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Name :Rufaida Hamad (she/her) Job Title: Pharmacovigilance Operations and Compliance Graduate A levels/ equivalent :Biology, Psychology, English Language and Applied Science Undergrad and postgrad degrees : Undergrad: BSc Human Biosciences Postgrad: MSc Medical Affairs Favourite science fact:The Majority of Earth's Oxygen Is Produced by Oceans. Journey in 3 Words :Challenging, Exciting and enlightening Briefly describe your current role I currently work as a Pharmacovigilance Operations and Compliance Graduate within a global Japanese pharmaceutical company. My role focuses on patient safety and the monitoring of medicinal products (either in clinical trials or post-marketing). What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I had a strong desire to contribute to patient well-being, but I didn't envision myself as a healthcare professional working in hospital environments. Instead, I made the decision to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry, which plays a crucial role in ensuring patients receive the medications they need. This career path allows me to make a significant impact on patient care without direct contact with individuals in a hospital setting. What is a typical week like for you? In a typical week, my schedule is filled with numerous meetings related to various projects and involving different functions like regulatory affairs and medical affairs. Additionally, there are training sessions tailored to the specific projects, which are particularly helpful for me as a new graduate, as there is a lot to learn. One of my key responsibilities is managing safety reports that originate from different parts of the world where our medicines are authorised. My main focus is to kickstart the case processing for these reports. What has excited you the most in your journey from Human biosciences to medical affairs? One of the most exciting aspects for me was transitioning from a science-based degree that was primarily confined to the laboratory to being able to apply that knowledge in an industry setting. It brought me great joy (and relief) to realise that life science degrees offer diverse career paths beyond traditional lab work. Pursuing studies in medical affairs opened up an entirely new world in healthcare for me. It allowed me to contribute to patient well-being and provided opportunities to connect and collaborate with industry leaders specialising in various disciplines. This exposure broadened my understanding of the healthcare field and enriched my professional network. Is there an experience/ conversation that has heavily impacted your career journey? A key experience was volunteering in a hospital within the oncology unit. This experience made me realise that I don't have the emotional capacity to witness critically ill patients and I would often dwell on it when I got home. I knew I had a passion for health but did not want to be a healthcare professional in that environment. This was a useful experience as it allowed me to reach a conclusion early on. What advice regarding your industry would you give someone wanting to follow the same path and study the same degree? I strongly recommend considering a placement year during your undergraduate studies within a pharmaceutical company or the specific industry you aspire to work in. This experience can provide you with a valuable head start in your career. If a placement year is not feasible, I highly recommend pursuing a summer internship or attending networking events related to your field of interest. These opportunities can offer practical experience, industry exposure, and the chance to connect with professionals in your desired industry. Both placement years and internships are excellent ways to gain practical skills, enhance your resume, and increase your chances of securing a job after graduation. Have you had a mentor and how has that contributed to your career journey? Although I haven't had a formal mentor, I have encountered incredibly supportive individuals throughout my journey whom I reached out to via LinkedIn or networking events. These encounters have proven to be invaluable in terms of guidance and advice. By proactively seeking connections and reaching out to professionals in my field, I have been fortunate to engage with helpful individuals who have shared their insights and offered assistance. These informal mentorship relationships have played a significant role in my personal and professional development, and I highly recommend utilising platforms like LinkedIn and attending networking events to establish connections and seek guidance from experienced professionals. How did your internship during your Msc benefit you? And what advice would you give for choosing a masters course? The internship I undertook was so important for my personal and professional development. It provided me with a unique opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills I acquired during my studies to real-life scenarios within a pharmaceutical company. It was during this internship, particularly in the field of medical affairs, that I gained a deep understanding of how a pharmaceutical company operates and how different functions collaborate. Working alongside a remarkable team, I received invaluable guidance and built connections with individuals who were truly dedicated to patient care. This experience not only enhanced my practical knowledge but also strengthened my commitment to making a positive impact on patients' lives. More specifically, the internship provided me with experience that I was able to talk about in job interviews. For example, we were able to sit in during meetings, listen to valuable discussions regarding strategies for patient care etc. In terms of advice:I would tell students to deep dive into their interests and not to do a masters for the sake of it as it can be very intense. I woud recommend to look into different career routes and see which masters would be more beneficial for that specific field. Also, speak to students either currently studying the course or Alumni as there is only so much information you can get from the website. You run an amazing page called @medscienceminds, what are the motivations and future goals of the page? Throughout my academic journey, there was a lack of guidance on the different career paths following a life science degree. Also, being naturally indecisive, I opted for a broad undergraduate degree to keep my options open. However, it seemed like my entire cohort was focused on laboratory work or pursuing medicine/dentistry, which made me feel like the odd one out. I lacked the necessary resources and knowledge to explore other potential career paths and had to do a lot of independent research. This motivated me to start medscienceminds as I don't want students from a similar background to go through the same struggles I faced. My aim is to create a community of like-minded individuals who enjoy learning, are driven to progress, and seize every opportunity available to them. I aspire to act as a mentor for students who find themselves in a similar position to mine, providing guidance and support. Additionally, I hope to serve as a valuable source of information for those interested in the pharmaceutical industry. The best places to follow me would be Instagram as I am most active on there but people can also follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. People should look out for more ‘practical’ initiatives that I am trying to work on to hopefully provide students work experience in some way. With the lack of career guidance out there, where do you think universities are getting it wrong? I think the key issues are: Insufficient integration of practical experiences: While theoretical knowledge is important, universities should prioritise incorporating practical experiences, such as internships, industry projects, or work placements, into the curriculum. These opportunities can provide students with real-world exposure, hands-on skills, and a better understanding of the demands and expectations of the job market. Lack of networking and industry connections: Building a professional network is crucial for career development. Universities can enhance their efforts by actively fostering connections with alumni, industry professionals, and organisations. Hosting networking events, guest speaker sessions, and mentorship programs can help students establish valuable relationships and gain insights into various career paths. This was something King’s College London was amazing at doing as they provided us with lots of networking opportunities. Do you feel like scientist salaries reflect the amount of effort put in ? Generally, I think that graduate salaries are not sufficient considering the level of education and qualification attained. Often, entry-level roles often demand significant prior experience, which can create challenges for recent graduates. To secure employment opportunities, it is increasingly necessary to go beyond academic achievements and engage in networking activities and gain relevant work experience. These additional efforts are often seen as essential for opening doors and establishing connections in the professional world. What advice would you give your younger self ? If I were to give advice to my younger self, I would emphasise the importance of not excessively worrying about the future and instead, savouring the present moment. It's not necessary to have everything figured out all the time, and it's perfectly alright to embrace uncertainty. I would encourage myself to recognize that opportunities are limitless and that confidence and taking risks are essential in unlocking my full potential. By being proactive and putting myself out there, I can explore diverse avenues and pave the way for personal and professional growth. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science ? My pet peeve is the misconception that science is only relevant in certain contexts or that it is disconnected from everyday life. Science plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the world, addressing societal challenges, and driving technological advancements. Yet, it is often seen as something reserved for scientists in laboratories, rather than a discipline that affects and influences various aspects of our lives. This perception can lead to a lack of appreciation for scientific research, funding cuts for scientific endeavors, and limited public engagement in scientific discussions. Addressing this pet peeve involves promoting science education, fostering a culture of scientific curiosity, and emphasizing the relevance and impact of science in our daily lives. I think COVID has been a key example of how we all need to value science and be able to understand certain concepts related to disease. Outside science how would you describe yourself I have a friendly and outgoing personality, and I find joy in traveling and spending quality time with my loved ones. Exploring new destinations is a passion of mine, allowing me to broaden my horizons and create amazing memories. Equally, I appreciate the serenity of relaxing activities, such as reading a captivating book on the beach. Balancing adventure and tranquility brings me a sense of fulfillment and contentment in life.

1. Name: Mafalda de Arrábida Farelo 2. Course/ job: PhD student in Immunology at University of Surrey, UK 3. A levels:Biology, Chemistry, Maths 4. Undergraduate degree and masters : BSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology, MRes in Biopharmaceutical Sciences 5. Journey in 3 words: Challenging, humbling, rewarding 6. Briefly describe your role: My PhD focuses on understanding how Dengue virus escapes our cells immune response. There are 3 billion people at risk of being infected by this virus, but unfortunately there is no treatment and the vaccines available are not reliable. If we discover how the virus avoids our defences, we can develop drugs that prevent that, and thus strengthen our natural immune response. I spend most of my days in the lab, doing experiments to find which pathways are targeted by the virus and the effect that it has in our cells. Other days are spent analysing the results or reading and writing. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I was always curious and interested in sciences, but I fell in love with biology during high school in a genetics class. After that I always chose whatever course I liked the most, without really thinking of a career. To me, getting to where I am now was natural, just a series of steps towards what I like to study, trying to get some answers to my many questions. 8. How would you describe your work-life balance? Doing a PhD in the UK is very demading. I have only 3 years (funded) to discover something new and the clock doesn't stop ticking. So, to be honest, I have a bad work-life balance, as work is my main focus and the reason why I moved abroad. On the other hand, I will take every chance I have to travel abroad and get some time for myself away from work. 9. What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree? To be sure of what they want and to get information about the lab, environment there and supervisors. A good environment and supervisors are key to a successful and less stressful PhD. 10. How did you know a pHd was for you ? During my masters degree, I spent 1.5 years doing research both in Lisbon and Amsterdam. I really enjoyed doing research, I learned a lot from colleagues and it was a very hard but rewarding experience. I thought it would be a natural step to continue research by doing a PhD. 11. What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a phd Volunteer in a lab. This will give you a lot of experience and you’ll meet a lot of people. Plus, you can have an idea if you’d like to do that for a few years or whether you prefer to wait. If you can do this at the lab where you’re thinking of doing the PhD, even better. Ask former PhD students of the lab you want to join, how was their experience and get informed about supervisors. A PhD is a long process, so you have to be sure when you commit to it. 12. What are the best and worst parts of doing a phd. The best part is that you can ask questions and get creative about your research, which really makes it your own. You’re literally pushing the boundaries between the known and unknown, and that’s a great feeling. But, you’ll also fail 90% of the time and question whether you’re fit to do it. This is the hardest part, having this fear creeping on you, while still trying to give your best. 13. Did you do an internship before your phd? If yes do you believe it benefited you? Yes! I had two official internships, one during undergrad and another during masters, but I also volunteer in a lab as soon as I entered my masters. Internships are the best! You can be a straight A student, but that doesn't mean you’ll be good in research. An internship gives you an insight of the job and that’s where you really learn what is to be a researcher. There are many skills you only earn by having experience. I loved all my internships and I’ll be forever grateful to all the people I’ve met during these times and that taught me all I know. I don't think I would have been accepted into a PhD without having done these internships. SOCIALS : Keep up with Mafalda on instagram or on her blog

Name : Alex( he/him) Job Title: Graduate Intern - Medical Affairs A levels/equivalent: Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Extended Project Qualification Undergraduate degree: BSc in Natural Sciences specialising in Neuroscience Favourite science fact: the language you speak can drastically effect the way your mind works and the way you see the world compared to a speaker of a foreign language Journey in 3 Words: Seizing the moment! Briefly describe your current role I work in Medical Affairs for a large pharmaceutical company, where I help respond to enquiries from nurses and doctors about our products. I also work across different disease areas, and work on projects to make sure I contribute as much as possible to the daily activities of Medical Affairs. In doing so, I maintain a strong understanding of the therapeutic areas that the company specialises in, and use this knowledge to aid healthcare professionals and improve patient outcomes. What motivated you to pursue a career in science ? Multiple things. I have always been curious about the world around me and thinking deeply about the processes that drive our everyday lives. After A levels, the opportunity to study neuroscience seemed too good to pass up. In pursuing this opportunity I could apply my understanding of chemistry to the biochemistry and biology of the brain and how this impacts our lives from daily decision making, to the development of neurological disease. Doing so felt incredibly rewarding, and the next step was to try and find a career pathway that would let me apply this knowledge to help others. As a student, my understanding of the professional landscape was that any specialism I chose would define where I take my career for the rest of my life. What's an insight from your field you gained only after getting your role? After starting my role, I quickly came to understand the level of opportunity available to new professionals. As a student, my understanding of the professional landscape was that any specialism I chose would define where I take my career for the rest of my life. I thought there’d be limited opportunities to upskill myself in activities I missed at university, and that unless I took a postgraduate degree, my BSc represented the final step in my learning journey. This could not be further from the case. Beyond university there are endless opportunities to pivot/direct your career, even change industry altogether. If you’re lucky, these opportunities will be provided by your employer and you’ll have a good support network to help you get through periods of transition and uncertainty. What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role?: Day to day, I spend a lot of time networking and collaborating with different people in the company. I enjoy any opportunity to learn, not just about science but important career development and professional skills. I have had to learn to be as agile as possible, and capable to adapt swiftly to major change, which is something you’ll see a lot of in the pharmaceutical industry. You did a broad Bsc degree in Natural Science specialising in Neuroscience what was that like and what advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree? The course was quite intense, at first feeling like studying 4 different subjects. It wasn’t until later modules where the bigger picture starts to form and you see how psychology, biology and philosophy all contribute greatly to the pursuit of neuroscientific research. I would say anyone who wants to study this degree should approach it with curiosity, and be ready to digest a lot of advanced concepts. The reward at the end of it is huge though, and it’s incredible to study in a discipline that’s on the precipice of being the next major milestone in scientific discovery! How important were the experiences and activities such as extracurricular research projects contribute to the “value” of your degree? I think they were incredibly important for building my CV and showing my commitment to personal development. At interview, I often had quite a lot to talk about on my CV as I tried to make it as broad as possible, while still capturing a scientific focus. Some of the best projects I worked on at University were ones I had to reach out and look for, which gave me experience in approaching others for career development opportunities. I think the soft skills you pick up from doing so (networking, collaboration, communication) are just as valuable as the specialised skillset you develop in the projects. For many early graduates the interview process can be quite daunting what application / interview top tip would you give ? The biggest piece of advice is to exude confidence - difficult when you’re nervous, I know! Interviewers will pick up on a lot more than you think, just from your natural body language. Interviewing is all about putting your best foot forward, and if you can come across as confident - even if you don’t feel it - you’ll make a great impression. I would advise people to approach interviews as a professional conversation with someone you’d genuinely be interested to work with. Employers want someone who is engaged. Challenging interviewers with insightful questions and making them think is a great way of shifting the pressure and showing confidence! Knowing what you know now, would you have done the same undergrad degree? I would definitely put myself forward for the research projects and extracurricular activities I did. How did you stay motivated during you degree and maintain a passion for your field currently? Motivation for me came from learning. I found the more effort I put into my projects, the more I was getting out of them. In a field like Neuroscience, there is so much uncharted territory that we’re yet to explore and understand, so that opportunity to learn isn’t going away any time soon! What were your perceptions of being a scientist before you started your course?: I thought that being a scientist meant having 2 career options: either 1) lab work or 2) research/academia. It wasn’t until I started to explore industry roles that I realised this wasn’t the case, and that there’s a whole world of different opportunities that need life science graduates. How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you?: Before my third year of University, I had no idea what I wanted to use my degree for. Discovering that skills I learned on my course could be a force for good and help improve patient lives was a pivotal moment for me. When I realised this passion, I knew that I wanted a career in pharmaceuticals. Is there an experience/ conversation that has heavily impacted your career journey?: Getting. A. Mentor ! Without question it was talking to someone who was willing to help me understand the industry I was looking to join. Apart from giving me an accurate idea of what my career would look like, my mentor was amazing at keeping me motivated and focused on getting my first role. I really owe a lot to her and probably wouldn’t be here without her. I met my mentor through my University’s Mentorship portal. This was a directory of alumni who were offering their mentorship to current students - it was as simple as sending an introductory email explaining why I wanted a mentor and a general idea of my career development plans. Some advice I would give to current students is to get as much value out of your University fees as possible. The fees you pay give you access to a lot of fantastic resources - not just your study program - and can go a very long way to giving you focus on where you want to take your career. Outside science how would you describe yourself? I would describe myself as compassionate, curious and driven. I have quite a competitive spirit, which translates a lot even when I’m just messing about with friends 😅. I value connection strongly and always love to meet new people and hear new ideas. In terms of hobbies, I enjoy letting my hair down with friends and family, going to gigs/festivals, exploring nature, playing guitar and cooking.

Name: Fatima Ann Sulaiman (she/her) Job Title :Previously Head of Research at Blood Cancer UK, currently Consultant at Sulaiman Solutions A levels/ equivalent : Biology, Chemistry, Psychology (AS level only) and Math [Gosh, that took me back!] Graduate degrees Human Genetics BSc, PhD in Developmental Genetics Journey in 3 Words Unexpected, evolving, and curiosity Briefly describe your role So currently, I’ve just soft launched myself into self-employment. I’m setting up as a consultant for medical research charities and researchers. I provide insight into research grant portfolios, links with industry, how to develop research strategies that are patient focused, and how to utilise research for fundraising. For researchers, I’m going to launch a set of training guides on how to best communicate your research for different types of audiences, including what makes a great powerpoint presentation. Previously, I’ve held senior roles in a number of medical research charities where I did exactly that! What motivated you to pursue a career in science? My parents are both medical doctors and they really wanted me to follow in those footsteps. I’m not a huge fan of hospitals so medicine didn’t really interest me that much. A pretty common question that you would hear from me around that time was, ‘why?’ and I asked it a lot in my A-level biology classes (which I’m sure drove my teachers crazy). A career in science seemed like a good opportunity to answer my own questions, so I chose to do Human Genetics for my undergrad. How did you know a PhD was for you and how would you describe that period? I have to admit, I was a lot more naive about PhDs than a lot of people going into them now. It felt like the right next step in my quest to get answers. One of my modules at university was on Hox genes and developmental biology, and that really appealed to me. I didn’t apply for a lot of PhD programmes, just three that seemed like they had really interesting research labs. I did a lot of reading on PubMed and came out of that reading with more questions - that curiosity really drove the tone of my PhD interviews, which were a lot less intense than they seem to be now. I really wanted to do a PhD and I think it was because I wanted to know if I could satisfy my own curiosity. In the end, that curiosity was the thing that kept me going. Something people may not talk about as much is how draining and demoralising a PhD can be. Nothing sapped my self esteem and confidence in my intelligence than my PhD - there are inevitable setbacks, there’s a whole new world of academic competition that you have to get used to, and with all that there is the realisation that *you* are the expert in your subject matter. Which, when you’ve come from university and school settings, is very scary. In the end, the only thing that kept me going was the need to know what the next experiment would tell me. Having said all that, I really value my doctorate. Nothing in my life since my PhD, not the career changes or having to learn new ways of working, has been as challenging as my PhD. I say this with full emphasis for everyone working in scientific research who is feeling low but knows they want to stay in scientific research - once you’ve done this, you can do ANYTHING. So, my PhD was tough All journeys come to an end, after your post doc you decided to transition out of academia. What motivated this decision and looking back what advice would you give yourself going through a negative experience? So, my PhD was tough, but I left it feeling confident about the next step in my research career which was a postdoc in Florida. That was much much tougher. It wasn’t a healthy environment (the word ‘toxic’ is very apt) and I developed anxiety, which wasn’t something I’d had to deal with before. For me, the breaking point came when I was in the lab at 1 am trying to troubleshoot an experiment that I knew would not work. It was Halloween and I’d turned down a few invitations to go out. My friends were texting me, telling me how much they missed me and I was stuck in this lab at the dead of night. I remember just staring at the gilson in my hand and thinking very clearly ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’. I could have handled my exit strategy a lot better, but I was still quite young and trying to figure it out without any support. There wasn’t a lot of advice for people if they decided to leave academia (the general undercurrent being ‘why would you want to unless you’re a failure’, which has taken me a lot of time to actually exorcise from my self-view.) The advice that I would give is to think very carefully about your exit strategy when you’ve made the decision. What do you ideally want in 6 months time and how would you get there, without burning bridges if you can (unless you’re leaving because of abuse or other unacceptable behaviour, in which case, burn it all down). As an aside, there is a fantastic essay by the author Brandon Taylor (he was shortlisted for the Booker prize last year) about why he left science. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/brandontaylor/i-dont-miss-being-a-scientist-except-when-i-do Why was your internship important to you and did it play a major role in your current trajectory? My internship was important in the sense that it was the first step in my career change. I had never worked in an office environment before and the internship felt like a good way to test the experience out. I wasn’t sure if I was cut out for office life, having spent most of my working life either behind a cash register or at the lab bench. I would say that it probably did play a major role - my internship at Cancer Research UK was for 3 months, and when that came to an end I was offered a full time temp role as a programme coordinator. Having that internal role allowed me to apply for a couple of other internal roles, which then set off my trajectory. I think that what was key was the experience the internship gave me which allowed me to be offered that follow on role. It’s important to go into a sector with eyes open, and the truth is that the charity sector still has a lot of work to do What information do you think is necessary to know before embarking on a career within the charity sector? What were your perceptions and did they change with experience? There is a perception that the charity sector is a little bit soft and perhaps unprofessional. However, that is really far from the truth - some of the most relentless and brutal people work in the charity sector. Large charities tend to attract people from industry and the management consultant sector, there were a lot of financial tech people there and former consultants from ‘the Big 3’ of consulting companies. Learning from people like that helped to change my skill sets in a dramatic way. You learn about pitching to different audiences, the importance of strategy vs planning, stakeholder management, meeting chairing, etc. One of my perceptions was that it would be a less cut throat environment than academia, however that unfortunately is not true. It’s important to go into a sector with eyes open, and the truth is that the charity sector still has a lot of work to do. Charity So White is a non profit group that does a lot of work to hold the sector to account, and ACEVO published a report last year on the institutionalised racism in the sector. Personally, I have experienced a fair amount of this in the charity sector, but to be honest, I also experienced this in academia. It was incredibly disappointing to find that the charity sector was no different. No career journey is linear, what advice would you give starting with your younger self and people that may be motivated by your journey? Well, exactly that! No career journey is linear - you may make sideways moves or take steps down, but these are all valid to your journey. People can sometimes make it sound like they knew what they were doing at all stages, but I don’t personally believe that’s true. Everyone’s journey is different, and I would say you should be led by what motivates you. For me, it was curiosity and wanting to learn new things. When I graduated from university, I thought that I was set on a very linear path. My journey has definitely not been straightforward and it’s very much littered with more failure than success. It’s been stressful, mentally exhausting but it’s also been kind of fun. I wouldn’t say that I wouldn’t change anything, there are different choices that I’d make if I was to do it again (mainly to see what would happen) but I definitely don’t regret anything. I would also add that all motivation is valid. If curiosity motivates you, then go with that. If money and financial security motivate you, then go with that. The only motivators that are bad are the ones that cause harm to other people, everything else is totally valid. Do you ever see yourself transitioning back into academia? It’s very unlikely, I’ve been out of academia for too long and my motivations no longer lie in that direction. I do sometimes miss doing the odd experiment, but that feeling quickly passes! Mentorship and networking has had a huge impact on your journey… How does someone build a network with meaningful connections? Could you give an example of a cold email or how you put yourself “outthere” . Absolutely, my mentors and my network have been critical. No person is an island unto themselves, (don’t believe anyone who tells you they got to where they are with no help, it’s a lie). A network doesn’t have to be 100% full of people you talk to on the regular, it can include people you’ve had contact with once. A good network will be a mix of meaningful connections, and there will be people who you’ve met once. A good network also expands your view and understanding of your chosen field and beyond, which is why a mix is important. I think we shouldn’t be afraid of the ‘cold approach’ - if you send 10 cold emails and only get one response, that’s a huge huge success! That’s one more person in your network, who will then hopefully bring in more people! With cold emails, it’s important that you do your research on the person you’re emailing. You need to be clear about what you’re asking them (and why you’re emailing them) - ideally it’s for 5 minutes of their time just to talk about their career or the sector they work in. I have found that people are generally very willing to share their hard won insights. You could ask someone for a job or internship, but that kind of approach doesn’t really work most of the time. Put yourself in their shoes - think of their role and how busy they might be. It’s not nice to receive emails from people who haven’t done their research on you and seem to just want a job from you. People like to talk about themselves (case in point here with this interview!) and so it’s important to allow them that space to do so. Worst case scenario, you don’t learn anything useful. Best case scenario, you hit it off and they connect you to another person. Another practical tip is keep it short and sweet. A couple of lines, maybe three or four. They’ll most likely be reading your email on their phone, and no one really wants to read a novel on that small screen. With the growth of social media, do you have a preferred platform to network on ? and how have you managed to balance “professionalism” and being yourself? It’s a good question. I’m a complete newbie with social media so I might not be the best person to ask. I like twitter as you get to see more of someone’s personality. Obviously there is LinkedIn - if you haven’t already then I strongly recommend that you create a LinkedIn profile. It’s good for keeping track of your network and adding people to your network. Balancing professionalism and being myself feels like an ongoing battle - for the longest time, I was professional to a robotic fault. This comes from the knowledge that you have to work three times as hard as cis white people to be seen as on the same level, and it can feel like any mistakes you make will put you under way more scrutiny. So I was on the other end of the scale when it came to professionalism. I came to realise though that not only was I unhappy not being able to be myself, but that it was also creating a barrier between me and other people. As I’ve gotten older I’ve tried to be more myself but that hasn’t been easy. The reality is that we are judged harder than white people and that’s something that I experienced as I tried to be more myself (and allow myself to make mistakes). However, one of the commitments I’ve made is to not shrug off or stay silent on issues of inequality and injustice so in a way, allowing myself to be truer to who I am is also helping how I deal with racism and inequality (if that makes sense). It’s an ongoing battle, one that’s especially fraught for minoritised communities. A mentor or support group can help you through it and ‘have your back’. My support group and mentors have been crucial in my journey and I want to pay it back. So if you’re from a minoritised community and you’d like to reach out for a virtual coffee or a chat, please do. We’ll figure a way out through it together, whether it’s chatting about careers, interview practice or CVs review. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Salary hasn’t been the biggest motivator (I mean, I got into academia which isn’t exactly known for the big bucks). As I’ve gone through my career, salary became really important to me because it felt like an indicator of my value. And also, as a brown muslim woman, I know there are several instances where I was being paid less than I should have been. So salary was a big decision factor. I have to say that it is less so now - it’s been a lot of work, but I’m a lot better at not letting it determine my value. Now it’s more about what is the income I need to secure a comfortable life for myself and my family - which feels like a mindset more suited for my personality. I hate the ‘I f***ing love science’ brigade. Like, honestly, really, really, hate it. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science? I hate the ‘I f***ing love science’ brigade. Like, honestly, really, really, hate it. Science isn’t pithy little tidbits of information, it’s years of hard work and failure. It’s thousands of failed experiments, millions of recalibrated hypotheses and absolute months of staring hard at data that makes no sense. It’s entire communities that have mobilised during a pandemic, working around the clock to prevent deaths happening on a vast global scale. It’s resilience and self-led determination, late nights and lost weekends, and hours spent lying in bed staring at the ceiling wondering what you’re doing with your life. That’s science. People who say, ‘I f***ing love science’ don’t really love science. They just like looking at pretty pictures of it on Instagram. Outside of science, how would you describe yourself? That’s always a tough question! I care a lot about social justice, so I’m always trying to educate myself on issues in a way that means I can be the best ally and support I can be. I also have a bunch of weird interests - like a very specific one in the evolution of the mississippi delta blues. Other than that, someone who cares about her friends and family, and just generally living a good life.

As an early career scientists finding a space in politics may not be the first thought but change doesn’t come by waiting for someone else to do the work.In many ways science holds itself as an evidence based unbiased practice supported purely by facts, while politics is generally known for the opposite. The latter has become a game of appeasing the masses and finding the evidence that will support your narrative. The RSB(Royal Society of Biology) young voices of the future policy events encourages researchers to pose questions to parliamentarians with an invited audience to further understand how UK parliament works and where scientists fit in. The event was attended by sitting members of parliament of the science and technology select committee. In this session roles are reversed with them on the hot seat ,opposite to what they are used to. As someone not fully aware of how parliament works, forgive me for any errors. A pre-set list of questions are asked by representative bodies of different institutions and learned bodies from the UK. I was invited by the Royal Society of Biology and other members included Ecological society, Royal society of chemistry and more. The questions asked ranged from: translating the breadth of issues facing scientific communities from funding to graduate outcomes and public engagement with science to pressing water quality issues. With so much covered which you can watch back in detail below. But this is what stood out to me. …squeezed out Retaining professionals in any field is a growing problem and for scientists from PhD minimum stipends to striking lecturers, the conversation has moved from encouraging new people into STEM to keeping those recruited in. A particularly important issue from a TCIM point of view as with every new initiative floods more people leaving the field that just don't feel supported. The government through many public campaigns do encourage STEM pursuits and its’s marketed as a lucrative well paying industry, and while this may be true for some there are holes in the framework to address employment across the sector. On the top end, even with the work being done by many niche organisations it seems that the ceiling is impenetrable with purposeful negligence at times. The discussion hinted on the importance of fixing this problem. Public Engagement Covid-19 is the backdrop for one of the biggest public health campaigns for many young scientists. The effort in spreading correct information was not solely down to top government officials but heavily relied on the vast range of skills from scientists from medical doctors and immunologists to influencers, comedians and more. This provided key context for the discussion on the use of social media and training that may be needed in the future. It was interesting as scicomm is still a relatively new field that is growing daily. What we currently know as scicomm is constantly evolving and will only grow further. A clear example of this is the upcoming launch of YouTube health - a dedicated section with select content creators providing bite size health information for everyone. The discussion suggested the government should look into engaging with the expertise available outside traditional forms of communication. Policy in Action River pollution in the UK is a growing concern of public and environmental health. Illegal dumping of sewage into the rivers was brought up by the ecological society. This was especially interesting as it was a current issue that needed to be addressed and responded to by recent government work - “ sewage and inlands water bill - 2021 ” recently published that aims to monitor and report sewage dumping and report the results for potential action by the government. Having clean free outdoor space is incredibly important for wellbeing - taking away from the natural resources and what affects regal living and enjoyable actions. To reverse this damage government policies will have to change to force companies responsible for river pollution to change what they do.Interestingly a question touched upon at the policy event shows change being placed but impact and benefits won't be seen till much later. Like science, policy can be a slow burner in getting known evidence from written reports to positive outcomes. Policy is an important part of how society functions and the event further highlighted this and sparked interesting ways for me to at first just stay updated and actively care about things I am passionate about. It takes the interest from concerned groups to get action if this isn't already an area of importance to the government. While great and long lasting changes are probably more impactful through policy, that doesn't make it the only way for change and change doesn’t come by waiting for someone else to do the work. You can watch back the event below. The Covid-19 pandemic gave us the greatest insight into the role of the Chief Scientific Advisor in a national emergency and while there is only one slot available there. To get your policy journey started - these careers all contribute to impact driven work. Policy Advisors : “To date, I still have one foot in academia as I work with academics and support policy activities that apply to an academic context.I enjoy connecting people that are working on inspiring EDI initiatives with learned societies. In the policy world, you have to be a sponge absorbing lots of evidence. Along my journey, I have learnt to take large amounts of information and disseminate findings in understandable, digestible formats covering various life science disciplines" Junior Consultant UNICEF. “ My role focuses on finding the best ways to organize content for country offices, finding free online resources, and looking at course completion rates. This role has enabled me to get more experience with program implementation and evaluation, which is very applicable to public health projects. “ Science Communication: As someone with strong research skills, I have been able to branch out from science writing; these days, I also do health, policy, technology, and business writing. Because I am a scientist, and am familiar with the terminology scientists use, I also know how important it is to summarize complex topics in a manner that is easy-to-understand for a general audience. So, my science background has been foundational to my career as a science writer. Business Developer: “My passions have become more tailored to my career. When I was younger it was more focused on Technology but now my passion is to help improve the quality of the human lifespan. The defining moment was in 2017 when I went to a conference and saw the future of what healthcare could be. My passions have become more tailored to my career. When I was younger it was more focused on Technology but now my passion is to help improve the quality of the human lifespan. The defining moment was in 2017 when I went to a conference and saw the future of what healthcare could be. “ Freelance consulting : I’m setting up as a consultant for medical research charities and researchers. I provide insight into research grant portfolios, links with industry, how to develop research strategies that are patient focused, and how to utilise research for fundraising.You learn about pitching to different audiences, the importance of strategy vs planning, stakeholder management, meeting chairing, etc. Science Strategy Lead: In my current role at the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health, I help embed sex- and gender-based analysis in Canadian health research. This involves keeping up with the most recent science in the area and developing materials like fact sheets, training modules and presentations to help equip researchers to apply these methods in their own work.

Name - Jonta Kamara (she/her) Job Title - Junior Professional Consultant (JPC) at UNICEF Headquarters A levels/ equivalent - International Baccelaurate Diploma Standard Level: Chemistry, Math, Peace and Conflict Studies Higher Level: Biology, English, French Undergrad and post grad degrees BA ( Hons) in Health Studies with a double minor in African Studies & Immunology from the University of Toronto, MSc Public Health from King’s College London Favourite science fact: Public health is very interdisciplinary that almost everything can be public health. Journey in 3 Words: Branding. Intentional. Network. Briefly describe your current role : My current role is focused on UNICEF’s Learning Passport, which is a tool used to ensure children everywhere can access education. My role focuses on finding the best ways to organize content for country offices, finding free online resources, and looking at course completion rates. This role has enabled me to get more experience with program implementation and evaluation, which is very applicable to public health projects. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? As a Sierra Leonean in the diaspora, I was always disheartened knowing that where you live and your financial situation can have a significant impact on your ability to receive healthcare. This led to my interest in public health and health system strengthening. Global Health is such a varied field, how have your experiences helped shape the path you find yourself on now? ( e.g internships and other experiences) ? During undergrad, I made sure to try a variety of opportunities. This enabled me to have a good sense of the kind of work that I enjoy and what I would like to do in the future. I realised that I was not very interested in wet labs and preferred roles that involved event planning and desk research. This helped me on the path, that I am on now, as I took the time to reflect on the skills I have and what I enjoy doing and used this to guide the kind of roles I look for when applying to jobs. What is a typical week like for you? Would you describe your role as varied or predictable and how does that tie into your personality? My position as a JPC is fully remote and I am on the same time zone as New York which is where the UNICEF Headquarters is based. I have 30 minute meetings with my supervisor on Monday and this sets my tasks for my week. My supervisor is very open to me suggesting tasks to do to ensure the role fits the skills and experiences I want to have. My role is varied, which I like as I am able to get varying experiences such as research, program evaluation, and also attending meetings with country offices. This ties into my personality as I like engaging in several initiatives at a time. During my week I also try to plan content for my Instagram @Jonta_Kam and my blog on my personal website: www.jontakam.com What advice would you give new students and recent graduates on maintaining a good work-life balance and staying on track given your experience as a part-time research assistant? I did my research assistant activities while I was a full-time student. During my undergraduate degree, I did these positions for course credit. I found that doing them for course credit made it easier to maintain a good work life balance as they were more strict in ensuring that you worked a certain number of hours a week. As a Master’s student, I found it harder to maintain a good work life balance while doing part-time research assistant roles and being a full-time student. Advice, I would give is make sure you are not working overtime too much especially when balancing other commitments. Also, be open with your supervisor and let them know if you will be unavailable during certain times of the day and speak up if you feel as though you have too much work. I think these opportunities are great to gain work experience, but at times they may be hard to balance with your other commitments. Sometimes, maintaining a good work life balance is very hard depending on how supportive your team is and how fast the deadlines are approaching. What resources have helped you most during your career journey ( you can also talk about the lack of resources if applicable) During my career journey, one of the resources that have helped me the most is people. Family members and friends have always connected me to people working in global/public health which have connected me to people in various public/global health positions. This allowed me to network with individuals since I graduated from high school. Having these conversations early developed my understanding of careers in the field and also my ability to feel comfortable networking with others. I always make sure to maintain my relationship with these connections, so it is nice to hear from them how they have seen me grow. What is an insight you gained about your job/global health only after you started your career? An insight I learned about global health after my career is that the specific degree that you have is not actually that important, it is more about your experience and how you brand yourself. Have you had a mentor and how has that contributed to your career journey? I signed up for a mentorship program once in undergrad otherwise my mentors have been connections that I have made and kept relationships with. When finding a mentor it is important that you both match, so I personally prefer scheduling a meeting with an individual so I get to know them and maintaining the relationship if that is what I want to do. These mentors have helped me by connecting me to other individuals, forwarding my name for opportunities, and providing advice on cover letters and resumes. You are very active on linkedin and have just launched your own personal website(www.jontakam.com ) Planning to launch instagram ! . What advice do you have for networking and putting yourself out there? Honestly, just go for it and start! Networking can be very daunting at first, but when you do it a lot of times, there are a lot of benefits for you as you are making yourself more visible and speaking to people also helps ensure you can effectively communicate your interests to others. People that you don’t know will also interact with your posts, and you connect with people that have similar interests. Overall, I have found it to be very rewarding especially as you never know who you’ll end up being connected to and how this will help you. website: www.jontakam.com How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you? A defining moment for me was when I realised I did not want to limit myself to solely public health research and academia and saw myself also working in program management and roles that involved program implementation. This led me to reflect on the courses I was taking and the experiences I was gaining and how they would help me work in the kind of roles I aspired to be in. Where do you see yourself in 5 years In 5 years I see myself working in public health but more on the African continent. I also see my personal brand growing, so I hope to do more speaking engagements and possible consultancies, but we will see where life takes me. Outside science how would you describe yourself? Outside of science I like to model and travel. I am also into supporting more African founded brands whether it is make-up, hair products, artwork, clothing. I always try to support them and look for more!

Humans have this weird thing of latching onto age or benchmarks of success and timelines. Whether that makes us feel more accomplished through comparison or maybe simply contextualising our feelings on “scientific fact”is comforting in a way. Brain research i.e. neuroscience and psychological studies of human development will always spark interest as they attempt to give us a better understanding of who we are but what happens when those “facts” are heavily extrapolated into conversation meaning something completely different? “ It is well established that the brain undergoes a “rewiring “ process that is not complete until approximately 25 years of age.” “Your brain isn’t mature until 25” - this is somewhat the new common knowledge from scientific discovery that has found its way into general conversation.Like all science discoveries it may take years for something to penetrate through the barriers of research papers and academic conversation to common conversation and dining table fun facts. This topic is no different ! Neuroscience is one of the fascinating fields that can easily capture people's attention! In a quick google search the question of “is my brain mature” at 25? brings up... “ It is well established that the brain undergoes a “rewiring “ process that is not complete until approximately 25 years of age.” But if you take a deeper look at the paper which google references, the actual context of this statement means something slightly different to what has taken over common talk. On social media, it won't take much scrolling to hear people say “something just feels different at 25”. So, why do many people feel the world starting to make sense after this landmark age ? How it all started: The leading article comes from a 2013 Review paper where researchers were trying to understand violent behaviours in adolescents. Some of the questions explored why adolescents are such risk takers. In child development, puberty is a key progress marker in maturity as changes seen are visible and linked to the hormones we all learn about growing up. In the brain, growth or rewiring is attributed to two things: “dendritic pruning” - reducing the number of pathways by getting rid of unused pathways and “myelination”- insulation of the neuronal cell leading to faster signalling . The easiest way I could put it is “A spring clean and essential maintenance process of the brain happens as we age”. The review goes into further detail on the hormonal changes during adolescence such as changes in dopamine, serotonin and melatonin . MRI studies which scanned the brains of adolescents reviewed in the paper showed that adolescents use less of their prefrontal cortex in making decisions than observed in adults and were more emotionally led. The way we view age and maturity plays a part in how we observe things. If we think that our 20’s are a restart on us gaining understanding of our hormones, surrounding and personalities, with 20 at zero and 25 as 5. Is it at 5 years into “adulthood” that we begin to fully understand who we are as people and how that ties into our relationships? “dendritic pruning” - reducing the number of pathways by getting rid of unused pathways and “myelination”- insulation of the neuronal cell leading to faster signalling What does brain maturation look like? The prefrontal cortex lies just behind the forehead and plays a key role in the “brain maturation” theory. The development is also linked to the development of “myelin” which leads to faster brain signalling and growth . Growth in this case, isn't in terms of brain size as children grow in height where we expect these massive physical changes but as mentioned before it is an essential process that researchers have found takes us away from being more emotional/ hormone driven decision makers . The brain instead goes through a flux in maturation and relative size where myelination will increase “size” as well as the loss of neurons. Brain size is essentially determined by maturation which “increases” size by reducing pathways and increasing processing speed if we describe the brain as a computer network and ageing that is essentially the loss of matured pathways and connections. The nuanced meaning of brain growth and impact on society In researching for this article I came across a blog post " Master you metaphors " that highlights the importance of not over-using metaphors to "translate" scientific evidence to the general public. Rewiring as a term to explain things about the brain is useful but does it give the full picture? In a sense it explains that things move from one place to another and therefore making a “better” brain from something that was seemingly wrong ( this is open for interpretation) . In the real world, rewiring occurs when something is wrong. You wouldn't rewire your house if it wasn’t done correctly the first time. Describing the brain fully maturing ties into the human sense of seeing changes similar to that of puberty as a way to describe these final stages. What it actually means may be evidenced one day by research but the feeling of maturity and what it is, will forever remain open to societal context. Science “fact” is weaponised in society as a whole and something the science community has come to struggle with. Those examples give quite a lot to think about, which is especially important for the topic of brain maturation. Maturity is somethings that can only partially be defined by brain evidence as the nuances around what counts in different societies is yet to be understood. Food for thought: How do we infer from scientific evidence accurately in daily conversation? Thinking of the brain as this static machine allows people to forget that human beings don’t work as the systems we have created but instead as a whole with many pieces we are yet to understand. We take in information at the same time hormones are released and emotions are expressed, therefore pinpointing maturity as a single sign of what has been evidenced doesn’t do the human body justice and frankly most scientific findings can only highlight the bits we have been able to measure and rationalise. The beauty of our full-selves lies in the unknown and learning something new everyday ! TCIM continues to be a platform to present the “FACTS” but open to a challenge and discussion of understanding. As said perfectly in the Master you metaphors blog,” science is done by humans to better understand humans but not without the bias “ making it as I will add a perfectly imperfect system to not put context when it comes to studies on behaviour and even health and how we occupy space . Review (free): Maturation of the adolescent brain Why is 18 the age of adulthood if the brain takes 30 years to mature? Master you metaphors The Myth of the 25-Year-Old Brain

Name : Aishat Yusuff (She/Her) Job Title: Trainee Software Developer A levels/ equivalent : I schooled in Nigeria so the A Levels equivalent is the West African Examination Council(WAEC) Exam and I got: English -B3, Maths - B2, Chemisty - B3, Physics - B3, Biology - B3 Undergrad and Post grad degrees Bsc Biochemistry Msc Clinical Biochemistry Favourite science fact: I find it interesting that visible features like the ear and face shapes can be used as paternity cues in sons. Journey in 3 Words : Interesting, challenging and surprising Briefly describe your current role: My background is quite different from my career field now. My role as a trainee software developer involves me learning new things about software development/engineering while on the job. It involves a lot of studying and hands-on practice, which isn’t unusual for the field because technology is always evolving. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I first fell in love with science when I saw some medical students in white lab coat. It sounds quite funny but it was a driving force for me. However, I decided to career-switch because I wanted to try my hands on something new. The ultimate career goal for me now would be combining my Biochemistry knowledge with my newly acquired software development knowledge, to advance health tech! What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? A typical day for me includes a few catch up meetings with my colleagues to update them on what I’m currently working on/learning. As I work from home, this ensures that I’m not isolated, as I also get to ask lots of questions. As my role involves a lot of learning, I’d be creating simple practice software projects, while solving problems and reading about different software development concepts. Problem solving, oral communication and research skills are my most used skills on a typical day. As I’ve recently started working on a project with my colleagues, I wager that I’d be using a lot of team working skills in the months to come. As a career switcher, all of the above mentioned skills came quite easy for me because I’ve groomed them in my academic life, however, I’ve had to tailor my problem solving skills to suit the software development field. It was quite difficult at first but constant practice and asking for help when I need it has made it easier for me. How did you decide on your Msc? and do you feel you made the right decision for your career? I wanted to explore the clinical aspect of Biochemistry as my undergrad was quite generic. That’s why I decided on my MSc course. I’d also say yes, I made the right decision for me at the time. The MSc journey didn’t just teach me about clinical Biochemistry, I learnt a lot more as a person; about my own personal health; about writing even about my professional skills. What advice would you give anyone wanting to follow your career path? I’d say do not be afraid to make a career switch if, like me, all you’ve known is a different field. I know that technology is the latest hype but don’t like that stop you. Take a leap and try it out— and this doesn’t just apply to technology by the way. Remember that you’ll only live this life, once. You decided to make a big career switch, what resources or thought process led you to this path after your life science based degree? Initially, I’d wanted to try something new because I wasn’t getting a favourable response on my job application process — after my MSc. I needed the confidence boost and I’d figured that trying out something I used to think I’d suck at, might help. Coding wasn’t a thing I thought I’d find interesting, so when I started learning (and enjoyed it), I realised that I could make this a career. The code first girls initiative provided me with lots of free resources to facilitate this journey. "Rejection can be very debilitating and we’ve ALL experienced it, so please know that you’re not alone in how you feel." What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? Rejection can be very debilitating and we’ve ALL experienced it, so please know that you’re not alone in how you feel. What I’d say though is that like me, you can try your hands on new things ( that may provide another source of achievement and will remind you that you’re worth it!). This doesn’t mean that like me, you should make a career change, but I find that when you do things that remind you that you can achieve anything, you can channel that renewed confidence to combat that sense of rejection ( and strengthen your perseverance). Would you have originally picked this career path instead of doing a masters if more information was available to you at the time? I believe so, yes. I don’t regret doing my MSc in clinical Biochemistry, because as I’ve mentioned earlier, I learnt a lot from the process. But I believe if I’d found the desire to “try something new” earlier, or I’d come across a brilliant initiative like Code First Girls earlier, I might have opted for a conversion masters in Computer engineering or software development. What advice would you give your younger self ? Enjoy your learning phase. Let go of all that worrying about what your future would look like and actually enjoy every learning moment of your present. You’d look back on them and see how those moments contributed to who you are today. Where do you see yourself in 5 years ? I see myself still holding firmly to the above advice. I also see myself being a formidable presence in my current field and helping other career switchers like me overcome their imposter syndrome (and be the best versions of themselves). Outside science how would you describe yourself? Outside of science and technology, I enjoy listening to and taking care of myself. I do this by immersing myself in my love for books, writing, kdramas and sleeping 😄.

Name – Deborah Ojutalayo (She/Her) Job title –/ Graduate Research Associate I A levels– Psychology, Biology, Chemistry Graduate degrees BSc Biomedical Science, MSc Immunology Favourite science fact – It’s absolutely crazy to me that more than 80% of the ocean is unexplored! What motivated you to pursue a career in science – The idea of knowing that my contribution would somewhere and somehow, make a difference. Briefly describe your current role – I work for a Biotech company where our research is gene therapy focused. We are currently developing gene therapy vectors to treat patients with Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Journey in 3 Words – Am I allowed to sum it up as “whew chile”? How did you decide on your MSc? and do you feel you made the right decision for your career? During my application process for my MSc, it was always between Medical Microbiology and Immunology/Infection & Immunity. I would say this was largely influenced by my final year project of my undergraduate degree as well as the modules I took the most interest in. I started to research job roles where these MSc specialities would be useful, and I ended up choosing Immunology and selecting option modules that related to Medical Microbiology so that I could ideally have the best of both worlds! Although my area of research is focused on neurodegenerative diseases, there are still many aspects of my degree that are applicable. What is a typical week/ month like in your role and which skills do you enjoy the most? ​I literally said "Wow" when I read this question because I do many varied things which I absolutely love! More recently, I have been processing a lot of Pig and Sheep samples for RNA extractions and qPCR runs in preparation for the next stages of our animal studies. I'm also involved in alot of cloning and cell work as well as developing and selecting the best AAV candidate that will deliver a Mirco RNA to target and knockdown the genes that cause ALS and FTD. We have science meetings every Monday where each member of the team presents the work they have been working on, problems and issues they faced as well as potential steps required to move the project forward. We assess the progress made and see whether we are on track for our deadlines and adjust things accordingly. I would say my favourite skills/ things to do in the lab are cell culture, qPCR and cloning, but ultimately I love the intellectual stimulation I get from everything that I do, which requires me to work with intent rather than working out of automation. What skills do you use most from your degree now in your job and are there other skills used that surprised you? Being a student meant balancing multiple deadlines, so I definitely transferred my organisational skills from university and into the workplace. My research projects at university made me realise the importance of lab note taking as everything in research must be accounted for. To get a job nowadays you need to have done the job? How did you navigate the post grad- “what next” job search and what did you do that you think was pivotal in achieving your current role? The changing point for me was when I landed my first industry-based role as a Research Assistant at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine towards the end of my MSc degree after a long drought of hearing nothing from companies. It was also the period that I had become more active on LinkedIn and connected with people who had gone through a similar educational pathway to me. I made myself open to talking with like minded people to better understand the career options that were available to me and where best my degrees could be used. What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? Rejection can be exhausting and mentally draining and can leave you questioning your capabilities. Graduating from my first degree when the pandemic had first struck, left me feeling incredibly anxious about how things would turn out for me. My advice would be to never stand still. Job rejections do not mean that your life also goes on hold but be someone who is investing their time into things (hobbies, networking, continuous professional development, jobs with transferable skills etc) that will make them better suited candidates when the role for you comes along. PS: You’ve got this! Is there anything you noticed change in your interview approach before and after networking that landed you your role and what key tips would you have on building and nurturing online connections? ​I wouldn't say there was anything in particular that changed. For the most part, connecting with others in fields I aspired to be in provided that sense of mentorship and gave me the confidence I needed to approach interviews and job applications that would subsequently make me a stand out candidate. Engaging with your connections in a meaningful way (Eg Through LinkedIn posts and personal messages) and keeping the door open for conversation is important. If you see something that someone does or has done and you are genuinely interested in knowing more, then express that! I have met many people through ​LinkedIn who share a common ground with me such as Faith, and this also makes our connections more personal and meaningful. What other roles did you consider in your Job search and do you see yourself returning to academia for a PhD? During my job search I applied to healthcare roles such as Healthcare assistant roles and in the process landed a role as a COVID-19 Vaccinator during the initial stages of the vaccination roll-out. I also searched within the NHS for Medical Laboratory Assistant and administrative roles, however, working in a research environment was always the goal for my career prospects. As a young professional, I want to build my experience and credentials before returning to academia. However I am not ruling out the possibility of pursuing a PhD, so watch this space haha! Knowing what you know now, would you have done the same undergraduate degree and why? I would like to have seen what a degree in Pharmacology would be like, particularly as my company is built around drug development. The only thing I would have changed during my degree is to opt for the four-year option which would have given me the opportunity of a placement year; I believe this would have made my job process easier to navigate. How do you approach the “work-life” balance scale? - Do you have tools you use to maintain balance or is this something you are still learning? One thing I have always been sure of is that I would never want to work in a role that involves bringing and dragging my working responsibilities back home with me. What is done at work should stay at work. It can be tempting for instance to respond to emails outside of working hours, however when you do this, you send signals to colleagues that you are available 24/7 and this is not the case. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affect your decision? I have Nigerian blood in me so I would say important haha! On a serious note, I think it was important for me to understand what my career progression looked like, and this has been very transparent within the company that I work for. Salary is certainly not everything, but it plays a big role and employees deserve to be paid for what they are worth. Outside science how would you describe yourself? An absolute nutter! How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you? I always thought the roles available to me were hospital-based roles or working in a role where everything was super automated, and I didn’t want that. I must have stumbled across a LinkedIn profile of someone who had completed an MSc and was working in a Research Assistant role, and I was curious to find out more on what that entailed. After some digging, I liked what I saw and started to apply for similar positions and fell in love with research when I landed my Research Assistant role. I was not confident in my lab/ scientific skills at that time, however the Principal Investigator that I worked for was so encouraging in times where I did not believe in myself and he provided a working environment where I was able to grow as a young scientist.

Name : Josephine (Josie) Mensah-Kane - she/her Job Title : Data Scientist A levels : Chemistry,Biology, Economics, French Undergrad and postgrad degrees : BSc Biochemistry MSc Bioinformatics Favourite science fact: Human stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve stainless steel! Journey in 3 Words : Evolving, Challenging, and Fulfilling Briefly describe your role : My role mainly consists of developing and implementing algorithms to aid in the quick diagnosis of rapidly spreading bacterial and viral infections. I also manage the statistical analysis of clinical trials, for performance evaluations of diagnostic devices (e.g., COVID tests), and diagnostic devices for neglected and tropical diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever. What motivated you to pursue a career in science: The intellectual challenge it brings, and how rapidly evolving and important science is in our everyday lives. What do/ did you enjoy the most about your masters course? Our 3 month group project, which consisted of designing and coding a bioinformatics software app from scratch. It was interesting learning new coding languages and seeing how quickly everyone on the course was able to pick up the skill (as most of us came from non-coding backgrounds) You published a paper from your Msc dissertation, what advice would you give someone wanting/ currently pursuing a masters degree?: Be as interactive as possible with your lecturers/PhD demonstrators and don’t hold back from asking questions you may think are ‘silly’. When it comes to your dissertation, schedule frequent meetings with your supervisor and start writing up your draft as early as possible, update it on a weekly basis and consistently ask for feedback, as opposed to leaving it to the last few weeks. Most importantly, engage with your course mates – our course had a large group chat, which was really helpful in discussing all things from coursework, to job, or PhD opportunities. How was the transition from Biochemistry to Bioinformatics and how did you land on choosing your Msc? It was a fairly smooth transition, as my bioinformatics course (at QMUL) was catered towards people from non-coding backgrounds. It was a very fast paced, intense and challenging year, however, the lecturers and PhD demonstrators were extremely helpful. There are also many resources online (e.g. Stack Overflow) which are very useful in helping you tackle problems in many different ways. I chose to pursue a masters in bioinformatics, based on a recommendation made by one of my undergrad lecturers, who explained how much of a rapidly growing and interesting industry it was. How have internships played a part in your journey? My first internship with ‘Hire STEM Women’ introduced me to many women working in the STEM industry, which motivated me to pursue a career in tech. My second internship, with ‘Code First Girls’, got me into coding/software engineering and cemented how interesting and easy of a skill coding is to pick up, with enough motivation. Although both internships were not directly related to my degree at the time (as I had not yet started my bioinformatics masters), they introduced me to the many different career opportunities that I could explore by brushing up my coding skills. How do you feel careers in your field have evolved / where are they heading to? The bioinformatics field has grown exponentially since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003. In the future, I predict even more collaboration with other scientists from different fields, medical doctors, and even looking at ways to improve individual health outcomes through the use of personalised medicine. Knowing what you know, are there any bits of your journey you would change or advice you wish you were given earlier? I wouldn’t change any part of my journey, but I wish I knew to start looking for work experience earlier on during my undergrad years. No career journey is a linear path, What are some hard truths you have had to face along the way? It is difficult to secure job in a particular field without relevant work experience, no matter how good your academic track record is. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Significantly, however, my decision was also mainly based on choosing a career where there’s plenty of room for growth, not only in salary, but in skills and responsibility as well. Outside science how would you describe yourself? I’m an animal lover, I’m really interested in the history of music, especially jazz and blues and even have a blog centring that. I’m also really interested in video games!

Name ( pronouns) : Dr Abigail Otchere (she/her) Course/ job: Medical communications manager/medical writer A levels/ equivalent :Maths, biology, chemistry, drama Undergrad and post grad degrees BSc biomedical science MSc neuroscience PhD biomedical science What is your favourite science fact? It has to be fruit fly (Drosophila) related as that’s the model organism I used in my PhD: when male fruit flies get rejected by females during mating they turn to alcohol! - If they are presented with food soaked in alcohol or with no alcohol, rejected flies are 4 times more likely to drown their sorrows with alcohol (similar to humans) Journey in 3 words : Testing, varied, unexpected Briefly describe your current role Currently I am a medical communications manager/medical writer. I work for a global medical communications who are basically the middle person between (our clients) pharma companies and healthcare professionals. I work in events, so from the planning to the kick-off meeting to the running of the event. One of the biggest perks of the role is attending events you assisted to plan, sometimes they are held in beautiful venues and countries. We also create medical education materials for healthcare professionals, such as slide decks to educate doctors on treatments for a particular disease or testing methods currently used in clinics or currently in clinical trials. What motivated you to pursue a career in science ? I loved science in secondary school and was also top in my science class - which can’t be said about my other subjects. I loved learning about the human body and how relatable science is - everyone has a loved one who has been affected by old age or ill health, for me science has also been about finding solutions to people’s real life problems. My biggest motivator was my science teacher, she was also a black woman and she encouraged me that I could do anything and should push myself to achieve. She also made science so fun and easy to retain information. Before Doing a PhD you worked in clinical trials, what interested you in working in that field? I fell into clinical trials by accident, I was looking for a lab role once I completed my masters. I applied to work in a lab for a CRO ( Contract Research Organisation) who specialise in flu/virology studies. I got the job but the company didn’t reply to me for 3 months after I accepted the job role. Eventually they sent my start date but not for a lab job but as a data associate and said there was scope for me to move around the company and eventually end up in the lab. I remained on the data team for just over year! What interested me about clinical trials was working on new drugs that could potentially come to market. I realised I loved research and wanted to do more independent research which a PhD offers. Your PhD journey has been quite unique - What was the deciding point in moving from clinical trials to full-time research? After almost 2 years of working in clinical trials, I realised I loved research and wanted to do more independent research which a PhD offers. I also noticed everyone who led a clinical trial had a PhD and soon realised if I wanted to get to the top and run my own trials, a PhD was necessary. I also missed the lab - I had spent two years at a computer desk! What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a PhD coming from a full-time job. Don’t allow inner doubts to stop you from applying. A PhD is a learning ground so they don’t expect you to be an expert before you start, you will receive training on everything. Also your working experience is an advantage, even if it’s not directly lab work. There are skills you learn at work that are useful for a PhD such as time management, presentation and working to tight deadlines. Thirdly, don’t just apply for any PhD. Make sure it’s something you are passionate about. A PhD is not like a 9-5, it becomes a lifestyle, this topic is all you think about for 3/4 years. It’s only your passion and motivation that will keep you through the challenging times What excited you the most about your PhD research and have you been able to share that knowledge to the wider general community ? I used fruit flies as a model to study ageing and I was so fascinated the range of things you could test in these tiny organisms such as their memory and measure things like fat and dissect their guts! I was also excited to find that the mutation (in a group of receptors called metabotropic glutamate receptors) I was studying extended lifespan in female flies and not males. I further found out using RNA sequencing, that the females had stress protective genes and were more resistant to starvation and oxidative stress conditions. During my PhD I was fortunate to go to international conferences and other UK universities to speak about my findings. Since completing, I love being able to chip in what I found during my PhD to non-scientists like in the most random places (a friend’s birthday or to someone on a plane!) Coming from a PhD, I was used to working on my own project or independent working. But I had to adapt to team working for my current role. What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? I work mostly from home although we have a office close-by. My days consist of meetings with my internal team or clients, replying to emails, working on slide presentations for symposium at scientific conferences or brainstorming ideas with the team. I enjoy using my communication skills which I blend with my scientific expertise and also the ability to learn new topics fast. Coming from a PhD, I was used to working on my own project or independent working. But I had to adapt to team working for my current role. Sometimes I’m required to work as a team to complete a slide deck for example or brainstorm ideas towards the program of the conference. Also you need to have great attention to detail as our clients are paying for a service and your work needs to reflect the company’s image/branding- this I work on every day, triple checking my work I send to clients and making sure I’m up to date the company’s house-style. How do you stay motivated ? especially after completing a PhD during the pandemic, how did you deal with the uncertainty and what advise would you pass on? I recently read that just 1% of the world’s population have a PhD! Not only that but a PhD graduate has a 98% employment rate, it gives me confidence knowing this especially when dealing with imposter syndrome. I also remember if I could complete a PhD during a pandemic I can do anything, I basically use the struggle as a constant reminder of what I can achieve. Things will work out, that’s the advice I can give, I didn’t get a job straight after my PhD, it took me 4 months after my PhD viva. But in that 4 months, I discovered medical communications as a career, gained invaluable interview experience and had much needed rest! A postdoc is generally a short-term research position that provides further training in a particular field, and for individuals planning research careers in academia, government, or industry, the postdoc years can be an opportunity to develop independence, hone technical skills, and focus research interests Having "left academia" , what were the deciding factors in not choosing a Postdoc? I spent an extra year because of the pandemic on my PhD, at the end of it I was ready for something new. The lab can be a lonely place, especially with the work I was doing and I was ready to explore some my other skills I enjoyed during my degree such as communication. I considered applying for for postdocs upon finishing but I felt like I would only do a postdoc if I wanted to stay in academia and research in the long term. I’ll never say never to going back to academia but at the time of choosing jobs the thought of a postdoc felt like a ‘second PhD’ and was honestly that didn’t appeal to me at the time. Other factors included the contract length, postdocs are on a fixed term contract basis and some are not very long. I wanted a job which was more permanent so that was one of my biggest deciding factors. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? To be honest, salary has not been my driving force when it comes to my career choices. At the very start of my career I learnt it’s okay to start from somewhere and work you way up especially when you don’t have experience. Having said that I have refused jobs in the past where the pay didn’t make sense, in terms of the work load and responsibilities and how much they were willing to pay also weighed against career development prospects. When I completed my PhD especially when I was trying to move into medical communications, some companies were offering lower starting salaries than if I was in a lab role because I had no communications experience but I knew my value as a PhD graduate and didn’t go for those. I had my salary range and was very strict on this. What is a typical week like for you? Would you describe your role as varied or routine and how does that tie into your personality? Very varied, I usually work towards one project/event at a time. I work with different client contacts and on different disease therapies. For example one week I could be working on lung cancer, working with a graphic designer and project manager to design the symposium invitation. The next week I could be presenting the main clinical data from recent blood cancer trials, in a slide deck. I like how it is varied because I like a challenge, I like new tasks and I like learning about new disease areas/treatment options. It is important to point out, working in medical communications there are quiet periods and then very hectic, crazy busy periods. This is usually between events. I enjoy the quiet times because when it gets busy, it requires working to tight deadlines and sometimes working longer hours especially when there are last minute changes to slides or even changes to the speaker. I also think this ties into my personality well because sometimes I can talk for days but other times I like my own company. How do you describe yourself outside of science ? I would say I can be dramatic, I am creative (I love writing) and tend to think a lot. I also love looking good, and travelling to new places How do you feel careers in your field have evolved / where are they heading to? Especially after finding out the host of careers outside of academia after your PhD? I think jobs are going to require more skills than just scientific knowledge. For instance, creativity. My current role involves working with graphic designers to design materials for symposia, skills I didn’t know it required. Some of these skills I developed during my PhD when making my own presentations for conferences or making research posters. I think this opens new job opportunities, especially in job areas you never knew a scientist would be needed. In addition I believe things are going to become more digital - a prime example is AI in healthcare, I never thought I will sit in a meeting and be hearing about the metaverse but has become the norm! With the lack of career guidance out there, where do you think universities are getting it wrong? Many graduates are leaving university not knowing what to do with their degree. This is especially so for graduates that don’t won’t to take the typical/traditional career path e.g a biomedical science graduate that doesn’t want to go on to study medicine or work as a biomedical scientist. Along with teaching content, I think universities need to educate on the different careers, invite more companies to visit and give students a taste of the real world especially those who don’t complete an industry placement. I also believe the problem starts very early on, before we get into uni, we are not exposed to many careers, and will hope schools will start introducing careers before year 10. You run a science page called @sistemuk. What are the motivations and future goals for the page and what is it like having a real sister in STEM ? It’s been amazing so far. I’ve learnt so much about other careers and have discovered there are so many women that look like me doing amazing things across STEM. We started SiSTEM because we both struggled as black when in our respective fields and a big part of that was because we felt alone. We didn’t want any girls to give up their dreams because they lacked representation. That’s a big goal of our platform to increase representation by showcasing black women in STEM and change the narrative of what a scientist/engineer or doctor looks like. We also went through so many things that if someone told us at the start we wouldn’t have gone through it so we want to share this with our network - and hear such things from others. Having my real sister as a co-founder has been a blessing! From our experiences we wanted to do something to help girls/women in our fields separately but we discovered we could combine our dream and become a force to reckon with! There something special in sisterhood and that’s what we are offering women in STEM - a community. We also don’t look your typical scientist and engineer, we hope that too inspires. Follow SiSTEM on Instagram and LinkedIn

Technicians are one of the unsung heroes of the science world. Throughout my undergraduate degree I never fully understood the scope of the technician but always appreciated them. Responsible for providing routine and non-routine technical support to researchers by performing a variety of tasks in support of research. The research technician performs tasks in an agriculture or laboratory setting, in the field, or other research settings. Technicians pass on knowledge and information to trainee students and become experts in the skills that keep the lab running. Technicians do all different things and the science Museum exhibit did an amazing job immersing you into the day to day of different roles. Technicians are both generalists and specialists and with the amazing exhibit they are no longer hidden across the range of fields you find them in. The exhibit was an immersive experience, taking you through a range of different roles with a career questionnaire to pair you with your 5 best suited technician roles. To my surprise I was given “ clinical coder” amongst others that led to media careers. The experience got me thinking, why hadn’t I written a post about technicians having been one myself ? What was it like being a technician ? I haven’t been in it for 6 months yet so there is still a lot to learn ! A typical week or month will involve scanning animals, practicing surgery procedures, reading papers, lab meetings and finishing any other training I have to do. TCIM Career Profile: Bsc Medical Physiology to Research Technician Being a technician is such a varying role where you get to form relationships with a range of people. While some technicians can work on a singular project with the main PI ( Principal Investigator) in universities or industry, others are more of an all hands on deck and work between projects. That was my situation and I loved it because it allowed me to understand a range of techniques and gain an interest in so many scientific questions. At the time I started my role, I was unsure if I wanted to do a PhD and that space allowed me to fully understand the research environment which weirdly taught me I liked being a multi-project person and also enjoyed the administrative sides of the role. I wouldn’t have applied for the role if I hadn’t interviewed someone on this very blog who was a scientific officer . This then taught me that the same role had quite a few different job titles. The ways in which you view a technician career can differ based on your preferences. For me , it was an opportunity to engage with science without commitment. The short contracts can often be off putting as they don’t offer stability but it can also set a time frame for understanding “what next” ? Everyone becomes a technician for reasons personal to them but I can say a want for carrying out scientific research is at the core of the role. It is a perfect space to understand where you want to fit in the academic structure. In a nature article the views of various technicians highlight the paths that can be taken and the fulfilling things that can be done. Progression can involve managing the lab in the future or using it as a way to get into a PhD or starting as a technician in industry to open the entire world of Pharmaceutical research and management. TCIM has interviewed a few technicians and while all got through after a masters degree. The technician pathway doesn't have to follow that route. There are apprenticeships that can lead to technician roles in school, laboratories in hospitals, pharmaceutical companies or universities. The National Careers Service and Royal Society of Biology(RSB) have information on the different entry routes and RSB also focuses on further training and more. The life science industry covers a range of scientific disciplines and technician roles will be specialised according to different topics making it quite difficult to pinpoint the exact skills needed. The skills taught at university should complement the common skills used. Because this is such a huge question, TCIM is creating a survey to make it a little easier to understand . Fill out the survey here if you have a life science degree: TCIM What's next Project Subscribe to the newsletter if you are a student or want update on the project : Subscribe here Why become a technician ? The ability to gain and perfect a range of skills over a short period of time Not ready to commit to wanting to do a PhD and gaining a bit of insight into the academic environment Gaining insight into a particular field Being able to leave your work at the office and not be consumed by the pressure of academia You enjoy science and working on different projects with a range of people You learn skills that can pivot you into other fields within the university or job sector as it heavily overlaps with administrative tasks and working with de Access to university/ organisational resources which can help advance your career What are the downsides Short term contracts: technician contracts in academic institutions can be dependent on the length of the grant funding the project. You may not have full ownership of the project you are working on. Progression as a fully independent researcher will need a PhD Tasks can become repetitive What is a typical day like? Elicia: I am currently employed as a Scientific Officer at the Institute of Cancer Research. I assist in lab-based medical research to investigate a paediatric cancer known as neuroblastoma. Our overall goal is to discover therapeutic targets within neuroblastoma cells, which would lead to drug discovery for the affected patients. Many neuroblastoma patients have a genetic amplification of an oncogene known as MYCN. My colleagues and I attempt to target MYCN and its associated genes/proteins using techniques such as PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. If targeting these genes/proteins reduces the cancer phenotype, these results can be used for drug development. Seun: A typical day for me is mostly lab-based, growing generated cell lines in culture, and maintaining them in their optimal conditions. I then harvest these cells, running experiments on them to see for example their gene expression dynamics (qPCR analysis), or running western blots. I also do some admin/lab management work, liaising with company representatives, as well as some science communication on social media (@seuninscience) More Questions on the role How did you get into your role and how does it differ from job roles such as "laboratory assistant" ? Elciia : I applied to the Scientific Officer position straight after my Master's course in 2017. I was happy to get the position. I had just finished a Molecular Genetics Master's, which I believed helped me to get into working in cancer genetics (with neuroblastoma research). To be honest, I'd say that my role is a research assistant type role, but with a fancier name haha! I assist with lab work often. I've been privileged to work on the research elements a lot, because of my awesome team who gave me many chances. My role has technical aspects, but also gives me the freedom to think of, and test new hypotheses to investigate neuroblastoma cells. TCIM Career Profile: https://www.thecatalystinme.com/single-post/career-profile-scientific-officer Which parts of your role do you enjoy the most and what are some hard truths you have had to face in the role? Seun: Enjoy the most: Tissue culture- culturing and maintaining the cell line we work with. Most people do not like TC, but I love it. Happy cells = good experimental data! Some hard truth I face in role is regarding the lack of representation of BAME (females especially) in higher roles in academia. Granted, it is not direct to my actual role as an RA, but it is an issue that academia currently suffers from. TCIM: Career Profile https://www.thecatalystinme.com/single-post/biochem-to-research-assistant What's your favourite part of your job? Adama: I get paid to learn ! It was a weird concept to deal with at first. I genuinely enjoy reading papers and thinking ( I say this now because I don’t have loads of pressure on me) but as long as I am learning and challenged it weirdly sparks joy ! I love the fact that no week is the same ! TCIM Career Profile: https://www.thecatalystinme.com/single-post/bsc-medical-physiology-to-research-assistant Similar job titles: Research officer, Scientific Officer , Research technician , Research assistant. What are the most needed skills in the UK life science technician market ? Entry into the techncican world as a life scientist can be quite complicated. For technician roles in schools a professional qualification/ certification vs a degree will be enough in most cases but with the changing landscape of the job market a lot of people have degrees. Technicians in the university setting may even have to opt for masters degrees as many roles require independent research experience where an undergrad research project may not have taught the techniques in enough detail. This is something I don’t personally agree with but it’s just how it is at the moment. If you like the structure of the research technician being a biomedical scientist may also be a good fit in terms of working hours, skills learned and potential flexibility in working hours. Entry level to these roles would be Medical laboratory assistant and roles that are similar Resources How working as a research technician can bolster your scientific career Not your average technician TCIM Career Profiles : All profiles did a masters before their roles as a technician. Adama: Bsc Medical Physiology to Research Technician Elicia: Bsc Biomedical Science to Scientific Officer Seun: Bsc Biochemistry to Research Assistant Royal Society of Biology Technician resources National Careers Service Technician Resource