SoapboxScience

Adriana Lowe (@adriana_lowe) is a PhD student at the University of Kent. She will be taking part in Soapbox Science Canterbury 2018 on 23rd June, giving a talk entitled “Life and death in the forest: studying the behaviour of wild chimpanzees”

SS: How did you get to your current position?

AL: I’m currently doing a PhD at the University of Kent. I did my BA at Durham and my MSc at UCL. During my MSc and in the following year I had the opportunity to do fieldwork in Nigeria and co-author several publications with my supervisor which helped me to win the scholarship to study at Kent.

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science?

AL: I had some very engaging teachers as part of my undergraduate and masters degrees. Once I’d got hooked on biological anthropology there was no going back!

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

AL: The most fascinating aspect has to be getting to see my study subjects in the wild and observing their behaviour.

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place?

AL: I love talking to people about what I do. My subject tends to grab people’s attention since everyone is fascinated by the animals and it’s a great opportunity to explain that science is much more than test tubes and lab coats!

SS: Sum up in one word your expectations for the day

AL: Fun!

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be?

AL: Work-life balance. There’s still a mentality that if you love your job you shouldn’t mind doing it all day, every day for very little reward. I really enjoy my research but being a scientist is only one part of who I am and I think having a life outside work should be encouraged rather looked down on.

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a woman studying for a PhD and considering pursuing a career in academia?​

AL: Well I’m still only studying for a PhD myself so I don’t know how much career advice I can really give! So far the key to both enjoying my work and doing it well has been wonderfully supportive supervisors and other members of staff in my department. Going forward I’ll try to remember that the people I work with are one of the most valuable resources and to look carefully at the working environment and attitude of any team/department I might apply for a job with.

Claire Stewart (@clairecology) is a PhD student in the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent. She will be taking part in Soapbox Science Canterbury 2018 on 23rd June, giving a talk entitled “Deciding what species to save”

SS: How did you get to your current position?

CS: Well a little bit of luck actually! My MSc supervisor at the University of Queensland in Australia was giving a talk about systematic conservation planning and said that the “people at Kent use this software (Marxan) too”. I was pretty homesick for the UK so later that day looked up PhD opportunities at Kent and there was one advertised on conservation planning for England with Dr Bob Smith. So I applied and feel very lucky to be here!

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science?

CS: Is it cheesy to say David Attenborough? I think he has inspired everyone to care about the natural world. My parents have always encouraged me to ask questions and my bedroom was covered in science posters and animal toys so they have a lot to answer for!

My undergraduate and masters supervisors have all been exceptionally encouraging so they definitely inspired me to purse an academic career.

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

CS: I think when you tell someone at a party that you are a conservation scientist then they imagine you spend your day surrounded by animals. However I spend a good chunk of my day doing stats or making models which will hopefully have positive outcomes for biodiversity. I think it is fascinating that we can use math to help wildlife. I was always good at math at school, so I would have been very excited if I knew equations could help save more animals!

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place?

CS: I’m very passionate about women in STEM and encouraging young girls to know it is possible for them to become scientists in the future. As a kid I thought a scientist was a “boy job” so I hope being a part of Soapbox Science will show kids (and parents!) that science is not a boys jobs and can be a fun and exciting career for women.

SS: Sum up in one word your expectations for the day

CS: FUN

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be?

CS: The work-life balance. I think there can be a bit of competition over who works the most or most ridiculous hours which I think can result in people feeling inadequate or guilty if they take a few days off.

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a woman studying for a PhD and considering pursuing a career in academia?

CS: Try to not doubt yourself! I don’t think I know a single woman in science who doesn’t suffer from bouts of imposter syndrome (including me!). We can’t all be imposters, so try and focus on your achievements and the things you do know instead of what you don’t know yet. You can always learn.

Raysa went to school in Stockholm and after graduating top of her BSc degree in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry from Nottingham Trent University, she joined the University of Sussex for a PhD in Chemistry in 2014. Having recently submitted her PhD thesis, she continues to work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Sussex in medicinal chemistry in the field of cancer research. Raysa is speaking at Soapbox Science Brighton on 2^nd June 11am-2pm with her talk “Using Cutting-edge Drug Design to Beat Cancer and Treat Up to 100,000 Patients Per Year”. Thanks to the Royal Society of Chemistry for supporting Raysa’s talk.

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place – and what are you most looking forward to/excited about in taking part? 

RK: Despite the recent efforts and enhanced awareness in tackling gender stereotypes for career in science, one can still see a significant lack in the participation of women in scientific career. As a female scientist, I do believe, Soapbox’s public outreach platform and its novel approach in promoting research by women scientists is a great way to showcase what we do and encourage youngsters to pursue career in science. This initiative also provides a unique platform to hone public speaking and communication skills for young researchers like me. Finally, what I am most excited about and looking forward to is meeting people, having a good time and sharing different aspects of my work that I am passionate about.

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science? 

RK: I have always been interested in science and maths, however, I grew up in a community where, time and again, I have been told that a career in science is not where a woman might fit in. In light of the prevalent misogyny, I guess, as a rebellious teenager, I wanted to prove them wrong. I decided to pursue chemistry after high school, where I had a great teacher who made us interested in science and taught us that chemistry is nothing but solving problems by asking the right questions. And the good thing is that the question does not have to be always right. It’s a process of trial and error where perseverance and dedication often pay off. The reason I came to Medicinal Chemistry and pursuing a career in drug discovery is that I have always wanted to make an impact and help others.

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

RK: My PhD and current work are focused around making new compounds and seeing if they can be utilised in the drug discovery process to treat various diseases. As researchers, we learn to accept the hard fact that often it takes a lot of time, effort and a process of trial and error to find solutions. However, what I find energising is the thrill of finding new ways of solving problems. Besides, to me, the most fascinating aspect of my current research is, if successful, we are going to be able to help approximately 100,000 new cancer patients each year.

SS: Research in STEM is increasingly multi-disciplinary. Which subjects do you use in your work?

RK: I was trained as a chemist in my BSc and my PhD was focused around synthetic chemistry. Currently, I work in medicinal chemistry, where various scientific disciplines come together. Although my work is mainly as a synthetic chemist, I never the less, need to work and collaborate with biologists and also need to know about various mathematical techniques and computer modelling as part of my day to day work.

SS: What 3 attributes do you consider important to your work (e.g. creativity, team-work, etc), and why did you pick these?

RK: I believe dedication, perseverance and team work are the three most important attributes for a career in scientific research. In my line of work, things don’t always work out as one would hope. Arguably there is a positive correlation of success with dedication and perseverance. One needs to be patient and keep on trying, because all the hard work is totally worth it to get the result at the end! I also believe that, most of what we do is collaborative and often are multidisciplinary, in order for the work to reach its full potential and have true impact, there is no alternative to having an effective team dynamic.

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be? 

RK: Gender inequality. Women are still underrepresented in STEM and I would like to see equal ratio of women and men in scientific research.

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female student considering pursuing a career in academia?

RK: For the female students considering pursuing a career in academia, I would say, there are lots of opportunities out there to thrive and shine in a scientific career. We should embrace every opportunity to engage and showcase our capabilities. I know that we girls have traditionally lacked professional female role models in STEM but I am grateful that slowly but surely things are changing. For instance, my current workplace, Sussex School of Life Sciences holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award, which emphasises that the faculty is trying to actively improve on its commitment to advancing women’s careers in STEM employment in academia.

SS: What words of encouragement would you give to children who might be interested in a career in science?

RK: Science is fun, more like solving puzzles and making Lego, you get to make new and cool things that have true and real impact. As a scientist, you get to find answers to the most complex and difficult questions and you get to have the superpower to make the world a better place.

Elizabeth is a Lecturer in the School of Engineering and Informatics at the University of Sussex. In her career she has travelled around the world, working in different fields of engineering. Elizabeth will be explaining her current research at Soapbox Science Brighton on 2^nd June 11am-2pm with her talk “Are robots the future for medicine and health care?” Thanks to the School of Engineering and Informatics for supporting Elizabeth’s talk.

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place – and what are you most looking forward to/excited about in taking part?

ERM: As female scientist, I would like to share my research with a non-specialized audience, as I believe that the general public needs to know that the UK needs more Engineers to help solve some of the challenges in the healthcare system. Soapbox science is the perfect outreach event to communicate that.

My research is about novel technology developments based on electronics and sensors to develop future medical robots. This will assist doctors and nurses to perform, for example precision surgery.  I am especially targeting young female students as we need more women in Engineering given that in the UK we are only 9% of the total working workforce.

SS: Tell us about your career pathway

ERM: I am engineer scientist who is passionate about Cardio-engineering and Robotics for health-care. I was born in Mexico, were I completed my BSc degree in Telecommunications Engineering at National University of Mexico, I did a Master degree at ITAM/TELECOM Bretagne in France. Through my PhD, I contributed significantly to the wireless telecommunication area at the UPC Engineering-Department Spain. In 2014, I was awarded with Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions COFUND post-doctoral fellowship at Sussex. My research achievements rely on the development and testing of novel electronics, sensors and robotic devices for medical applications. As a Lecturer I am motivating young students to develop technology for the healthcare area.

I believe that outreach and education are the cornerstone of any society that is why I have taken advantage of my role as STEM ambassador, visiting schools, giving talks for young students titled “Sensors for Healthcare”. I am the academic leader of programs such as RAEng HeadStart and Widening Participation Sussex Student Experience to encourage young girls to study engineering.

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science? 

ERM: I wanted to study engineering because my father did electronics at home. He taught me the basis of electricity and magnetism which really caught my interest. My husband is an engineer scientist too, he inspires me everyday to do hands on projects and he has been very supportive and always encouraged me to keep following my dreams, especially if it is helping others.

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

ERM: Making my technology available to real people will make a real difference. This is the most fascinating aspect of my research as my work is focussed on designing innovative technology for medicine. As well as my students, I hope to inspire my daughter one day, to develop technology that matters, to develop technology that can change people lives.

SS: Research in STEM is increasingly multi-disciplinary. Which subjects do you use in your work?

ERM: To develop medical robotics we need to work in a multidisciplinary team that includes: Cardiologist, Biomedical Engineers, Electronics and Robotics engineering, Doctors, Biologist, Mechanical Engineers and Programmers/ Informatics.

SS: What 3 attributes do you consider important to your work (e.g. creativity, team-work, etc), and why did you pick these?

ERM: Engineers throughout our careers develop skills such as technical competence, problem solving, scientific understanding and team working to solve any challenge.

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be? 

ERM: Engineering is for women!

Did you know that only 9% of engineers in the UK are female?

By 2030 the UK will be limited to solve the future challenges if we do not prepare future engineers today.  As a female engineer, I would like to change that, I am especially targeting young female students as we need more women in Engineering given that in the UK we are only 9% of the total working workforce.  9% is not enough!

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female student considering pursuing a career in academia?

ERM: Have a dream for the future you would like to build, especially if it is related to helping others. Have confidence that you are gifted for developing something, and finally have perseverance to reach your goal and make it happen.

SS: What words of encouragement would you give to children who might be interested in a career in science?

ERM: You are going to be a great inventor! Work hard and Follow your dreams! For kids I really recommend watching Big Hero 6.

Onyx has spent significant amounts of time in three different Continents. Having grown up and studied in Nigeria up to GCSE level, and then came over to the UK for her A-levels and Undergraduate degree. She went on to pursue a PhD in the States, and came back to the UK for a Postdoc position. Onyx is now a Lecturer in Pharmacology at the University of Sussex, researching Alzheimer’s disease. Onyx will be at Soapbox Science Brighton on 2^nd June 11am-2pm with her talk “Learning about dementia using fruit flies, what’s all the buzz?” and is supported by the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex.

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place – and what are you most looking forward to/excited about in taking part? 

OA: Talking about my research to the public, and communicating to mostly non-scientists in a manner I am not usually accustomed is scary but also very exciting. I am looking forward to standing on the box, on Brighton beach; and listening to the wonderful breadth of research carried out by the amazing speakers.

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science? 

OA: My parents definitely instilled the love for Science, because they both have a Science background, and I was constantly surrounded by it. Over the years, my curiosity has kept that flame going.

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

OA: That I am contributing to defeating Dementia! And that I am using fruit-flies to do this.

SS: Research in STEM is increasingly multi-disciplinary. Which subjects do you use in your work?

OA: Genetics, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Cell biology

SS: What 3 attributes do you consider important to your work (e.g. creativity, team-work, etc), and why did you pick these?

OA: I call them the three “P”s

Patience – You have to do a lot of waiting, a lot!

Perseverance – You have to be determined to continue

Passion – You have to have a reason to stay patient and persistent

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be? 

OA: The time between writing a grant, and hearing the outcome is such a long process…it would be great if the turn around time was much shorter

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female student considering pursuing a career in academia?

OA: That’s a tough question… I guess make sure you have a passion for it….Perhaps, get involved with some teaching while you are doing your PhD etc. to determine if you enjoy it.

SS: What words of encouragement would you give to children who might be interested in a career in science?

OA: I think it is the best thing in the world, I might be SLIGHTLY biased!  It brings out your creativity, it is constantly stimulating/challenging, and there is not a dull moment.

Charlotte studied for a Masters in Physics and Astronomy at The University of Sheffield, graduating in 2013 before getting a PhD in Astrophysics at the University of Warwick. This involved using Hubble Space Telescope images to study the galaxies of extremely energetic supernovae (superluminous supernovae). Charlotte began working with the Supernova Group at the University of Southampton in early 2017, where she now uses data from Dark Energy Survey to study these superluminous supernovae. We are grateful to the South-East Physics Network for supporting Charlotte, who will be at Soapbox Science Brighton on 2^nd June 11am-2pm with her talk “How many ways can you make a star explode?”

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place – and what are you most looking forward to/excited about in taking part? 

CA: I love outreach, and as I work in astrophysics, I’m used to having lots of “pretty pictures” on slides behind me when I talk to people about my research. Soapbox science presents a great opportunity for me to engage with people about my research in a very different way – no slides, no photographs, just me and a few props! I want to see if I can get people really excited about the physics behind the pretty pictures!

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science? 

CA: Honestly…I sort of stumbled into a career in science. Until I was 16 I wanted to be a writer!

I suppose I’m mostly where I am today because of my Dad. He always encouraged me to do what I enjoy, and I’ve always loved problem solving, (he would always sit and work through maths and physics problems with me when I was at school because he enjoyed it too!). Now I’m problem solving every day during my research!

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

CA: Definitely the locations I get to go to! My work enables me to visit observatories around the world, from Chile to the Canary Islands, so that I can take data for my research. These observatories are some of the darkest sites on the planet – with no light pollution from nearby cities, so the night sky is beautiful to look at!

SS: Research in STEM is increasingly multi-disciplinary. Which subjects do you use in your work?

CA: My research relies upon on optics and engineering. I use data from the Dark Energy Survey, a large astronomical survey which uses “red sensitive” CCD chips. These CCD chips have been designed so that they can detect more light from redder wavelengths during an exposure. This is very import for my research, as I study events in the very distant Universe, whose light appears redder to us.

SS: What 3 attributes do you consider important to your work (e.g. creativity, team-work, etc), and why did you pick these?

CA: 1) Patience – I’m not kidding! When you’re observing, sometimes the weather just won’t play ball! Sitting on a mountain waiting for clouds to move or the wind speed to drop can be very challenging (not to mention tiring), but it’s always rewarding when it does.

2) Lateral thinking. I very often hit barriers in my work because of problems with data quality…or sometimes its availability! So I always have to think about other ways of obtaining the results I want (e.g. changing the way in which I do my analysis)

3) Communication skills. Telescope time is expensive and difficult to get, so when applying for observing time you need to be able to express what your science goals are and why these observations would be important.

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be? 

CA: Just one thing? There are too many! But if I had to chose one, I’d start with the expectation that “publishing often = successful scientist”. Sometimes there’s a real rush in academia to publish results as fast as you can, just to get ahead of the competition, or to add additional weight to your name before applying for jobs/observations/grants etc. This is definitely not how academia should be. We should be collaborating with our competitors, and aiming to produce the best results possible, rather than rushing them out for citations.

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female student considering pursuing a career in academia?

CA: If anyone ever says or does something that you’re uncomfortable with, do something about it, don’t ignore it. Academia should be an environment in which everyone feels equal, comfortable and welcome, and nobody should be made to feel otherwise!

SS: What words of encouragement would you give to children who might be interested in a career in science?

CA: Never be afraid to question anything! It’s true what they say – there are no stupid questions! That’s what makes a great scientist.

Having volunteered at Soapbox Science Brighton in 2017, Tochukwu is now taking part as a speaker! Currently in her third year of PhD study, Tochukwu’s research is focused on developing nanomaterial-based strategies for biomedical therapies. She will be speaking at Soapbox Science Brighton on 2^nd June 11am-2pm with her talk “How do nanomaterials remove contaminants?”

The University of Brighton is sponsoring Tochukwu’s talk.

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place – and what are you most looking forward to/excited about in taking part? 

TO: I love the unique approach Soapbox Science is using to change gender stereotypes about women in science. I volunteered at last year’s event and was instantly hooked. As researchers, we are often caught up in our little ‘science’ bubbles and forget that there is a world out there that needs to know what we are doing. I am looking forward to talking science with the beautiful people of Brighton. That should be fun!

SS: Tell us about your career pathway

TO: After my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry, I worked as a Teaching Assistant in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka for 2.5 years during which I studied for a Master’s degree. I knew I had to do a PhD to further improve my research and technical skills so I applied for scholarships. Fortunately, I secured a studentship at the University of Brighton to work on a multi-disciplinary project with a very supportive supervisor, Dr Susan Sandeman. Over the course of the PhD, I have mastered key techniques across different fields, presented my research at conferences and collaborated with researchers at another university. These experiences have broadened my knowledge, thinking and skill set which are valuable for an academic career.

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science? 

TO: Growing up, I excelled in science subjects and so this felt natural for me. I love science because there is always a reason why. Nothing happens without a cause.

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

TO: Nanoscience is a relatively new field and we are just beginning to uncover its huge potential particularly with respect to biological applications. My research is focused on understanding how nanomaterials can be used to disrupt infection and inflammation in the body. The most fascinating aspect for me is in ‘connecting the dots’ – understanding how the properties of the nanomaterials help them remove biotoxins and influence their interactions with cells and microorganisms.

SS: Research in STEM is increasingly multi-disciplinary. Which subjects do you use in your work?

TO: I mostly use Science, particularly Chemistry and Biology. I also use Maths for calculations and Statistics to understand the significance of my results.

SS: What 3 attributes do you consider important to your work (e.g. creativity, team-work, etc), and why did you pick these?

TO: Even though you may be part of a larger group, a PhD requires that you undertake independent research. The key attributes important to me are

1. Commitment – A PhD is not a walk in the park and sometimes, I have to remind myself that this is what I signed up for. That there is a purpose to it all – the sleepy eyes, failed experiments and tonnes of hard work. This keeps me going on the toughest days.
2. Sense of responsibility – This keeps me focused and helps me work with the required precision and accuracy. Since I am invested in the project, I am willing to trouble shoot, seek assistance and try new things.
3. Integrity – The work that I do is an extension of who I am and so I have to do things with an excellent spirit. As a researcher, there is a certain level of trust accorded to me and I do not take that for granted.

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be? 

TO: Short-term contracts. That way, we won’t see highly skilled researchers leave academia against their will.

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female student considering pursuing a career in academia?

TO: Do not be afraid to go for what you want. Put yourself out there. Sign up for whatever you can, especially during your PhD. It is also important to find mentors who are genuinely interested in your progress. You learn from their mistakes and they keep you accountable. Having a support network is equally important but also remember there are some journeys you may have to travel alone.

SS: What words of encouragement would you give to children who might be interested in a career in science?

TO: Science is really interesting because it helps us find answers to the questions that surround us. Don’t be afraid to keep learning, exploring and challenging yourself. Refuse to be swayed by other people’s opinions.

Helena is part of the John Adams Institute for accelerator science within the particle physics group and the ATLAS collaboration at CERN, and has experienced scientific research around the world, training in McGill University (Canada) and before that at the University of Cincinnati (USA). Helena is speaking at Soapbox Science Brighton on 2^nd June 11am-2pm with her talk “Discover the world of high energy particle accelerators – the massive, powerful and fascinating machines driving discoveries in many fields”. Thanks to the Institute of Physics and Royal Holloway for supporting Helena’s talk.

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place – and what are you most looking forward to/excited about in taking part? 

HP: I am looking forward to the fact that there will be people coming that might have not known about this event in advance. They might just walk around but by the time they leave, they will hopefully discover something new. The diversity of the speakers and the topics makes me excited to attend as well. I can’t wait to hear everyone speak about their research.

SS: Tell us about your career pathway

HP: Growing up in the Czech Republic, my two passions were science and swimming. By the end of high school, I wasn’t ready to give up on swimming, so I decided to try and go to the United States where sport is a natural part of the university life. As a student athlete, I had the opportunity to push myself like never before while preparing for my future. I was lucky to obtain an athletic scholarship which made my journey to the USA possible. I chose to study physics and I am very happy with that decision. It was definitely a great fit for me, and four years later, I got a bachelor’s in physics and mathematics.

I then moved to Canada, to do a Master of Science at McGill University. My research was in particle physics and I got to spend a couple of months in Japan at the site of the experiment I was working on, Belle 2 (a very new particle physics detector looking into what comes out of collisions of electrons and positrons). During my master’s studies, I discovered the field of accelerator physics and I knew I wanted to get into this field for my PhD. And that’s how I ended up being a PhD student at Royal Holloway, University of London. My research here consists of studying the Large Hadron Collider and maximising its potential to make new scientific discoveries.

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science? 

HP: In high school, I was not the best student. I was not a good fit in history or geography because I had to memorize so hard to get good grades. But in all my science classes – chemistry, math, physics – we got to solve problems and often do cool experiments! For example, I still remember distilling our own perfume in chemistry (my lab partner and I made a very nicely smelling orange fragrance). These experiments really sparked my passion for science.

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

HP: The field of accelerator physics is very wide. Accelerators are used in physics research, medicine, industry, national security and many others. The thought that my research might be used one day in a modern high-energy accelerator or have an application in everyday life is what keeps me going every day.

SS: Research in STEM is increasingly multi-disciplinary. Which subjects do you use in your work?

HP: Programming is definitely something I get to use every day. Research in physics is not done with pen and paper anymore and I actually do all my work on a computer. I believe that one of the most important non-scientific skills is communication. Sharing the progress and results with collaborators during meetings or conferences, writing emails or doing presentations is necessary. I make at least one presentation per week. Team and collaborative work is one of the foundations of modern scientific work.

SS: What 3 attributes do you consider important to your work (e.g. creativity, team-work, etc), and why did you pick these?

HP: Teamwork and simple communicating with colleagues is key because if we were to work on our own, there would be no progress. Usually when you are facing some problems, you will find that a number of people around you have shared the same struggles and might have helpful pointers. Simply asking questions has saved me so much time already.

There are times during which nothing seems to work. This difficult situation might go on for weeks or even months. Which is why I think persistence is also a very important attribute.

Lastly, curiosity is the key to research. Doing everything as planned gets lots of work done, but it is not what ultimately leads to discoveries. Often it is the “I wonder what will happen if I do this” that might bring the most exciting results.

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be? 

HP: In my opinion, the scientific culture right now puts a lot of pressure on performance. Overworking and struggles with funding are very common which leads to anxiety and stress. I really wish employers would create a better workspace that would act towards creating a healthy lifestyle and better conditions for family life.

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female student considering pursuing a career in academia?

HP: As a female student considering pursuing a career in academia myself, I would really appreciate some recommendations too :D. However, one tip from my experience is to get involved in many activities outside of the research itself. That will build networks of people and possibly create future collaborations or give a boost to your future career.

SS: What words of encouragement would you give to children who might be interested in a career in science?

HP: Do you have many different interests? Try them all! Even if you end up not liking them all, you will not regret having tried something new. If you are passionate about something, that is what matters, you will go far.

After working at a zoo and studying Zoology, Gigi Hennessy is currently a working toward a PhD in Bee conservation in the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects at the University of Sussex. She is taking part in Soapbox Science Brighton on 2^nd June 11am-2pm with her talk “Gone with the wind. How bees respond to changes in wind speed”. We are grateful to the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour for sponsoring Gigi.

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place- and what are you most looking forward to/excited about in taking part?

GH: I really like the idea of taking science out of the lab and making it an easily accessible and interactive experience that everyone can enjoy. There is so much stigma around what a scientist looks like/what they do and I think Soapbox is a really good way of showing people that isn’t the case. I am so enthusiastic about my research (bee conservation and behaviour) and Soapbox gives me an opportunity to talk to people about it in an informal and fun setting. I also think it’s such a good way to show girls that they can achieve anything and that science isn’t just a boys club.

SS: Tell us about your career pathway

GH: After leaving school I decided I didn’t want to go to University right away and took a gap year. I didn’t always know exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but I did know I wanted to work with animals in some way. I worked at a Veterinary clinic during this time, as well as volunteering at London Zoo and an animal rehabilitation centre in Namibia. I then went on to study Zoology at the University of Leeds. Here I decided that a career in science researching either animal behaviour or conservation was what I wanted, and that a PhD is what I needed to achieve this. I went on to complete a Master in Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology at the University of Exeter. After four years as a student I decided I needed another break. I worked for a brief while as a technician with DEFRA and then got a far more exciting job as a Zoo keeper/presenter at Chessington Zoo. Here I helped start up their native conservation centre and ran surveys and taught workshops in the neighbouring woods. After working here for almost a year I knew I wanted to get back into real science and applied for my PhD here at Sussex University where I now work under the supervision of Francis Ratnieks and Dave Goulson studying bee foraging behaviour and conservation.

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science?

GH: I have the rather obvious inspiration of David Attenborough, who kind of introduced me into the world of Zoology and how you can study animal behaviour for a living! I was also inspired to study Zoology by some of the work by Konrad Lorenz. The person who kept me going however was my Mum. When I thought about giving up and getting a more stable, higher paying career, she was one of the few people who told me to go for what I wanted and not give in to pressure from other people.

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

GH: An aspect of my research which I really love is seeing honeybees in their hive. We have an observation hive in our lab and you could sit and watch the bees all day and see so many different behaviours. These range from the queen laying eggs, workers fanning to keep the hive at a nice temperature or if you’re lucky a forager communicating through the waggle dance.

SS: Research in STEM is increasingly multi-disciplinary. Which subjects do you use in your work?

GH: One of the aspects of my research is studying how weather influences bee foraging. For this I have had to start reading quite a few geography and meteorology journals to help me try and understand aspects of the weather a little better!

SS: What 3 attributes do you consider important to your work (e.g. creativity, team work, etc) what did you pick these?

GH: I think creativity is an important one. For one of my projects I had to make flowers for bees to forage on and I had to be quite creative in how I made these. It’s also important as being creative allows you to think outside the box when you have a problem or when something goes wrong, which is quite common!

Passion for your subject. If you really love what you’re doing/studying it makes everything so much easier. Doing a PhD isn’t easy, and like I said above things often go wrong, but loving your subject will help you deal with issues.

Being organised is the final attribute which I think is important. Being a PhD student, you have to manage your own time and your projects. You supervisor is there to help but can’t always be there to hold your hand. This means it helps if you’re on top of your workload, knowing where you are in each project and what you have left to do.

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be?

GH: Something that I really don’t like is when researchers are unwilling to share their work. Collaboration is so important, not just in science, and when you’re working to try and achieve the same goal why not share data. If everyone is recognised for the contribution I personally don’t see an issue. I’ve witnessed quite a few researchers not sharing their work with others and it makes achieving a goal so much unnecessarily harder.

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female student considering pursuing a career in academia?

GH: Get involved in research at your University as much as possible. Even if you’re not sure what area you think you’re most interested in try and get a taste of them all. Ask your lecturers if they need any summer help, experience is the best thing you can have. I would also say be confident in what you do. It’s so easy to think you don’t know anything or to underappreciate how much you really understand but try not to do that as confidence makes such a difference to how people see and respect you. Above all be enthusiastic, lecturers will really appreciate a student who gets involved and asks questions, it will get you noticed.

SS: What words of encouragement would you give to children who might be interested in a career in science?

GH: Go for it! So many kids (myself included) are terrified of pursing a scientific career because they’re worried they won’t be good enough at maths or just generally ‘science brained enough’. That’s a load of rubbish! Science is so diverse, if you’re bad at one thing you may find you’re amazing at another. There is no other career where you’ll have two people in the same office where one is computing complicated genetics and another going scuba diving to collect data on shark behaviour. I always think of the saying, the difference between doing science and just messing about is that with science you write things down.

I work at UCL/University of Bristol investigating the genes involved in the evolution of social behaviour in wasps. Wasps are the ideal organism for studying  social evolution as they display the full repertoire of social behaviour; from solitary wasps where a single female performs all the duties required to successfully raise her offspring, to highly social wasps where these duties are split between the reproductive queen and the non-reproductive workers. Starting my career as a marine biologist, I never thought I’d end up working on wasps, but I find my research continually fascinating, it’s taken me to some amazing places, and has totally changed my perception of wasps (despite being stung on numerous occasions!)

You can catch Daisy on a soapbox as part of Soapbox Science London on 26th May where she will give a talk: “What’s the point of wasps?”

SS: How did you get to your current position?

DT: My PhD was in marine biology, but when this finished I went travelling and it was on a trip to the Amazon that I became fascinated by terrestrial ecology. When I got back to the UK I saw a position advertised looking at the behaviour of wasps and, although this was a huge departure from my previous research, the project used many of the same methodologies I’d employed in my PhD – using gene sequencing to identify the molecular mechanisms which cause behavioural or physiological changes. I’m now able to apply the laboratory and field methods I’ve learnt through the course of my career to answer very different scientific questions.

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science?

DT: Very cliché, but David Attenborough. I grew up watching his documentaries, then  The Blue Planet came out during the first year of my marine biology degree and I think attendance at lectures reached a record high. Since then I’m continually inspired by meeting scientists from across the world who are incredibly passionate about the work they do.

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?

DT: The insects I work with! Sitting for hours with your head in a wasps nest probably isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but they display a huge range of behaviours and lead complex and interesting social lives, something which very few people are aware of.

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place?

DT: I volunteered at Soapbox Science a few years ago and loved seeing scientists bringing complex and cutting edge research to the public in an interesting and accessible manner.

SS: Sum up in one word your expectations for the day 

DT: Nervousness!

SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be?

DT: There is huge pressure on early career scientists because research posts are usually so short that no sooner have you got one position, you have to start looking for your next job. This creates an incredibly stressful work environment and the lack of stability leads to a lot of highly skilled researchers leaving academia. Until there is more stability for post-docs, I think science will continue to lose a lot of great people.

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a PhD student considering pursuing a career in academia?

DT: Take the time to find a subject you’re passionate about and you’ll have the most rewarding career ahead of you.