I am a Doctoral Candidate in the Erasmus Mundus Program Marine Ecosystem Health and Conservation (MARES). My ongoing fascination with the natural environment is the thing that propels me to study it and focus on key environmental issues such as pollution. In the past, I’ve investigated the impact of chemical contaminants on human health and ecosystem well-being in wetland ecosystems in Trinidad. Currently, my research is focused on microplastics in the world’s oceans. In order to sample the various compartments of the oceans for microplastics, I’ve participated in expeditions in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. I firmly believe that scientists must make the effort to merge research with outreach and education if they are to effect positive change regarding environmental issues.
From the Caribbean Sea to the Arctic Ocean
By: La Daana Kanhai
Looking back, I often wonder, ‘How did an ordinary young woman from a tiny Caribbean island end up studying microplastics in the Arctic Ocean?’ For the sake of brevity, I will tell you that as a child, I was simply fascinated by the natural environment. This fascination was born primarily through the opportunities I had to interact with nature during my formative years, whether it was exploring my family’s garden, the countryside where I lived or the beaches we visited. It was therefore very natural for me to gravitate towards subjects (geography, biology) where I learnt more about the natural world. During my high school years, I became acutely aware of the fact that the natural environment which I was so passionate about was being negatively affected by man’s activities and that issues such as climate change, pollution and deforestation were wreaking havoc on ecosystems.
As a teenager, I already knew that I wanted to be an Environmental Scientist. I was fortunate in that both of my parents supported this decision. At university, I studied Environmental and Natural Resource Management and Chemistry and it was during this time that my interest in Environmental Pollution was piqued. After graduating, I had my first foray into the field of Science Communication during my one year stint as an Education Officer. I then entered the world of research and focused on investigating chemical contaminants in wetland ecosystems and assessed the threat that these contaminants potentially posed to human health and ecosystem well-being. During the period of publishing my research, I took the opportunity to get some experience in the field of academia as a Teaching Assistant and then as an Instructor.
My quest to learn more about the natural environment and focus on key environmental issues propelled me to apply for an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship to research microplastics in the oceans. Since the field of microplastic pollution was brand new to me, I was propelled to read published literature and familiarize myself on what had already been done. All of my PhD research has focused on addressing key knowledge gaps in the field of microplastic pollution. My first microplastic sampling was carried out in the Atlantic Ocean during a transit of the RV Polarstern from Bremerhaven, Germany to Cape Town, South Africa. Here we investigated how phenomena such as coastal upwelling potentially influenced microplastics in the oceans. One area for which there was very little information about microplastics was Polar Regions. Being cognizant of this, I took part in the Arctic Ocean 2016 expedition under the Early Career Scientist Programme of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat onboard icebreaker Oden. During that expedition, I sampled sub-surface waters, sediment and sea ice for microplastics. Based on this sampling, we discovered that although the Arctic Ocean is remote and seemingly pristine, it has not been immune to the entry of plastic debris as every single environmental compartment that we investigated has been contaminated by microplastics.
The part of me that was fascinated by the natural environment as a child is ever present. I was fortunate in that I was able to bear witness to the indescribable beauty of the Arctic Ocean. Yet will future generations have this opportunity? I firmly believe that the issue of plastics in the oceans is one that was created by man and one that can be solved by man. Each of us needs to take action to figure out how we can be better stewards of this beautiful planet that we call home!
You can catch La Daana Kanhai on her soapbox at The Spanish Arch, Galway on 7th July as part of Soapbox Science Galway 2018, where she will be giving a talk entitled “Microplastics in the oceans: Why the fuss?”
Follow her on twitter @LaDaanaKanhai
Hello! My name is 
JW: A challenge: I like putting myself out of my comfort zone every now and then. I’ve seen the photos on twitter and read the blogs and reports afterwards, and it looks like something I’d love to contribute to. I really love discussing my work with the public – not only because they are funding it through their taxes (!), but because I think having a wider range of ideas to help us design new technology is brilliant. Scientific discoveries happen when there is a wide range of people from different backgrounds looking at the same problem and trying to solve it – I think doing something like Soapbox will give me a great network of collaborators. I also hope it will show the public that ‘scientists’ are just people like them – we walk like them, talk like them and dress like them.
JW: Find a subject you are interested in and a group you can imagine going to dinner with. Make sure to chat to a few of the PhD students and postdocs when you go for your interview – it’s a three or four year adventure, and you’ve got to feel excited about who you are working with. Be nice to everyone – no one wants to collaborate with a meanie. The most important people in universities are the technicians and cleaners – they have access everywhere – and they don’t care what your h-index is. Lift others as you climb – help new researchers in your group, look out for opportunities for your friends and push people to go out of their comfort zones sometimes. And remember, you can only change the culture of science from the inside – so please, please, please don’t give up.
Dora Dzvonyar
Soapbox Science is not just about the speakers. Without a support team of committed, enthusiastic people, a Soapbox Science event simply cannot happen. Each event relies on an animated team of up to 20 volunteers. Volunteers play a crucial role in rounding up the public, chatting to the public informally about being a scientist and the science that interests you, supporting the speakers by managing props and helping to calm any pre-box nerves (even then most experienced speakers get a bit jittery!), as well as handing out Soapbox goodies to lucky audience members! But perhaps the most important role of the volunteers is in gathering data so we can monitor effectively the success of the event: the volunteers carry out the bulk of our streamlined, centralised evaluation process, through interviews, observations, counting footfall and advertising our post-event online surveys.
We ask you to commit to attending the Soapbox Science London event on 26th May. You’ll need to turn up 1 hour before the event starts for a briefing and training. You’ll need to stay until up to an hour after the event ends, to help clear up.
We can’t pay you, but we can provide you with training, skills, networking opportunities and an awful lot of fun! You’ll learn how broad-scale public engagement events are evaluated; you’ll develop your skills in chatting informally with the public about science; get to steal innovative ideas on how to communicate science to a lay audience. And most importantly, you’ll make new friends with up to 20 other like-minded volunteers, meet your local Soapbox Science organising team, and build links with scientists from both your local area and further afield. To keep your energy levels up, we’ll keep you well endowed with drinks and snacks!
Whilst navigating the complex roads of academia in a foreign country, two Portuguese female scientists embarked on a new mission: to organise a Soapbox Science event in Berlin. We were motivated by the idea of communicating science undertaken by women in a free, public outdoor format, and saw that it would be the perfect setting to promote scientific literacy whilst at the same time increasing the visibility of female scientists in their fields. We were particularly inspired by the very unique design of Soapbox Science events and how they referenced a time in the UK’s history when people protested for civil rights. We immediately connected with this idea – 
The language
Finally, and this was certainly a big challenge – 
The sense of accomplishment the five of us felt was immeasurable! This event was such a success that the Soapbox Science Berlin team was invited to organise 
Sam Furfari is based at the University of Sussex as a Research Fellow working on the development of transition metal complexes. She took part in 
By 
On 22nd July 2017, Saturday Morning arrived, I left from Glasgow for Edinburgh around 10 am for the event. While traveling, lots of questions were running in my mind. Also, I was hoping for a nice and warm weather, but it’s Scotland! So it’s raining as usual. I was a bit nervous and kept thinking about how I will start and how I am going to proceed, how I will catch the audience’s attention, how many people will be there and so on..!! Upon reaching Edinburgh, I reached the venue “The Galleries precinct on The Mound”. The Soapbox Science event was from 12-3pm and my slot was 1-2pm, so I arrived early to listen to the first four speakers. It was raining, but still no one could stop Science from reaching out to people.
Now, it was my turn. At 1 pm I wear my white coat and stand at the Soapbox ‘box’ which had my name and the title of my research “Developing a low cost indoor positioning system using optical wireless communication”. By the time I stood on the box, it started raining heavily, but I have to thank the Soapbox volunteers who supported and helped us throughout the event. Though it was raining, people were still very enthusiastic and keen to know about our research. I used pictures to share my ideas. People were interested in knowing about my research, they had many questions about the applications, how lights can be used for tracking, what will be the cost of a device and so on. For the first 15 minutes, I was a bit nervous, but later on I didn’t even realize when the clock turned to 2 pm and my time was over. I felt so happy and proud of myself.
After the event, we had a group picture and now it was time to say “GOODBYE” to everyone. We are now connected with each other and their respective research on social media and I would like to thank Soapbox Science for giving me this opportunity and wish all success in the years to come.
In addition to our usual events, Soapbox Science’s 8th year is set to bring innovative, awe-inspiring, and mind-boggling science to arts festivals around the UK. Thanks to continued funding from STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council), Soapbox Art & Science embarks on its second year of uniting female scientists with artists from local research/education institutions to explore fresh and engaging ways of communicating scientific ideas through art, and testing them out on audiences at arts festivals.
Soapbox Science is a grass-roots science event that brings science to the masses, and tackles inequality issues in science. Female scientists stand on soapboxes on busy urban streets and chat with the public about their work. Our Art & Science events will match scientists with artists (from a variety of disciplines); the pairs work together to produce a new, innovative and engaging way to help communicate their science, which they then co-present at an Arts Festival.
What other benefits will you gain from taking part?
We could not run our Soapbox Art & Science events without the kind support and funding from the 
Dr Elizabeth Boakes (@BoakesE ) is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at UCL. She took part in 
Soapbox Science speakers never fail to awe me and that first event certainly set the bar high. I remember my then PI, Professor Georgina Mace, gamely dealing with audience heckling whilst discussing consumption versus population. One speaker held aloft a knitted breast, another explained the science behind pruning plants. Most impressive of all, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock gave her talk holding her toddler on her hip! I was blown away by the scientific competence and confident engagement styles exhibited by all the speakers. However, rather than being inspired to emulate them it just deepened the gap I felt between their brilliance and my mediocrity. Never could I follow them onto a soapbox.
Yet one summer afternoon in 2017 I found myself herding my children out of the house to another Soapbox event, this time as a speaker. Admittedly I was sick with nerves and it was only the heavy giant Jenga that I was lugging along that prevented me from running fast in the opposite direction. What had happened in those intervening years to persuade me to put my unconfident self through this? Well, my daughter’s words had resonated with me. I wanted to show other girls that Mummies can be scientists. To my surprise it was actually quite fun. And like Dr Alderin-Pocock I managed it all with my son on my hip! So if you are thinking of becoming a speaker, or becoming a scientist, or simply considering studying science, please please go for it. Take it one step at a time and you can reach the Soapbox!
Helen Hugh-Jones (left) (@nells_originals), Nell’s Originals, & Rehemat Bhatia (right) (@rehemat_), University College London are taking part in 
SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?
RB: As Ernst Haeckel is a SciArt micropalaeontology icon, I was super keen for our presentation to include his artistic style. Microfossils from all groups are stunning, but I decided to focus my presentation around foraminifera as these are the group I research. Helen has produced some fantastic sketches based on the ideas we discussed together – I can’t wait for everyone to see them!
HHJ: (I’ll change this slightly – I don’t have a PhD!) Work hard, persevere and be persistent at what you’re [drawing] and look after yourself – this all echoes perfectly with what I would recommend to young illustrators. You have to really love it and to throw yourself in, to open yourself to new ideas and techniques, try new things, read around the subject, talk to people, write stories, read stories, go to exhibitions… For me it’s perfect as I can work on my creative side parallel to my work in the office – it can get lonely by yourself too!