how did you decide to become a scientist or engineer?
It was during my A-levels that I fell in love
with genetics, as it was a way to understand the biological world around us,
that there was a reason why some people can roll their tongue as others can’t,
and the secrets were in our DNA. This discovery changed everything for me and
that was the moment I realised I wanted to become a scientist.
- How do you think your job or industry will change the world in the future?
At
the BBSRC we fund research to address the global challenges facing our planet. I
think in the next decade we are going to see some rapid changes in the
agriculture and food industries as the world adapts to a growing population and
seeks to make food production more sustainable. Genome engineering is currently
taking off, so I would expect this to play a large role in plant and animal
breeding in the future. I also think there will be increasing research into
alternatives to fossil fuels and ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere and
plastics from the ocean.
- What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you at work?
I used to work for Addgene, which is based in
Boston, USA. Every year I would travel to Boston for some annual meetings and
teambuilding, and normally this would coincide with Halloween. Over the years
there were some amazing team costumes, but the one which really stands out was
when my colleague’s team chose the theme of ‘A Christmas Story’, and he dressed
as the leg lamp, wearing a giant lampshade as a dress. I seriously thought I
would die laughing. There was an amazing group of people at Addgene and working
there was so much fun.
- Is there anything you wish you’d known when you were still at school?
I think I didn’t appreciate how the scientists we
see in the media got to their positions, because from an outsider’s perspective
it appears that they took a direct career path to their current job. We
overlook and oversimplify the failures and career changes everyone experiences
because no-one talks about them, and it’s easier to assume it’s because they
were a genius. I would tell my past self that it is OK to try something and
fail, to be ambitious and apply for courses and jobs which I don’t think I will
get, because as the famous quote says “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss,
you'll land among the stars”. I have applied for dozens of jobs where I was not
totally qualified and I still got offered the position or took a subject I
thought I would fail and found I excelled at it, so I have learnt that the only
thing holding me back was myself.
- What is the most important tip or piece of advice you can offer our visitors today?
I would encourage you to talk to the
scientists and get involved with the workshops, we are all very friendly and
would love to talk to you and answer your questions. This event is an
opportunity for you to interact with scientists, find out what their job is
like and ask any questions you might have, so don’t be shy!
Once this position ended, I wanted to explore another area which I was really passionate about during my degree. I loved parasitology. However, when I enquired about roles in this field, most jobs needed at least 3 months experience working in a developing tropical country. This is why I set up a placement working in a rural health clinic in Ghana. My role involved teaching the nursing students and community health workers some basic biology and first aid. This really allowed me to see the practicalities of working in the field with the most basic equipment and was a tremendously positive experience. I enjoyed helping people and learning to explain concepts in ways that people from another background or culture could understand. I did, however, find it very hard to speak with individuals who had very strong beliefs in traditional medicine, especially when I knew that there was a cheap and easy treatment for a disease that traditional medicine couldn’t fight effectively. I had to learn how to cope with a different climate and culture, and also needed to be resourceful and adapt. By the end of my three months, I fully understood why parasitology roles in the field require experience.
There were, however, some downsides to working in a large commercial company. In my particular situation, communication between departments was sometimes difficult and the solution attempted was more meetings, but this simply seemed to create more bureaucracy. As with any large company (both for-profit and non-profit) you can also get a lot of office politics (many individuals trying to divert more resources towards their projects and away from other individuals projects, this can cause conflicts and favoritism, as well as affect morale and cause gossip). These kinds of problems can, of course, be solved with good management practices, but can sometimes go unnoticed at large organizations. Another downside to large commercial companies which are reliant on contracts with clients is that, when those contracts fall through or are cancelled, then redundancies can be made within the company; new staff hired in anticipation of the contract suddenly have less work to do than was anticipated and there can be a glut of individuals with similar skill sets. This is not to say that all commercial companies are like this, as most have a more stable funding situation and level of work than research or academia, and so most positions in industry are more stable than this. However, I would advise you to be wary of companies which are rapidly expanding, as this might not be sustainable. After working at this company for several years, I was ready for a change.