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Why do a phd ? Three weeks into my internship and a phd is now a very plausible option going further. A month ago, you would have had to do a whole lot of convincing for me to consider pursuing a phd. I already knew it was an amazing path to take but i could never imagine myself in such a role. The reason for this is a combination of assumptions, self doubt and lack of proper exposure to the research environment. The common cons when thinking about doing a phd is the repetitiveness of the tasks or the very lonely nature of the job. I have encountered both. Lab life is quite isolating but a bonus to this is that you are in absolute control of your own time and the way your day goes. You do need to be very organised and self motivated to do what may seem as tediously repetitive tasks. For example my main project over the next two months involves using a chromatography machine that collects the data i need. . My typical day involves Thawing out the samples ( about 5 mins) Unloading the samples from the previous day ( 2 mins, so i do this while my samples are thawing) Loading the samples onto the machine ( 10-15 mins ) this includes setting up the correct data file so my recordings come off correctly and setting up the machine to go Record the data from the previous day so i don’t get a backlog of recordings and i can spot any problems quickly. Recording the data may take up to 30mins, so the whole process for setting up the experiment takes about an hour after which i leave the machine to do its stuff for about 3-4 hours. Now the wait starts - This is where lab work can be a bit strange, what do i do for 4 hours? In this time i can have lunch, set up another experiment or help with any other tasks that need to be done. This time is also used to read articles and further familiarise yourself with your project and work. I also use this time to plan my blog posts so when i get home its a stress-free zone.Your multitasking queen lol Doing lab work from what i have witnessed you have very little personal interaction with people.Your interaction may only be with your supervisor, in lab meetings or maybe departmental talks. If you are a social person this may not be for you. On the flip side the beauty of lab work is seeing a whole project through, imagine with only three weeks experience, everyday in the lab thus far has brought me joy and knowing the work i am doing is going to contribute to a bigger picture. Lab work is a little like completing a massive jigsaw puzzle. You start in small sections with the most obvious pieces and slowly but surely you begin to link in other pieces whether big or small. The end result is this amazing picture ( new information) bringing you that tiny step closer to the problem you are trying to solve.

Let’s say you went on a road trip, but you were blind folded the whole way through and instead of it being a few days it took a few million years. How would you trace your way back? Scientists have been studying human evolutionary migration patterns for years now. We commonly hear how DNA can be used to identify criminals. In a similar way by taking DNA samples, scientist can track back to where groups of different people on the earth first migrated from. How is this done? It is done by analysing DNA but not from the same place that it is extracted when identifying criminals. When identifying criminals, nuclear DNA is analysed. For human migration, scientist most commonly use mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) The mitochondria is an organelle found inside cells and is passed down directly from mother to offspring with no recombination. This means all mitochondrial DNA is the same and comes directly from the mother . Non- recombinant Y-chromosomal DNA can also be used for the same reasons as mtDNA. This is passed down from father to each male offspring . There are two main theories of human evolutionary migration. The multiregional theory and the ‘out of Africa ‘theory. The former being based of archaeological findings and the latter heavily backed by genetic evidence . This post is going to focus on the latter as mtDNA evidence backs this theory. OUT OF AFRICA THEORY When we look at humans from various continents we see many clear visual differences, but genetically we are more similar than you would imagine. Scientist analyse the mutational differences in mtDNA to track migration routes. All differences in the mtDNA are caused by mutations. mtDNA has a high mutation rate which creates more sites for analysis. These sites are known as polymorphic sites. A polymorphic site refers to major differences in the mtDNA. A sample of blood, saliva etc is taken, purified and the mtDNA is extracted. The area of interest in the mtDNA is then amplified and analysed to observe the sequence. mtDNA profiles are created by amplifying the non-coding regions in DNA. These non-coding regions show differences between non-biological relatives and are usually the same for biological relatives . After amplification, a sequence is deciphered using computer analysis programs. The sequences are then compared between individuals for similarities. Similarities in mutations can be the same for people with even very distant ancestral linkage and therefore it can track back where humans migrated from. Mismatch analysis of mtDNA sequences is analysed to note differences between individuals. Analysing the differences allows for identification of which mutations changed or differ between individuals of the same and different groups. . Fig.1 (Wallace, 2013)– shows Africa highlighted in red where the L haplotype originates. Within Africa, the figure shows the M and N haplotypes stemming from the L3 haplotype. It also shows that the M and N haplotypes are what all non-African populations originate from. The numbers in the figure indicate the approximate timing of when the specific mtDNA haplotypes first appeared. From the many experiments that have been carried out using similar methods to that explained above it is concluded that there are different mtDNA lineages. The different lineages are referred to as haplogroups. These haplogroups are illustrated above(the different letters). The haplogroups represent related groups of sequences that are defined by shared mutations. When you put all the findings together of mtDNA research into a phylogenetic (ancestral linkage) tree; based on either non-recombinant Y-chromosomal DNA or mitochondrial DNA, it shows that Non- African populations emerged from a small group of individuals that left Africa. Haplotypes L1, L2 and L3 are restricted to African populations and M and N are found in all non-African populations. The M, N are subtypes of haplotype L. They are believed to have dispersed into Eurasia from east Africa .This is illustrated in fig 1, The arrow shows haplotype M and N originating from L3. Groups M and N migrated out of Africa and from there other haplotypes were created. In a rough nut shell, your road trip started in Africa and ended wherever you find yourself right now reading this. PAPERS USED Cavalli-Sforza, L. L. & Feldman, M. N., 2003. The Application of Molecular Genetics Approaches to Study Human Evolution. Nature Genetics , Volume 33, pp. 266-277. Klug, W. S., Cumminngs, M. R., Spencer, C. A. & Palladino, M. A., 2016. DNA Forensics. In: Concepts of Genetics. Essex: Pearson, pp. 703-743. Oppenheimer, S., 2012. A single southern exit of modern humans from Africa : Before and after Toba. Quatenary International, Volume 258, pp. 88-99. Pakendorf, B. & Stoneking, M., 2002. Mitochondrial DNA:human evolution. Annual Review of Genetics, Volume 3, pp. 611-621. Underhill, P. A. & Toomas, K., 2007. Use of Y-chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA Population Structure in Tracing human migrations. Annual Review of Genetics , Volume 41, pp. 539-564. Wallace, D. C., 2013. Bioenergetics in human evolution and disease: implications for the origins of biological complexity and the missing genetic variation of common disease. Philosophical Transactions B, Volume 368, p. 1622.

SUNS OUT BUNS OUT – A FUN YET PRODUCTIVE SUMMER 😊 With exams finally over. SUMMER COULDN’T HAVE ARRIVED SOON ENOUGH. This is my first official blog post and I am super excited to start this new journey. I want to start off with a thank you for taking your time to read this piece 😊 The summer period for uni students can stretch FOUR MONTHS. I am all for living your best life and I do have activities planned but that doesn’t mean I will be slacking on my personal development. Having completed second year… it’s a bit surreal thinking about it . 2/3rds of my degree has been completed … No matter the journey your'e on, I believe there is something you can gain from this as it's never too early to start. The summer is when you are sitting the most idle. It's where you can set goals and ambitions for the next academic year. THINGS YOU SHOULD DO IN SUMMER 1. Navigate the world of internships : Applying for internships is one of the most tedious processes you can go through. Writing cover letters back to back during the academic year is something you can't avoid. To get ahead of the crowd and make your application stand out, you have to put in some legwork. Take this time during summer and research places that offer internships. Have your list ready with company names and deadline dates. You are going to apply for a lot so it's better to have a list prepared. When the new term rolls around, you can relax and focus on getting good grades. With the internships you are really keen on, do some background reading on the company and prepare for some of the typical questions you cannot avoid, such as : 1. Why you want the internship? 2. Why you want to work for company? These companies ask these questions and the one answer that comes to my head is I NEED EXPERIENCE TO GET A JOB!!!!; but obviously we know that doesn’t cut it. Use this time to dig deep and come up with draft answers that you can just tweak once it comes to application time. By doing serious research on the company and finding something that genuinely interests you about them, helps show that you are actually committed and puts you one step closer to the interview. Stalk the companies you want to work for – learn what they are about and actually find something that sticks out –THIS IS WHAT LACKED IN MY APPLICATIONS. 2. CV/ Cover letter building– spend summer fixing and tweaking your CV to a good standard. There are loads of templates available online ( The simpler the better and keep it to 2 pages). Make use of the facilities in your university. First thing when you get back ,go to your career development office (if you have one) and get your CV checked over by someone. You need a critical eye to look at it and make sure you haven’t waffled. Its often also easy to forget all the things you have done, and what better time to recollect than in a coffee shop over a frappe during summer acting all important. 3. Educational Achievement -Have a list of your grades per module saved somewhere, when applying. This is very handy and you can either include this in your CV or actual application depending on the recruitment process for the specific company. Another tip, is to have a list of the individual coursework done. This allows you to clearly highlight your strengths i.e essay writing, practical reports or exams. In hind site there are so many things I wish I had done and prepared for. Regardless, I have secured an internship for the summer and can't wait to write about my experiences. The thought of doing “real” science both scares and excites me. If I have learnt one thing from my previous fears, it is that they only restrict you. No matter the outcome, there is a beautiful story for you to share and a new piece of yourself waiting to be discovered.

In this post, I go through the three points of “The Career Plan” checklist - they somewhat relate so it didn’t make sense to split them up. A bit of a longer read but there are natural pauses and you can always come back! Lets begin Do I have all the information I need to make a decision ? I had to make my most life defining career choice in a panoramic ! Not ideal but I survived. Pretty early into my masters, I was already planning my exit strategy, not that I didn’t like it. I just knew it wasn’t the right fit. You know that gut feeling telling you this is where you are supposed to be… I didn't have it.I started missing undergrad life a bit too much for reasons more than the lack of the amazing friendship circle I had built. My lack of contentment meant I started leaning a lot more into my blog for the space of science I craved so much. In many ways tcim has been my clutch when everything seemed like it was going against me. TCIM doesn’t pay so I needed a real world next alternative. So here is how I went about it … What do I already know Who can help Time frame Running a careers blog would make you think it’s relatively easy to solve my career dilemmas but not really, it left me feeling highly confused in how I had made what could be the wrong decision for my future. I knew the end point of my masters and the job that was intended for me but I also had to accept I hadn’t done enough research into the “end” role and that is how I got myself in this position. *insert many breakdowns* As hard as that was, I accepted it and brain dumped all the skills I had developed. Started from my first year of university, blog and knowledge gained during my Msc. While I didn’t hate the content of my Msc the path just wasn’t for me. So what was then? Following on from: How bad do I want it blog post, I knew two things I wasn’t done with basic science I wanted to help people in some way Before completely abandoning my intended career steps I used twitter to reach out to people for advice because I clearly had a gap I wanted to fill. I was lucky enough to have a zoom call with an amazing woman that cleared up a lot of my worries. Really having someone validate my concerns in a time of panic when my course couldn’t provide,was just the support I needed. Reaching out on twitter is indeed very easy and I outline this in a blog post: Networking using social media. After said conversation and a few options laid out. I set it that I needed a time frame to complete this. The time frame had to answer a few questions. How long could I afford to be jobless Was I willing to retrain to fill in the gaps and how long would that take What will get me to my desired goal in the least possible time Although these questions really seem somewhat vague, it really helped me decide. Frankly the answer to all was: I wanted out of education fast. I wanted to do something I enjoyed and felt comfortable with. This didn’t leave me with many options but at least it helped pinpoint what was actually important to me. This leads me into the next question How flexible am I towards my end goal ? The simple answer: I was quite flexible as long as it involved science . With the help of the questions mentioned above, I narrowed my goal to something that excited me and scared me at the same time. The thought of really living with none of the barriers I created in my head for myself! Reminder of my end goals I wasn’t done with basic science I wanted to help people in some way If my Msc year had gone how I had intended, I probably wouldn't have been as flexible. Going through complete confusion or rather a better understanding of academia allowed me to narrow down that I wanted to still pursue academia but it wouldn't happen in the picture perfect way I had imagined because academia is the ghetto: see blog post ! Okay now the end and what really matters What happens when things don’t go to plan? Before my medicine rejection( now 4 years ago). I had never thought of a back up plan. Because why? I am amazing and how could anyone not want me. Well sad reality, shit happens. To date “nothing” has really gone to what I “planned” So I started incorporating a mental back up plan and thinking of things I could enjoy. Being 100% honest my back up plan if I didn’t get a job within three months was to just go sit in Sierra Leone for as long as I could, maybe start a Youtube Channel and focus on graphic design skills. These all tie into my bigger goal of helping people and growing tcim. Weirdly dreaming up this alternate reality that solely depended on me helped relieve some anxiety. I had something to look forward to if things didn’t go to plan. This is me talking from a very comfortable place of zero responsibility. In other situations where time isn’t on your side and an escape is just not an option. I really believe in giving yourself a limit on the days you can be FULLY sad. Sadness comes in waves and will sometimes never go away but we can try our best to limit the days these emotions overwhelm us. Plan a pause in the application cycle or repeat the points from the beginning of the blog post - dust yourself off, restrategise ! Coincidentally, most of my science journey has not been intentional and so far I am okay with that, so things not necessarily going to plan somehow works itself out.

Academia is the ghetto : A letter to my naive self Hi there, So you have decided academia is the path you want to follow.Motivated, passionate and ready to put in the work. What could go wrong?Your plan has a back up and even your backup has a backup. You've done your googles and now set to conquer and be the badass scientist that you are capable of being. Not to crush your dreams but here are a few things academia will throw at you. 1. You can have passion and no support: See that motivation and passion you go into something with. You are ready to put in the hours and hours of work. You are ready for the perceived challenges of academia. What you may not realise is that not every supervisor or institution will know how to nurture that fire in you. This isn’t your fault but just a fragmented piece of the broken system you happen to find yourself navigating through. Research projects aren’t always enjoyable so you’re going to have to dig real deep and remember the reasons you started this journey, put out your best work no matter what the situation is. After you’ve done good by you, you can then re-evaluate if this broken system is one worth fighting to stay in. 2. Your main research focus might not have funding Research is innovative, groundbreaking and life changing? Research follows funding. Without funding there is no research. The faster you familiarise yourself with funding areas and fixate less on a single idea the better. It's’ not to say you won't do what you want but you have to be real about where money is coming from . 3. It may not be all that you envisioned it You know that perfect picture. The bubble you have created in your head. It’s an amazing escape but honestly not reality. What I want to say about this, even though when you first realise this you will indeed be heartbroken and even feel quite stupid for not doing enough research. It isn’t your fault. There is no amount of preparation that compares to the real experience. You now know it for what it is and not what you perceive it to be. Accept it … this will take some time. But fully accept it and then re-evaluate if this broken system is one worth fighting to stay in . 4. You can spend a lot of time doing something to achieve nothing Research can get monotonous. How do you handle failure? Really set out your coping mechanisms and have checks in with yourself. This can be a person, a written reminder or journal entries. Never lose focus of your goal or else you’ll find yourself going in circles chasing nothing and having nothing tangible but disappointment. Set time limits and checkpoints to either hold yourself accountable or the system itself. You don’t want to spend years working on something and realising it no longer serves the same core purpose you started it for. 5. You may never be recognised widely for all your work Sorry to say it. That Nobel prize, 10 awards may never become a thing. Detach your worth away from these things so when they do come it is a lovely addition and bonus. Unfortunately you have entered a system that rewards things like this. I am still navigating things but maybe its easy for me to feel like im not worth much then getting excited than overestimating my importance and being disappointed. 6. The thing you may not want to do may end up being the thing that you do This ties into point 2 and 3 but with a slightly positive side. Yes the system is broken but there are bits that still work.Somethings may not fully align with what you had envisioned but that doesn’t mean you have failed. Go to where appreciates you. Good working environment and mental health beats ranking of institutions or validation from assholess ! 7. No one really knows what they are doing Most people are winging it. Okay maybe I am exaggerating. What I have found while a lot of my black counterparts have this master plan of how they landed in their Phd, I have interacted with quite a few white counterparts that more or less landed into some positions. Not to say they didnt work hard but cut yourself some slack ad allow yourself to enjoy things without stressing about all the fine details. 8. You don't know enough people yet This is most likely no fault of your own but to thrive in academia you need to be supported by people that understand this “broken” system. This is where I emphasise that reaching out and interacting with people will do you a whole world of good in securing your place in academia. 9. The money: Academic pay isn’t as bad in the UK as people make it out to be. There is although this weird place where a lot of jobs ask for a pHD and offer salaries only marginally higher than those without a pHD. So 3-6 years of your life for a wage that is not statistically significant ( see what I did there lol) . But seriously, go into academia very aware of what salary expectations are. Never feel ashamed for prioritising money, Bills don't pay themselves . If this means taking a break to gain funds, remember academia is a system that will remain. You can always come back 10. Do this shit for you ! As the famous saying goes. Don't take panadol for another man's headache. I am a firm believer in constantly evaluating why you are doing something. If it doesn’t SERVE YOU. Not a greater purpose, if it doesn’t make you happy for at least 50% of the time please leave. It is not worth it. When academia stops serving you, pack your bundle( bags) and go ! Life is short and shouldn’t be spent being miserable. Adama has decided to stay in academia...for now but will be using these points at every point in my journey. My Msc year taught me what to accept, back myself but also not to kill myself over an idea or dream, The only important thing is that I was/ am happy !

Should I do more or less? We live in “secure the bag” “Invest” “ side hustle” culture… so where do we draw the line and accept we are only one human ! It’s human nature or maybe capitalism's fault for ingraining the routine use of comparison. You can’t help but compare yourself to everyone ! We encourage networking and saying yes to as many opportunities without acknowledging that you are only one person. The truth is that you can say no and in fact should say no a lot more often. So while 2020 I took on probably a lot more than I should have, I accept I have a toxic working culture and the idea of rest is more or less a foreign concept to me. Let's look back at my” headless chicken year” I am the type of person that gets ideas, gets excited and can’t really stop until i’ve done at least 50% of it. In 2020 there was a point where I spread myself like the last bit of butter but had two slices of toast. There was just enough of me to cover everything going on. At this time I didn’t prioritise REST. I wanted to be everywhere and do anything because “ how could I miss out “? I saw a great idea and wanted to be part of it because I was genuinely excited. What I have learnt from this is to be honest with my time and realise REST in itself is a timeslot and should be there. While I can handle busy periods ( again my toxic work habits) I can't let it interfere with the moments I have for myself. This is where my white board being a lifesaver allowed me to really visualise how I was spreading myself too thin. This leads me to my next point of : compartmentalise and prioritise ! On my white board I had 4 KEY things I wanted to do every week split into categories: Uni, Work, side projects and myself. There was a point I had four side projects going on at once. No this isn’t a good thing, in these moments I was left exhausted with constantly feeling uneasy as I knew there was always something next. I further split my white board into days. So 7 days and my tasks split across this. Having this visually presented in front of me helped me realise that I can't have more than 1 or 2 things related to an external project outside of my main purpose. At the time Uni and work were my main goals and tcim my main side project. That alone was enough to leave me exhausted. I took on more and while I don’t regret doing it at the time and enjoyed the main event of each thing, I knew I couldn't continue like that. So into 2021: I started to compartmentalise and prioritise my life and projects. My white board now isn’t allowed to have more than 4 main items on it per week. These bits are Work tcim ( yes a whole section on its own because it is important and no longer just this random thing I do) Side projects: only allowed to do one at a time and no more than 3 hours of my entire week Extra: this is food, exercise, and just things that I want to do If there is something new, I know that something in the four categories has to be removed because I am only one person and I can’t do everything. Now lets talk about doing more. For me to get to the position I was in in 2020, I had the goal of doing exactly what was preached. Trying new things and involving myself in things that interested me. In doing more it allowed me to figure out what I liked and most importantly disliked. The result... I am doing more with tcim, I evaluated where I wanted to be with it and I have clear goals of improving my writing, establishing myself and finding my feet in science communication and broadening the reach of the career profiles. For that i STILL have to do more. It's scary forcing yourself to do more but as the quote or all the Instagram posts I have seen. There is no growth INSIDE your comfort zone. If you are way too comfortable with every aspect and feel there is no room for improvement this is most likely untrue. Doing more also doesn't have to be in line with academia or putting yourself out there it could be spending more time on yourself and nurturing relationships you once neglected because you were so busy with the outside world. It wouldn’t be a tcim post without self reflective questions. So sit and think about the following How long does it take you to complete a full task ? How do you plan? - is it effective, do you not have a plan, do you feel you need one? Where should you be doing more or less?

A dream A passion A purpose Let’s leave reality for a moment and go into that little bubble in your mind where dreams are a reality and all you want to do is achievable. What do you want to do? I want you to pause for a moment and really think about it? Okay, were back. When thinking about my future plans the easiest thing to do was to really write down everything I could possibly think of on a piece of paper. I didn’t think about all the reasons why I couldn’t do something because why limit my dreams. In order to merge reality to the dream world you need to start with a dream. From this you see key themes begin to arise. When I did my mind map two very important themes came about. I wasn’t done with science and wanted to be challenged I wanted to help people These two ideas were centred in the roles I wanted to pursue. In identifying what I wanted it made it easy to eliminate the options that didn’t align with these goals. The steps that followed were setting time lines within reality that could match these goals. Example The science bit: I want to do a Phd: At the point of making my mind map, I was doing my masters and that gave me a 4 year timeline. 1 year to take a break and plan for the Phd, 3 years to actually pursue the Phd. It also helped me answer questions of the type of Phd I wanted. It made me open up my choices from something solely science based to things that incorporated communication or even looking for roles that could merge my love for science outside a Phd. The helping people bit: For a very long time my definition of helping people was wrapped in healthcare. I didn’t think I could use tcim( my blog) to fully help people and maybe that’s why I would shy away from talking about it or even executing the ideas I had, that has changed now ! Another thing about finding a career I have found useful is looking beyond the title and delving into the description of a few job titles and narrowing that down. Who knows, your “dream” job could already exist and really and truly with the world we live in, there is every possibility that you can create it ! Back to reality now, you can’t just wish away barriers or pretend they no longer exist forever. With your goals now set and somewhat realistic, you can no fill in the barriers. Do you lack training, opportunities, money? All these things can be fixed to some capacity. In understanding your limitations you can still dream but also accept the reality of why you aren't achieving the goal. Everyday isn’t sunshine and daisies and living in reality shouldn’t be you crushing your dream but knowing that you may need to extend and alter certain timelines or focus on particular areas for growth. In a very long winded way this is my way of saying don’t be afraid to dream and put yourself out there! ( These posts are me talking to myself so I'm not here yet but definitely trying !

This is a follow up blog post based on a discussion between @theworldofamran and @thecatalystinme on IG LIVE. You can watch the live back HERE. The theme of the live: Are vaccines the ONLY end to the pandemic?. In summary, there is no clear answer to this question! Vaccines are a way of easing the effects of the pandemic, but not the only way out. Until transmission is reduced to very low and controlled levels even WITH a vaccine, social distancing measures and mask wearing will be “the new normal”. If you are in the UK, you may be aware of the vaccine priority list. The vaccine is being offered widely across vulnerable groups and key workers, if you don’t fall in these priority groups there will be some waiting time before you are offered the vaccine. So what should you be focusing on instead? In the live session we discuss having a stance on the vaccine prior to being offered and also making sure you read sources yourself. If you have vulnerable people in your life, it is also important you have discussions around vaccines and help them find the correct information. It is your body and it is especially important to make an informed choice. By the time “non-vulnerable/healthy” people are offered the vaccine, the short term effects of the vaccines (at least 1year) would have been studied and at best that is a considerable amount of time to look at the pros and cons to make a well-informed decision. There has been an overwhelming amount of COVID-19 information. So here is a list of sources to read and follow up on. This post is written based on the most common questions that came up during the live session and other points that we have seen come up a lot. The resources listed here are specific to the UK. It can be applied to other countries, but it is best to follow your local health guidance and measures in place! Are vaccines the only end to the pandemic? The answer is no! Pandemic responses are multi-faceted. The COVID-19 vaccine has been developed to prevent severe illness from the disease and as a result reduce the likelihood of death. There have been countries that have successfully controlled the pandemic to get life back to some form of normality. The measures implemented in these countries have been a mix of lockdowns and high compliance of the public, all before vaccines were rolled out. This has been fully discussed in an earlier blog post: the world can handle the covid-19 pandemic. When looking at vaccine efficacy (effectiveness) news, it is very important to remember the vaccines have been proven to reduce severe disease. A key end to the pandemic is reducing deaths AND transmission. Transmission hasn’t been investigated in the vaccine trials and it is quite hard to understand! Face masks, isolation, handwashing and social distancing are effective measures in reducing transmission and as mentioned before, these guidelines will need to stay in place until transmission levels are low AND controlled. Basic and simple public health measures will always be in place! With the vaccine there are many unknowns that will be discovered as time goes on. COVID-19 research will require a heavy chunk of research budgets for the foreseeable future! But there are two questions asked that I want to focus on. Can I catch COVID-19 after taking the vaccine? Do I need the vaccine if I had COVID-19? As mentioned earlier, there is little information on how the COVID-19 vaccine affects transmission of the disease. A key feature of the COVID-19 vaccine is to reduce symptoms and for those reasons many people were followed up based on presenting symptoms of COVID-19 and not a positive PCR test while in the trials. What has been found is that COVID-19 patients following an infection have natural immunity for around 5 months. However, what must be remembered is that this does not mean that they are not infectious or unable to transmit the disease. There is a lot of effort and research going into answering this specific question of transmissibility! When that answer does come, this could change what the new normal looks like! Severe events due to COVID-19 infection have been linked to higher viral loads and in theory, if the vaccines lower severe events by decreasing the viral load - this could have an effect on decreasing transmission. As the transmission rates are loosely dependent on the viral load present in an individual to spread the virus. Specific Vaccine resources Vaccine post written on this blog as part of TCIM conversations: A series exploring public perception of science. Basics of vaccines-What are they and why are they important? Should I take the Covid-19 vaccine: What is in it, why is it important ( written in July) Vaccine safety reports ( Pfizer, Oxford and Moderna: the candidates approved for use in the UK) The Links provided lead you directly to official pages with safety documents. I have also included links to summarised Instagram posts of the safety data summarised published in November of the three candidates. Pfizer Phase 1 published data safety, Full protocol , Extended Safety data Oxford Astrazeneca Main Website Moderna : FDA page on trial data Extra resources on vaccines British Society of Immunology NHS page on vaccines Covid-Recovery What will the new normal look like? How can things get back to normal? Will schools, shops and places of worship open like before? If I decide NOT to get vaccinated? What are the effects on my family and community? The above questions are all extremely important. To get back to normal, we need to all comply with guidelines as best as possible. The aim should be to get cases to zero and make isolation when infected with COVID-19 a simple process with minimum disruption to everyday life. A huge problem in the UK is compliance to isolation after infection with COVID-19. The BMJ highlights that “ self-isolation in those who are infected or else are contacts of those who test positive for the virus are estimated to be around 18%.”Your first thought may be that people are selfish but as highlighted in this Guardian article, it is a complex situation. Unless you are provided with a safe place to isolate and don't have financial burdens, then it is very difficult to stay isolated for the full period of 14 days. For further reading follow the hashtag #SupportToIsolate on Twitter. If you decide not to get vaccinated, if put simply, the likelihood of you suffering from severe disease from COVID-19 is increased. At the time of this post being released, the vaccine doesn’t reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 nor transmitting it as stated above. With a recent report by The Guardian reporting 72% of Black people unlikely to take the vaccine, now more than ever we need to continue to think about vaccine hesitancy and the root causes. This plays a huge role in protecting our loved ones that are most at risk from severe disease and even more so with the new variants of COVID-19 which is no longer specifically targeting the old and vulnerable. Sadly, with the increase of loss of life, not only just of the elderly, but also younger and healthier populations, we just don’t know how an individual's body will react to being exposed to the disease. There are also many more reports of ‘long COVID’ and the vaccine potentially reducing the effects of this (although evidence is pending). With the UK Planning to vaccinate everyone by mid July possibly, it is crucial now more than ever to get informed! Will there be more lockdowns? We are ALL tired. While you can’t predict the future and everyday with COVID-19 circulating, it is a learning curve and also extremely tiring when thinking about the future. Countries like China that had a strict lockdown, although successful at controlling the outbreak, are now experiencing a new cluster of cases and a localised lockdown. Pandemic fatigue is a huge issue. On our THIRD lockdown in the UK with unclear guidance, sometimes it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Personally I am struggling with this third lockdown as it is hard to see an end, especially when the government hasn't shown many signs of good leadership. While lockdowns are an effective public health measure to identify and isolate cases, an interesting article published by stanford researchers, highlighted that strict lockdowns do not have the benefit of completely controlling the virus. The article summarises comparisons of countries that had strict lockdowns versus countries with more relaxed approaches to find that where transmission of the virus is not controlled, lockdowns may not be the most effective! "In other words, it is possible that stay-at-home orders may facilitate transmission if they increase person-to-person contact where transmission is efficient such as closed space" Following on from that article, it is clear that in order to stay safe, we need to make simple things like hand washing and mask wearing (especially the latter) second nature. By observation, people wear masks more because they ”have” to and less because they want to. I believe I will keep wearing a mask on public transport long after the rules are relaxed. But for the time being, it is important you can answer these questions: What are the different types of masks available and what protection do they offer? How to dispose or reuse masks properly? How to wear masks properly? When don’t I need to wear a mask? What is the difference between a mask and a face covering? All the questions above are answered in the WHO guidance on when and how to wear masks. We want lockdown to end. So how do you risk assess the situation of meeting people in public once the time comes? You really shouldn't be meeting people right now, but are good to keep in mind when the outside slowly opens. These guides and articles will help you understand the risk and exposure to COVID-19. This will help you make responsible decisions once restrictions ease and the country reopens, so we can get out of this constant cycle of lockdowns and uncertainty. Risk assessment quiz to limit your chances of spreading and catching Covid-19 The spread of Covid-19 Indoors Should I be worried about the new variants? At the time of writing this post, there are 3 known COVID-19 variants present in the UK. For someone without a science background, getting into the specifics can be quite confusing and even from someone with a science background, it can be quite overwhelming! For now, the only worry about these variants is that they seem to be more transmittable between people and hence the soaring infection rates. Currently, there is no evidence that the variants are more deadly or the vaccine candidates being rolled out won’t work against them. If the constant updates are stressful, no matter the variant; social distancing, mask wearing and handwashing rules remain the same! How can I follow correct information? If you decide to not take the vaccine, it is a personal choice and if you are young and healthy it may not be important to you (YOU THINK?). As we have seen with the increase in COVID variants, anyone can be affected by hospitalisation. You taking the vaccine will reduce your chances of hospitalisation. If you decide not to take it, it is important to not impose your personal views on others and let them make a decision based on their own research and findings. Do not attempt to convince family members based on biased views with little to no medical evidence. With any doubts, there are many immunologists and Drs that have a wealth of resources for you to look through and community discussions with professionals as well! While the news is a great source of information, it does sometimes offer a lot of confusion as headlines can be politicised. It’s okay to take a break from constant updates. WHO resource on the covid-19 infodemic More Resources People / pages to follow Kizzmekia Corbett : Immunologist and one of the lead scientists that developed the Moderna Vaccine (Read more) Science.sam: Science communicator based in Canada Dr esmeralda Infectious disease doctor in the UK that often answers questions in her stories about vaccines Dr Samira Hassan: GP in the UK and VP of British Somali Medical Association Virus.vs.labcoat : Immunologist PhD student in Australia with a wealth of posts on understanding immunity Podcasts Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - ITV News How To Vaccinate The World - BBC Four The COVID Vaccine - What You Need To Know and Why You Should Get It With Dr Jessica Sacher Vaccine Infodemiology (COVID-19 Immunity) with Jessica Malaty Rivera Community Conversations on COVID-19 and Vaccines COVID-19 Vaccines: Your Questions Answered - Hosted by Asian Resource Centre Croydon (ARCC) CAHN Health Hour: COVID Vaccine Panel - Hosted by Carribean and African Health Network (CAHN) DrFuraha_Asani : Vaccines in Pop culture Upcoming Webinars: Thursday 21 January 2021 - Ubele Talking Points: The Vaccine Conversation Friday 29 January 2021 - COVID-19 Vaccination and BAME Population For the latest information on COVID-19: NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ UK Government: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

To never miss another career profile subscribe :) 1. Name : Lynn Asante-Asare 2. Course/ job: Graduate Medical Student (MBChB) at Leicester Medical School. Visiting Scientist, Professor Kevin M. Brindle Molecular Imaging in Cancer Laboratory, Cambridge Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute 3. A levels : Biology, Chemistry, Maths with Statistics, Economics 4. Undergrad degree BSc Honours in Biomedical Sciences with Intercalated Year, University of Warwick 5. Postgraduate degrees PhD in Medical Science, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge (St John’s College) 6. Journey in 3 words Unconventional, Lonely but Amazing 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? When my friend had leukaemia, cancer research and clinical trials become a source of hope for all of us. I decided to become a cancer researcher when he passed away. 8. Outside science how would you describe yourself? Witty, and down to earth. 9. What made you decide to pursue a SECOND Doctorate? I was one of the first students to support Cancer Research UK’s Sponsor a Young Scientist Scheme, where charity supporters would pick a CRUK-funded student to follow throughout their PhD. I’d write my supporters regular letters them about my daily research, achievements, failed experiments, and more. By the second year of my PhD, I felt weary that my letters were so science focused that little of what I was writing was relevant to them as people dealing with the effects of cancer. I needed to be closer to the bigger picture so I started volunteering in a Macmillan Cancer Care drop in centre within the Oncology department of a local hospital. Three hours every Monday afternoon, I was talking with cancer patients, and their families. Sometimes we sat quietly, tissues in hand as they cried, and sometimes we flicked through post-treatment recipes using Macmillan’s cook books. A month into this role, I was visited by a lovely lady who explained that although it had been six months since she finishing her chemotherapy, she was still experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea. She wanted my advice on why this was, and what I could recommend to help her symptoms. I knew the science behind the effect of chemotherapy on cells in the gut, and how that would lead to her symptoms but I couldn’t help here there and then. One of the healthcare professions in the ward nearby could though. At that point in time, my research knowledge was of little use to her, which showed me that while science changes healthcare of the future, medicine was about being on the front line and supporting patients in the present. I wanted to do both. 10. What advice would you give considering your path? Always make the best of the career you already have, even if you’re not sure if it’s your final destination. The first time I had a career-changing moment was in 2011 when my friend passed away and I decided to become a cancer researcher. It wasn’t until 2017, 6 years later, that I decided to go into medicine after failing to use my knowledge of the molecular biology of the gut to help a sick cancer patient. These defining moments don’t come often so while you’re waiting for a sign for what to do next, make the best of what you have! Many of the skills and achievements you gain will be transferrable. 11. What did you struggle with the most in making the decision to pursue your medical degree? Many things: - Retraining: the majority of scientists initially told me not to go into medicine because I would be starting my career all over again. This was also because medicine is an undergraduate degree, not a doctorate, so it doesn’t equate to a masters or PhD, which are higher postgraduate degrees. I worried I was taking several steps backwards by going to medical school. - Finishing my PhD: most students hang around after their 3-4 year funding to get advice with their thesis submissions, do mock viva exams to prepare for the real one, and finish off publications. I would have to leave early, before my 4-year funding was up, to start medical school. I had some anxiety about finishing my PhD, alongside any new commitments as a medical student. - Cost: graduate medical students, whether on a 4 or 5 year course, must pay some or all of their tuition fees upfront. Tuition fees are now £9250 per year. There were also maintenance and course costs to consider. I didn’t know how I was going to keep up with my research career, do medical school, and work to fund the degree. - Friends: Every time I move to a new city, I lose friends. I’m 28 years old and so far I’ve lived in London, South Africa (shortly during my gap year), Coventry (BSc at Warwick Uni), Liverpool (Intercalated Year in Industry), Cambridge (PhD), and now I’d be moving somewhere else for medical school. Most of my friends are now well established in their careers, and I feared that they’d outgrow me. When people start buying houses, getting married, starting businesses, having children, their circles often fill with people at the same stage of life as them. As a medical student, I feared I’d be left behind, and replaced with friends with real jobs. - Relationships: Becoming a medical student meant I would be taking a pay cut, and my primary income would be from savings and student finance. I worried that any potential other-half would find that off putting as I wouldn’t be in the most abundant financial position to secure a large rental or a mortgage in the short term. Getting married, and having children became more of myth the more going into medicine and studying for longer became a reality. I didn’t want to hold anyone back. - Fitting in: PhDs makeup the minority of students going into medicine so I worried that I wouldn’t fit in, or that I wouldn’t find anyone within the immediate medical school environment that I could relate with and talk to. 12. How do you feel the Science world has evolved throughout your career? ( what are some hard truths you have had to face?) The public space for scientists trying to tackle diseases is commonly occupied by medical doctors. But now, there’s a growing understanding that laboratory researchers actually do an incredible amount of work towards tackling the burden of disease. A lot of the hard work happens in labs, not just the hospitals. You’ll see that Cancer Research UK adverts, which previously focused heavily on doctors and nurses interacting with patients, now feature laboratory scientists! This has increased the amount of biological scientists carving careers in public engagement. I welcome this because for too long publications and grants have been the principle ways to judge a scientists success. It’s good that there are now other parts of a scientists role that are being valued. My hardest truth is accepting the impact an unconventional career path has on non-career related aspects of life. I could be earning more money at this stage in my life. I could have been back in Cambridge with my friends still doing research full time. I should be free from undergraduate-level exams by now and going abroad on holiday more. I’m very happy but still a realist. 13. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Not much. I did a vacation placement with a law firm during my PhD and had the opportunity to pursue patent law within Biotechnology after my PhD. I picked going to medical school, so clearly money isn’t a strong driving factor just yet! Links to find out more about Lynn: - A day in cancer research with The Times: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/life-on-the-front-line-in-the-battle-against-cancer-000chp8vs - Science and Black History Month 2019 with the Women Making Waves podcast at Cambridge 105 Radio: https://womenmakingwaves.co.uk/episode-26#a7faa997-da6a-4a74-a487-0f355a91aa9a - “Why Research?” with St Johns College Cambridge: https://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/meet-lynn-asante-asare-phd-student-south-london-who-came-cambridge-join-fight-against-cancer - Black Researchers changing the future at the University of Cambridge : https://www.cam.ac.uk/bhmresearchers - Signed Science with Deaf Youtuber Aliko Lu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5iSsRWOu48 Social Media - Twitter: @LynnAsanteAsare - LinkedIn: Lynn Asante-Asare To never miss another career profile subscribe :) I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.visibilitystemafrica.com/ https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences Internships : https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/list-of-places-that-offer-science-internships

Favourite science fact The human body consists of about 39 trillion bacteria and 30 trillion human cells, so half of our body is made up of bacteria! Journey in 3 Words Nothing Is Impossible What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I really enjoyed studying chemistry, biology and physics at school. Chemistry was actually one of my favourite subjects and I had a strong passion to help people. I wanted to have a career where I could use scientific knowledge to improve the lives of others and contribute to medical research. Briefly describe your role I work as a Pharmacovigilance Business Consultant for a Clinical Research Organisation. I provide oversight and input into safety service proposals which we use to bid for various clinical trial studies sponsored by pharmaceutical and biotech companies. I am responsible for providing subject matter expertise and support for the development of budgets and requests for information from clients. I am also involved in strategy meetings where the feasibility of conducting clinical trials is discussed and I collaborate with business development professionals and other internal key stakeholders to ensure client requests are thoroughly addressed. You run a Career service/ consultancy for recent graduates - what motivated that and how do you balance this with your 9-5? After I completed my MSc degree in 2017, I really struggled to find a graduate job despite all of the education I had, and the internship I did in the second year of my degree. Also, even after I got a graduate job, I still struggled when it came to adjusting to the work environment, enjoying my role, and connecting on a personal level with my colleagues. After speaking to a few friends who also had their own work struggles, I realised that I needed to share my story on a wide scale to support young professionals experiencing the same problems, so I started blogging. The career consultancy was formed later when I realised there was a high demand for career coaching. I decided it would be useful to also run coaching sessions and workshops which would provide advice, insight, and motivation to support early-career professionals on their journey. Balancing my 9-5 with my career consultancy has been challenging but very rewarding. I have days at work which are very busy, and I am involved in back to back meetings which are sometimes scheduled late in the evening. Also, some of the projects I work on have a short turnover time so it can be difficult to balance my business alongside my day job. However, over the past couple of years, I have gotten better at managing my time. I try to plan in advance if possible and use google calendar to schedule all of my appointments. Weekends are usually dedicated to my business, but I also try to plan days where I can relax, do something different, and also reflect on all the work I have done. What advice would you give someone wanting to follow the same path? Don’t give up! There will be many challenges and obstacles along the way and it may seem difficult at the start, but keep going no matter what and believe in yourself. Also, make sure you have a good support system. Try and find a mentor or an expert in your field to guide you and surround yourself with people who motivate you to do better. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Hopefully, in 5 years I will be graduating from medical school and will have started my foundation year training as a junior doctor. My medical interests, at the moment lie within Psychiatry, A&E, Obs and Gynae, and Global Health, so I am aiming to specialise in one of these four fields. I would also love to use the knowledge and experiences I’ve gained from my MSc Global Health and Development degree to start a non-profit organisation in Sierra Leone to aid in the educational development of young children. How do you feel the Science world has evolved throughout your career? ( what are some hard truths you have had to face?) Scientific research has definitely sped up over the past few years, especially with the advancement of technology, and now the coronavirus pandemic. Studies that would have normally taken months or couple of years to execute are now getting to the public within a matter of weeks. This means that we are now able to understand how to treat diseases better than before and make public health recommendations to save lives. One of the hard truths is that as scientific research and communication is evolving, scientists also need to be mindful of the fact that the public’s perception and image of science is also changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has made more people curious about the nature of risk involved in clinical trials and the relationship between science and politics. Outside of science how would you describe your self? I would say that I am quite a creative person and I also like to meet new people and share ideas. I enjoy writing, public speaking, and helping people and this has led to me creating a career blog, YouTube videos, and workshops. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? At the start, earning a good salary was important to me and did influence the career path I chose. I was also very conscious of the fact I would need to obtain a graduate job that had a decent salary especially living in London. After I graduated, I did manage to secure a well-paid graduate job but I shortly realised that pursuing a job that I was passionate about was far better than pursuing a job solely because it was well-paid Connect with Adama Fullah @fullahtalks (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) website:Fullahtalks.com Email: fullahtalks@gmail.com I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” To never miss another career profile subscribe :) The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.visibilitystemafrica.com/ https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences

Name: Rachel Lambert-Forsyth (she/her) Job Title: Chief Executive, British Pharmacological Society and Managing Director of BPSA Ltd A levels/ equivalent: Biology, Chemistry, Psychology and Theatre Studies A Levels Undergrad and post grad degrees: BSc Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology and MSc Sustainable Environmental Management Favourite science fact: Barnacles have evolved the longest penis of any animal for their size - up to 8 times their body length - so they can find and fertilise distant neighbours. I loved being told this on a rocky shore in the South West when studying – my 2 primary age son’s also love it! Journey in 3 Words: Rapid Exciting Supportive Briefly describe your role: Working closely with our Trustee Board and the senior management team, I am responsible for delivering the vision, mission and strategy of the British Pharmacological Society, and its subsidiary company (BPSA Ltd). What motivated you to pursue a career in science: I have always loved the natural world and had an affinity with the marine environment since a young age. I studied marine biology, and then went on to study sustainable environmental management as I found out in my undergraduate degree that whilst I loved the outputs of scientific research, I was a really bad research scientist! It was the combination of my love of scientific evidence, informed debate, and policy development, that eventually brought me to my roles within the scientific learned society world. What advice would you give someone wanting to follow the same path? Firstly, go for it! Secondly be open to opportunities and do not worry too much about following the same path as others. I initially felt like a bit of a failure that my degree didn’t lead to working in the ocean or within the marine sector. Overtime I realised that my degree set me up for a really exciting career and that an education in biological sciences provides many transferrable skills that are attractive to employers (more on that later). What advice would you give your younger self: Take up any opportunities to grow your CV (within reason – don’t over stretch yourself!) and learn from those you admire, actively seek out opportunities to gain experience, and don’t be afraid to ask for support. What transferrable skills do you use from your degree now in your job: My degree taught me to analyse data and consider all the evidence in front of you before making a decision. It was in my Masters that I learnt to debate and discuss ideas, challenge the status quo, and bring together multiple disciplines to answer big societal questions from a societal, economic and scientific view point. It also developed my communication skills so that I could discuss complex ideas in a clear and concise manner. What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? Don’t give up – seek constructive feedback but then consider it carefully, and only act on it if you feel it fits your values. Also, I would say that it is fine to mourn an opportunity that you don’t achieve – that is natural human behaviour. Once you have dealt with this emotion – then objectively look at what you wanted from it and look for other opportunities that meet that need. Each rejection is an opportunity to learn, but it might not always feel like that, and that is ok. How do you feel careers in your field have evolved / where are they heading to? In the learned society sector we have evolved over the years to be much more than just an ‘old boys club’ or ‘elite society’ to a sector that champions our disciplines and the scientific advances our members are making through meetings and journals and showcases the diversity of our members. We support and welcome the next generations into our community, helping them as they navigate through various career stages and evolving our offer to meet their needs, now and into the future. For my current community, pharmacology and therapeutics is advancing all the time, COVID-19 and the work of pre-clinical and clinical pharmacologists to support the development of therapeutics to treat this new virus, is a good example of our members’ work in practice. However for more detailed information I would recommend taking a look at our new careers pages, where a lot more detail can be found. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Not at all really; but equally I would not be honest if I did not admit that sometimes the jobs I applied to were more attractive because the salary was supportive of my wider aspirations to secure a positive financial future for my family. However, I would never take a job just for the money, I am ultimately driven by the need to make a difference, and add value, so these values will always come first. Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: Rachel Lambert-Forsythe Twitter: @RLambertForsyth Learn more about the British Pharmacological Society

Name: Amran Mohamed Course/ job: Research Project Manager A levels/ equivalent: Biology, Psychology & Economics with AS in Chemistry Undergrad and post grad degrees :BSc Biology , MPH Public Health Favourite science fact: You have more bones in your body when you are born compared to when you’re an adult!!! Journey in 3 Words: Dynamic, Exciting & Fun • Briefly describe your role or course : I’m currently a research project manager at an NHS trust responsible for an NIHR/UKRI funded COVID-19 and ethnicity community intervention study. My interests lie in supporting marginalised groups build healthier and stronger communities. My BSc in Biology was very broad allowing for a degree of flexibility across the spectrum from biochemistry to conservation whilst my MPH in Public Health focused on human health and health systems and covered aspects from public health practice, epidemiology & statistics to health economics, systems & policy. I also specialised in Global Health. What motivated you to pursue a career in science :I always had an interest in the natural world when I was growing up and the study of life always intrigued me. I had amazing science teachers at school who really believed in me! What advise would you give on picking universities: I think it’s important to choose the course rather than the university. I think university is really what you make of it, and I always remind the younger generation that it is important to choose what you’d like but also to look at aspects of what opprotunities choosing a particular university will bring you. By all means, Russel Group universities can be great but they are not the be all and end all. I had the most amazing time during my undergrad degree and I thought I wouldn’t because I didn’t get into my first choice - but it’s really about making the most of your time and seeking opportunities whenever you can! What career paths did you feel were available to you before you started your course :I would say that I was quite lucky to secure a graduate job quite rapidly after my undergraduate degree, so I had a pretty solid plan and career progression route. But after working for almost two years I realised that this path was not for me, and that I couldn’t see myself doing a lab based masters (Mres) or a PhD in the biological sciences. I knew that my outreach work would always be a very small part of my role in academia and if I wanted to work in public health that the minimum requirement would be a Masters. What were your perceptions of being a scientist before you started your masters course :Working in an academic institution prior to beginning my course gave me an insight into the aspects of research that I liked and what I didn’t like. I went into my masters with a plan that I wouldn’t necessarily go down the research route in terms of the scientific aspect, but that I would want to focus on what skills I could gain and theory that I could learn to prepare me for a career that would allow me to serve my community and not a life in the lab that I came to dislike over the years. What did you enjoy the most about your masters course :My cohort during my masters was very international and I always valued this when I was doing my undergraduate degree. You learn so much from people who come from different backgrounds, countries etc. I also enjoyed the aspect of bringing together so many different subject areas under the umbrella of public health; both the social & humanities aspect but also scientific element. How have your previous experiences played a part in your career path :I took a 2 year break in between my undergraduate degree and my postgraduate degree to enter the working world. I think that definitely gave me an insight into what I like and what I don’t like. It was important for me to do so because if I had done a masters two years ago it would have been a completely different subject area (and more along the lines of life sciences) When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? : I would say that I never moved into Public Health for the money, but I knew that pursing a MPH would make my salary increase very quickly in comparison if I had remained in my old role and worked my way up. Where do you see yourself in 5 years : If I answered this at the beginning of my MPH I would’ve said somewhere abroad working within the UN system. But now, my outlook has very much changed because I see how much needs to be worked on in our own communities and to be given the opportunity to lead a national study is something that I wouldn’t have even imagined doing in 5 years time, let alone right now. So only time will tell! Outside science how would you describe yourself : I dabble in a bit of everything, from hosting events and community conversations to travelling the world and writing my blog. I also recently started podcasting and utilising IG live to engage others in community engagement and public health! Connect with Amran Twitter: @AmranMR_ & @theworldofamran Instagram: @theworldofamran Wordpress: theworldofamran.wordpress.com