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Name:Amy Brennan (she/her) Job: Science Writer A levels/ equivalent :Biology, Chemistry, Maths (AS Further Maths, Geology) Undergrad and post grad degrees :MBioMedSci (Integrated Masters) Biomedical Science Favourite science fact:If the DNA in one of your cells was uncoiled, it would be about 2m long. The fact that so much DNA is packed so tightly in such a tiny space (about 6 microns) always amazes me. Journey in 3 Words :Unexpected, Exciting, Marathon Briefly describe your role I work as a science writer for a Marketing/PR agency that focuses on scientific companies. I create all sorts of content for scientific companies’ marketing and PR campaigns including writing articles for industry publications, social media posts, press releases and infographics. What motivated you to pursue a career in science I’ve always been a really inquisitive person, as a kid my favourite word was “why?” and I did everything I could to find the answer! I quickly realised that science was my favourite subject at school because it was all about answering that very question. I chose Biology as an A-Level and loved human biology so studying Biomedical Science at university was a no-brainer for me. At university I realised that I wasn’t very talented in the lab and found the experience really frustrating, what I was great at however, was really good at explaining the science I was learning and thought that science communication might be a better career choice. For my masters I chose to research how accessible scientific papers were, it was a subject I was really passionate about and I decided I wanted a career in science communication. What career paths did you feel were available to you before you started your course I honestly thought that everyone that did Biomedical Science went into a research career, either in academia or industry. When I began my course, I was perfectly okay with that as I thought that was what I wanted to too. However, as with most things in life, it didn’t quite work out the way I thought it would. I was close to useless in the lab and it was only then that I realised the huge range of science communication jobs available to me. What advice would you give on picking universities Decide on your personal priorities. University is an incredibly individual decision and you have to choose based on what’s important to you. It could be the course content, the practical/lectures split, or the location. University can be one of the best times of your life but you need to make the decision that’s best for you. So before you start looking, set your priorities and compare universities based on those, not on other people’s opinions or on league tables. What transferrable skills do you use from your degree now in your job I use so many transferable skills in my job. The first is the ability to research and determine the reliability of information. Being a science writer means I have to become an “expert” on a huge range of topics at pretty short notice. The ability to critique information sources really helps me excel in my job. I also learnt some great time management skills during my degree, this was possibly one of my greatest achievements as I started university as a serial procrastinator. I work for a number of clients, so my to do list can get pretty busy. Being able to manage my time is really important in ensuring that to do list gets finished at the end of the week. Group work was my least favourite part of my degree, leaving my marks in the hands of others was really stressful, but in the “real world” group work is the most important part of my job. I collaborate on so many projects and working as part of a team is actually really enjoyable! What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? Dealing with rejection can be really tough, I have definitely had a few crises of confidence from job rejections, coursework results and failed experiments. However, being a scientist comes with a lot of failure; experiments that don’t work, papers that don’t get accepted and jobs/programmes we don’t get accepted for. My key piece of advice is keep a record of your wins: any good feedback, any positive comments. Revisit them when you’re questioning yourself to remind yourself that you are successful and talented and that things will all work out in the end. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Ultimately, salary hasn’t been a deal breaker in choosing a career. Job satisfaction has always been the most important thing for me, and I prioritise having a job I really enjoy. Outside science how would you describe yourself I’m a really passionate person, I love sports and music and spend most of my free time pursuing these. I play Gaelic football and love to play the guitar to relax. I’m bubbly and definitely people person. I’m an extrovert and love being around other people but I also love to relax in a hot bath with a face mask and a glass of gin! Connect with Amy Instagram: @amysciencewriter

Name: Jason Amartey Course/ job :PhD Researcher (cardiovascular science) A levels/ equivalent :Biology, Chemistry and Physical Education Undergrad and post grad degrees Bsc Biomedical Sciences, Mres Biomedical Science Favourite science fact There is more variation between black people than there is between a black person and a Caucasian Journey in 3 Words : Shoot your shot (I say this because there are many opportunities, I didn’t think I would get but I still went for it and ended up being successful so shoot your shoot always) Briefly describe your role or course My research is based on the revascularisation of ischaemic diseases, particularly focused on the role of splicing factors and kinases and their effect on ischaemic diseases such as peripheral vascular disease. What motivated you to pursue a career in science I wanted to live a life where I was involved in improving people’s lives. A career in Science (specifically in medicine and health gives me opportunity to be a part of improving lives) What advice would you give someone wanting to follow the same path? Be flexible and open to opportunities. Life is full of up of surprises so enjoy the process. Its important to have confidence in your abilities. Be open to learn new things and new ways of doing things and most importantly be prepared to work hard!!! How did you know a PhD was for you? After an internship at the University of Uskudar in Istanbul Turkey, I did a master in research course which I thoroughly enjoyed, these two experiences helped make my mind up about a career in research and a PhD definitely had to be on the cards. How has the internship benefited your career progression and how did you even find or get it After my undergrad, I did an internship at Uskudar University  in Istanbul, Turkey as part of the Erasmus program. This was such an amazing opportunity as it helped formulate an idea of the kind of career path I wanted to embark on. During my time there, I worked in a research group, Istanbul Protein Research& Innovation Centre that had interests in various topics, microbiology, genetics etc. I found this environment highly stimulating and knew I wasted to be in a role where everyone was working on different things albeit linked and discussing ideas. I had undergone an internship the year before in Malta and although I had enjoyed the experience, I knew that wasn't the career path for me. In turkey I felt a sting sense of this is what I want to be doing as a career and this led me to undertaking a masters in research followed by a job in research and now doing a Phd. I recommend doing some sort of placement/internship to anyone as it gives you experience which looks favourable on your CV as well as  helping you to figure out what you want to as a career. Both these experiences gave me that clarity for sure. How did your research job help you get your phd ? What was your typical month like in that role and Do you feel your masters better prepared you for your Phd? My job helped me get more research experience which has been useful for my phd journey thus far. I learnt many techniques and skills which I have been able to transfer on to this phd program. A typical month would involve various experiments on either short term or longer term projects, meetings to plan experiments and projects or to share data. My masters prepared me for my phd as it put me in a research environment, learnt research skills such as experimental design. I definitely think I felt more prepared than I would have been after my undergrad degree. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science? I think a lot of people think a career in science is only for a certain type of people. People from all sorts of backgrounds are needed in science to bring about different ideas and to challenge the status quo. Outside science how would you describe yourself A bit of a joker, I love being sporty and keeping fit and active. I love reading and watching documentaries about the most random stuff which is very handy in quizzes. You are the Co-founder of Canvas of life – what inspired it how do you balance that with your PhD and where do you see the platform going? Canvas of life came from my friend and I having discussions on how we can have a positive impact of the world, inspire people to want to the very best versions of themselves. We wanted to present these in a variety of mediums to suit how different people consume content, podcasts, videos, and blogs. It can be a challenge balancing making content, marketing etc whilst pursuing a PhD, being organised definitely helps a lot, setting specific times to work on our brand makes it easier to balance both. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Not as much, money doesn’t fulfil you. I wanted to be in a career that stimulated me and I was able to be excited about going to work. Connect with Jason Twitter @Supermalt_papi Insta @jase.otu Canvas of life : All media platforms Instagram:@canvas.of.life_

Favourite science fact The average human body carries ten times more bacterial cells than human cells Journey in 3 Words Challenging, Fun, enlightening Briefly describe your role Supervision of postgraduate students in Wine Biotechnology, teaching wine microbiology to undergraduate students and BScHonours students What motivated you to pursue a career in science Curiosity, microorganisms are quite fascinating. What are the best and worst parts of doing a phd Best parts: Learning more about yourself, exchanging knowledge with your peers, presenting at conferences Worst parts: I don’t consider them to be the worst but certainly the most challenging. Dealing with different characters and expectations of your supervisors was for me challenging. What advice would you give your younger self Live in the moment How do you feel the Science world has evolved throughout your career? ( what are some hard truths you have had to face?) I think, community engagement is now an important component of being a scientist and an academic. As scientists we have to think more about the relevance and impact of our research and about doing science for the community with the community. So, the importance of balancing curiosity driven research with research for impact. How do you feel careers in your field have evolved / where are they heading to? Well, science writers, bloggers etc. were not common at the beginning of my career. Science communication is now a growing area. Outside science how would you describe yourself ? I love reading, I enjoy wine with friends and going to the gym You have recently co-authored a book – what were the motivations behind the book and how did you balance the writing process alongside other commitments? The motivation for the book was to provide young black people with living examples of women who look like them, who come from the similar backgrounds as them and have built successful careers in science, so that they can understand that this is a dream they can dream and achieve. To balance the writing process and other commitments, we really mainly worked weekends on the book. So, it rarely interfered with my work commitments. I made time for friends Saturdays in the evening or on Sundays when necessary. Connect with Dr Evodia Setati Twitter: @setati_evodia About holding the knife's edge : The Book Launch Buy Holding the knife's edge Twitter:@holdingtheknife Instagram: @holdingtheknifesedge

With Covid news many people find themselves between fed up of the information or have completely switched off. Media reporting can often be skewed and our personal prejudices make us paint narratives in our heads. The global handling of the pandemic has shown many “western” nations fail woefully, Africa “spared” and many parts of South Asia control the spread. Probably not what we were expecting when it all started. While only a few places are completely covid free, there are many points to be made on the successes and failures. In this post I will go through them and how they relate to human behaviour while trying to understand the individual responsibility we all have for the central goal of worldwide normality. When reading this post I want your major takehome to be: The pandemic is controllable and the world can return to a form of normality. Failures The worst hit countries: United Kingdom(UK), United States(US), Brazil and India have similar approaches to how they have handled the virus. It is worth noting that India may be the only one of the group not pushing the strategy of herd immunity. Brazil has many similarities with the approach of the US and UK. In India, the spread started with imported cases of Covid-19 to which they implemented quarantine measures but something went wrong. India saw a 10 time increase in cases over 15 days in March. India is still struggling and for reasons that aren’t so simple. India is a country with great inequality and opposite to the west, lockdown is not as simple due to the structure of the economy and overpopulation of many large cities. Street trading is what a lot of people rely on. India again the anomaly of the three nations has conversely shown that where there is good guidance ,covid can be controlled. In a slum settlement Covid cases were reduced to 1.3 per 100,000. For every 100,000 people there were only 1.3 covid cases. Even with its success in a community,an extended lockdown will only lead to starvation and violence in the poorest communities. Brazil, just like India, has many large overpopulated cities and now has the second highest case rate after the USA. Brazil isn't even experiencing a second peak as the first one isn't over. Brazil has seen to date more than 5million cases and 160,000+ deaths. A key reason for Brazils “humanitarian disaster” points to the leadership. Political disagreement between local leaders, the scientific community and president Jair Bolsonaro being a key issue. The US and UK have been heavily hit for a bag of reasons. Lack of urgency, economic priority, denial and arrogance being the few I can name. The US have made it seem that Covid-19 isn’t real, being the country with the least measures taken and the highest number of cases.These two nations have portrayed themselves as scientific powerhouses and if anywhere was to be prepared it should be them. It is quite ironic how the UK is a leader in developing the covid-19 vaccine but can’t control the virus ( insert conspiracy theory). In the early happenings of the pandemic both nations lacked urgency with leaders stating covid isn’t a threat and once the threat was obvious due to cases rising and uncontrollable spread they became “tolerent” of the virus, supporting the herd immunity stance. 'Herd immunity', also known as 'population immunity', is a concept used for vaccination, in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccination is reached. Herd immunity is achieved by protecting people from a virus, not by exposing them to it. - WHO The herd immunity argument put by the leaders of the UK, US and Brazil is one with little to no standing . For more understanding read previous posts on vaccines: Part 1 and Part 2. Moving on from that, in the early months there seemed to be some sort of cohesion between the government and scientific advisors, but it seemed especially in the UK as time went on and the death toll of the virus became less of a worry, the government began to ignore scientific advice and prioritize the economy. While it is understandable a healthy balance is needed, stopping the virus and having systems in place would surely lead to a better economic situation than having the virus in full circulation. In the US, the tensions between the president and the scientific community is at an all time high with nature article detaiing“” How Trump damaged science” What the UK, US and Brazil lack is clear messaging.This is not due to lack of expertise. If you follow most scientists, professionals with knowedge on public health, vaccines and immunity you hear their frustrations. A lot, trying to stop the spread of misinformation, but that becomes difficult if the government is against you. Science and politics are at an all time disagreement when it comes to decision making for the nations. All three leaders ( Brazil, UK, USA) ignore scientific advice while ironically waiting for a vaccine to “save us all”. There is no sense of urgency to get rid of the virus but more of a “live with it approach. As the UK and most of Europe enter a second lockdown is the virus controllable? ” If you find yourselves in one of these nations, like I do… How does one “live with a virus? The Success stories Let’s start where it all began: Wuhan, China. Wuhan to date of this post had 25 daily cases compared to peak numbers in February of 6900. There has been discussion on how Wuhan handled the virus. In a financial times article they highlight the early “failings” where scientists and government didn’t disclose the human to human spread of the virus in early december. The article also commends the incredible work done to curb the spread, including the strict lockdowns and strong messaging used to get them to where they are now. Another example of success is Australia. Australia has reported close to zero coronavirus cases. Having experienced two waves, the first had a peak of approximately 430 cases and second 715 with current current cases now below 15. The approach taken by Australia was also one of no tolerance or room for the virus, similar to Wuhan and is only easing lockdown restrictions now. Other covid-19 successes include Hong kong where current peak daily cases do not exceed 200.Finally, Taiwan’s handling of covid has been nothing less than impressive ! In March, they had a peak of 26 cases and 3 deaths and Taiwan to date of this post has just 5 cases. They have also recently reported 200 days without local transmission of the virus, meaning cases were imported. Now, lets focus on Africa. The continent never seems to be the focus when things are good. Many attest the lack of viral spread due to preparedness and the very young median age of the continent. We know that covid affects the elderly more severely and that african nations have experience on mitigating the spread of disease: Ebola, Cholera, HIV, Malaria. African nations at the start of the pandemic were very strict in implementing border controls ( PCR testing at airports and temperature checks, which again is just becoming available in the UK ( not even PCR testing which is the gold standard). On the flipside some residents have also brought about arguments that there must be a biological explanation. The most popular suggesting a link between the popular hydroxychloroquine drug used - a common malaria treatment, to have provided some sort of protection against the virus or the simple answer of “ their immune system is built different” . Residents claim social distancing is now at a minimum and people aren't taking it as seriously. With the continent having collectively lower cases than some countries does give occupants a reason to relax. To readers that may be wondering if there is a link with hydroxychloroquine, unfortunately there isn’t and we’ll just have to accept preparedness as a reason for success. Hydroxychoroquine has been trialed and tested in many covid patients and not found to be effective in reducing symptoms of the illness or decreasing chances of death. In many papers there was what seemed to be conflicting data around hydroxychloroquine as being an effective treatment. Without going into the “science” of it all, the main findings explain that the drug when used as a treatment in large studies has not been shown to improve patient recovery and with the added risk of heart rhythm complications it is not recommended. The studies that “supported” the use of the drug were ones that were found to have relatively small sample sizes and in many cases poorly designed. Having seen what the world could look like without Covid-19 or with “manageable cases” I ask again…. How does one “live with a virus” ? In the spirit of living with it? How many people are aware of the long term effects that covid-19 could possibly have or the damaging effects it has on people vulnerable: financially or health wise. While we decide to live with it, are we thinking solely from an individualistic point of view or as a community, The former holds. A person with “pre existing conditions cannot just “live with” the threat of a virus daily, shielding will not work forever but what will work is a community centred approach like the aforementioned successful nations. A plan of action that involves all parties and a clear strategy of “no tolerance”. A second stance on “living” with the virus is taking part in vaccination trials if the herd immunity strategy is one you believe in . For herd immunity to work there needs to be a working vaccine for the entire world population. As vaccine trials expand the worry of the data not being representative of communities hit the worst are things we have to come to terms with. In Brazil, UK and US black people are found to ne more affected by the virus and not because of genetic bullshit reasons but the reality of the world we live in. Poor access to health care, racisim and lack of trust in systems. When we get the vaccine who will it be given to first and how effective will it be? In my first mini project on public perception of science, of 145 responders, only and handful said they will take the vaccine! The Black commmunity have a lot of reasons to mistrust science so to think living with a virus thats main hope is a cure from science is a long stretch. While we wait for a vaccine we need to mend the relationship between science and the general public and also find a way to get politics to work towards the policies that will benefit all of society and not the elite. To end, how do we handle covid-19? Could it be as simple as monitoring borders, temperature checks and readily available PCR test? Should there have been stricter lockdowns worldwide or do we wait for vaccinations and continue the dangerous balancing act? Is it so hard to beleive that in order to move on and not be devastated by covid -simple approaches work as long as there is clear messaging, trust and guidance? Recommended Articles I have followed covid-19 updates since March. Here a few of the articles I highly recommend reading to get an even better picture of things happening. Alternatively you can follow me @AhhdamnHer or @catalystinme_and never miss my random updates. Previous Vaccine posts Should I take the covid:19 vaccine? General overview of vaccines and how they work Tcim: Public perception of science: Videos on how vaccines work, explaining wrong doings of science and more. Covid-19 Herd Immunity WHO Asia Taiwan just went 200 days without a locally transmitted Covid-19 case. Here's how they did it The worlds Biggest slum stopped the virus China and Covid-19: what went wrong in Wuhan? Don't Ignore the Good News On Covid-19 From Asia India’s COVID-19 cases have declined rapidly—but herd immunity is still far away, scientists say Africa Africa’s low COVID-19 death rate has multiple causes, WHO says Africa has defied the covid-19 nightmare scenarios. We shouldn’t be surprised. Europe Reaction to Tier Lockdown system in the England Scientists warn of new coronavirus variant spreading across Europe Americas How Trump damaged science — and why it could take decades to recover

Name: Nxalati Mkhombo Course/ job: PhD candidate: Molecular and Cell Biology A levels/ equivalent: Mathematics, Life science, Geography and Physical Science Undergrad and post grad degrees: BSc (honours) Biochemistry, MSc Biochemistry Favourite science fact: The typical volume of blood lost during menstruation is approximately 30 mL Journey in 3 Words: Challenging, fun and rewarding Briefly describe your role or course: I work on a project that is based on understanding the mechanisms by which contraceptives may change levels of the hormone estrogen, which may then affect how easily women are infected with HIV. What motivated you to pursue a career in science: I enjoyed science in high school. I have a very curious nature and I am a problem solver at heart. Pursuing a career in science made sense to me because I was merging my passions and personality to contribute to making the world better and impact lives. Work- Life Balance: Having a work-life balance is important to me. I value my work but it is not the only thing that is important to me, so I am mastering the art of managing myself, instilling boundaries and creating space for everything that makes me who I am to happen in its time. What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree?: Never stop insisting on yourself. It’s not easy (and in a way you can say that that’s what makes it fun) but that’s not a dismissal or to say you can’t do it! So, stay the course and allow yourself to learn. How did you know a pHd was for you? : Doing my master’s degree reemphasized my love for research. Doing a PhD felt like a commitment I was making to grow as a researcher in a field I am passionate about. It’s also a challenge I wanted to take on. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science: That scientists look a certain type of way (most of the time male and white) and talk a certain type of way. But in actual fact, anyone can be a scientist. Outside science how would you describe yourself: I am someone who enjoys the outdoors a lot! I love exploring new places and being in nature. I love running, spending quality time with friends and family and reading good books. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Not much. Up until now I’ve made career decisions based on my career goals, where I want to go and what I want to achieve. It’s been a blessing that those decisions came with a salary that I could use to take care of myself. So, money is important and I want [need] it but it hasn’t been the driving force of my career decisions. Where do you see yourself in 5 years: Hhhmmmm 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

1. Name :Umu Wurie 2. Current Course:LLM Legal Practice course (LPC) 3. A levels:Biology, Chemistry, History 4. Undergrad and postgraduate qualifications Undergrad- Biomedical Sciences BSc Post grad- Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL/ conversion course) and current course above 5. Journey in 3 words Exhilarating, intense, fun 6. Briefly describe your courses Biomed – study of the human body from a very broad perspective with modules ranging from biology-based topics like virology and immunology to topics that focus on the development and industrialisation of therapies. I did several lab practicals and reports and a dissertation analysing the efficiency of pre-clinical tests done during the drug development process to prevent hepatocellular injury Graduate Diploma in Law – a mandatory conversion course for post graduate students who didn’t study undergrad law (LLB) but want to pursue a legal career. The LLB is condensed into an intense year-long course that introduces you to legal theories, covering principles, legislation and all key subject matter concerned with the study of law. I had 7 core modules, a dissertation (2000 words proposal and 8000 words thesis) and a self-development module which required participation in a range of activities to develop your legal skills; I participated in Mooting/Advocacy and Client interviewing competitions. LLM LPC – the LPC is required to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales. It combines learning about substantive law, regulations and procedures with practical skills. This course is a lot more practical and focuses on developing your ability to apply your legal knowledge to real client cases. I had 3 core modules, 3 electives, 5 skills modules. The LLM aspect of my course consists of 2 modules – a dissertation/ law review & reform and a negotiation and case analysis module. 7. What motivated you to pursue a career in science I always found biology fascinating and I wanted a deeper understanding of the intricate mechanisms in the body – how they function, the physiological effects of things going wrong and how to solve problems through therapies. 8. What influenced your change in career path? I did a module during my undergrad degree that focused on the financial and legal considerations that biotechnology companies had to make. It became clear that the progression of science and the healthcare sector relied a lot on the legal frameworks that exist. I became passionate about understanding the law and developing the business acumen to assist and protect companies/inventors/scientists to produce inventions that could really help society. 9. What advice would you give anyone wanting to follow your career path? Doing research is key. You’ll have to research/ explore different aspects of law and be clear on what motivates you to pursue a legal career, whether you’d like to be a barrister or solicitor, the type of firm you think would suite you in terms of the work they do and the culture. Don’t panic! You won’t have all the answers but just be open to exploring your options. Networking events are an amazing way to meet lawyers and possibly get a mentor – mine is a life saver. 10. What transferrable skills from your undergraduate degree apply to your chosen career path? -Curiosity/ analytical skills: in science you’re constantly questioning why something works the way it does/how to prevent diseases/how to improve the body. I find that being intellectually curious and wanting to question concepts/learn more is extremely important Resilience: biomed was fun but intense. I learnt to juggle lots of things without losing my mind 11. Looking back, what advise would you give your undergrad self? “I can’t come and kill myself” Burna Boy 2018 12. What is next? I have just secured an internship at an amazing law firm. I’m very excited about that and looking forward to what the future holds. 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.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

It has become quite evident Covid-19 is something that we are going to have to learn to live with. Lockdown measures are being lifted and we are all encouraged to go outside with caution. It leaves this feeling like it's all over while the uncertainty of a second wave still looms. When I started documenting news reports and covid-19 information a key paper that impacted life in the UK was the data modelling if lockdown didn't happen in the UK. The modelling has begun again with scientists across the globe trying to answer questions while we wait for the much anticipated vaccine. In a recent article published by nature they explore several possibilities on what our future would look like. Scientists have modelled data on different scenarios, with the worst case being yearly outbreaks and best case a later appearance in a few years. The "Data" clearly shows that covid is here for a little while. I don't say this to be negative, whether covid-19 disappears by the end of the year. It will still weigh heavy and have already made it's mark. There have been many deaths and hence millions of families affected, jobs have been lost, companies dissolved and finally survivors that have no idea what long term damage they may face. So what will our new normal be? In an everyday sense, it will heavily depend on the country you are in. It will involve a culture shift in everything that we do which has already shown itself in the way we work as a whole. A recent BBC article highlights the changes in working life. A move away from the city and normalising staying at home. For heavily office based work, the article made sense but for lab work and anything that relies on human interaction, the transition will be much harder. Science as a whole needs to re-evaluate the structures that are in place. This has been a time where people are faced directly with the work of scientists. It's now up to the science community with the attention on us to shift how data is collected and communicated as the pandemic has put a light through the many gaping holes present in academia. While I had previously thought organisations were willing and open to change, recent discourse leaves me hesitant. An article by Research Professional news perfectly summarises the tensions. It’s inspiring to see Black academics call out organisations but you would think, this type of oversight wouldn't be made. Time will tell if black academics are finally given the respect they deserve in academia. It’s not enough just being a part of the team when there are many capable people to lead such important research into Black Covid-19 patients. I also spoke about this in an IGTV video on how science has failed communities. This isn’t something new. For science to fail, it doesn’t have to be medical negligence but the current events of lack of accountability stand as well. As an aspiring scientist,I hope to see a REAL shift in the research community. It's not an individuals burden to bear to constantly advocate for fairness. I can only pursue academia in a way that makes sense to me. As an almost post grad, I am nervous about the job market.I'll go into detail in a follow up blog post talking about the different avenues I am exploring. In the meantime check out Alternative careers in science guest blog post As a human I am just tired and honestly miss my friends and family. I miss normal interaction… Whatever the new normal is I am ready to adjust because anything is better than being at home for months.

Journey in 3 Words: Deliberate, Innovative, Challenging Briefly describe your role: 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) Which parts of your role do you enjoy the most and what are some hard truths you have had to face in the role? 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/ What transferrable skills do you use from your degree now in your job. Communication! So important in this field, this ranges from the big picture- communicating your research with an audience (specialist or lay) and down to the simple day to day activities ie when organising an experiment with lab members Teamwork- also fundamental! Especially when the team is working on one big project- everyone really has a role to play What motivated you to pursue a career in science. Frankly, I have always loved science, and I was good at it! So, it was almost a no brainer for me to purse a career in science. However, I originally wanted to do Medicine. However after, applying and getting rejected, I did a Biochemistry Degree (MSci) instead and was exposed to the academic field (working in a lab), which I absolutely fell in love with and decided to pursue that instead. And I have not looked back (yet?) What is most important when choosing a master’s degree. If you are considering a Master degree, this means that you have completed, or are about to finish your first degree. Hopefully the first degree would have trained and developed you as a person, to really probe which potential career path you are willing to take. Your Masters degree, as much as possible, should be a springboard to the career you hope to pursue. Use the experience from your first degree to gauge what course structure works for you etc What advice would you give someone wanting to follow the same path? Be focused, be ambitious. It is not an easy career, so you have to be sure that you are ready for it. You need to be passionate because that is what will get you out of bed to go into the lab during the weekend because of a time course experiment! (I have worked with cells that needed a media change every. single. day) Work- Life Balance – you need a life outside of science, identify what hobbies and activities keep you sane! For me, it is music – I can totally separate myself from the headspace of thinking about science; oh and K-dramas. It is very important to try and compartmentalise these different parts of your life. Also keep active! Outside science how would you describe yourself: Goofy. At work, I am really focused and am working through a plan, trying to hit certain goals; so outside of work, I try to relax as much as possible. I am quite sarcastic and very playful (quite the opposite of working Seun) When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Money makes the world go round! Working in academia is definitely not where the money is, a lot of the salaries for RAs and Postdocs are highly dependent on grants for project. So its not very stable, but to be honest I like the work I am doing. I plan to do a PhD and apply the skills and expertise knowledge I would have gained in the Industry sector Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Finishing off my PhD, exploring a career potentially in Industry. Still highly involved in science communication and sharing my experience as a #blackgirlinscience Where can people find you ? @seuninscience on Twitter, FB, YouTube and Instagram. LinkedIn Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seuninscience/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seuninscience/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeky9avt81tiHJuqE_RGzrg Twitter: https://twitter.com/SEUNINSCIENCE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oluwaseunogundele/ 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

This post was written by Tomi founder of BWIS, with a few edits from me :) Whether you're applying for a job or further education, here are some tips on surviving the application process. 1. BE PATIENT Some people have the story that it has taken them years to get into their ideal job. I've been in this space between graduating and 'joblessness' jor just under 3 months and I fluctuate between frustration, boredom and stress. And those emotions aren't the most productive. 2. BE ORGANISED You'll be told time and time again, that you should write a list of the applications you need to do and set reminders. And time and time again you won't. Little hurts more than your dream job passing you by and you didn't even take your shot. 3. BE SMART Essentially, you're offering to spend a lot of your own time working for a company. Try not to apply for places that you can't/won't work. Something harder than getting a "we regret to inform you" email when you're desperate for a job, is sending one. 4. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY It's better to have one good application done every day than 10 applications with mistakes and generic-sounding cover letters. Don't get stuck in the cycle of applying just because. You may burn out on that one job you really want. 5. PROOF-READ Everyone has done it. You go through so many applications that it becomes a mindless routine. Taking an extra couple of minutes to triple-check there aren't a any mistakes could cost you an amazing opportunity. 6. BE PROACTIVE Reach out to any contact you have, tweet out that you're looking for a job, speak to someone. Despite common belief, nepotism is alive and thriving *drops mic* If you have time, contact the department and ask for a visit. Some places allow this. 7. BE YOUR BIGGEST CHEERLEADER People reading these applications don't know the difference between you and applicant no. 298. Highlight all your relevant achievements boldly and don't sugar coat them.A good way to do this is try explaining your job roles to someone with you CV at hand and annotate the bits you may have undersold yourself. 8. REFERENCES Get the 'best' references you can. It may help if they have a reputation, even more so if that reputation is in your field. Also, let your references know what kind of roles you are applying for and warn them to have a document reference ready for when they're requested. If you are in uni, your personal tutor and dissertation supervisor are the best two people to ask as they should have some sort of knowledge about you. 9. EXPERIENCE Gaps in your CV are often questioned. Try and seek opportunities to further yourself and gain experience while you're applying. Take an online course, get a professional qualification, learn a new skill. This can also help make you feel as if you're doing something productive while waiting to hear back from possible employers. Don't shy away from volunteering. One day work experience is valid you just need to know how to word it well. Yes even in uni you can shadow, so don't be afraid to ask people. 10. CV AND COVER LETTER Have templates ready for both. Just becuase you have templates doesn't mean you won't have to write more-indepth letters/CVs for specific roles. And remember, templates are templates: an outline. Try and tailor. Have a CV with ALL your achievements and roles saved and from that you can copy and paste according to the job. 11. BE AMBITIOUS If you have the time, apply for roles you're slightly underqualified for but you hope to get to. Who knows what might happen? If you are scared you are underqualified, try messaging a few people on linkedin asking for advice. You will be suprised the number of people that are willing to help. (Please only do this if the role doesn't specifically tell you not to apply if you don't have certain qualifications. If in doubt email the job contact and let them know you're thnking of applying) Now go out there and kill it ! Read more about her journey - https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/career-profile-neuroscience Learn more absout BWIS - https://www.bwisnetwork.co.uk/ Related Blog posts All career profiles https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/life-science-careers Career profiles with year in industry https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/_emma https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/career-profile-yr-in-industry-functional-genomics-department Internships https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/list-of-places-that-offer-science-internships

Managing Stress and Anxiety in the Pandemic By Fancy Comma, LLC Perception and Well-Being the Pandemic This short guide discusses ways to mitigate stress and anxiety while navigating school, work, and life during the pandemic. Our guide is unique in that it focuses on shifting your perception of this moment (the pandemic) toward opportunity, restructuring, reprioritizing, and renaissance. This is Happening... The goal of this guide is not to candy coat, ignore, or minimize the very real threat of COVID-19, or the very real psycho-emotional detrimental effects of social distancing and social isolation. This guide is intended, rather, to show you how to refocus on what is good in life and what power you do have over your perception and well-being. ...But You Can Choose How You See It The archetype for this moment is not the fire ravaging everything in its path, but rather the phoenix rising from the ashes. Nothing is certain in life but change, and out of change and dissolution comes creation and transformation. This blog will provide you the lens to seize what power you do have over this moment. Enough Stability for Security, Enough Transformation for Vitality Without stability: routines, structure, dependable social connections, we begin to feel lost and like we do not have a net. However, without change, the monotony wears down our sense of vitality, inspiration, and energy for life. The key is balance: enough structure to give you a sense of stability and security and enough change to enliven you. This is important for a healthy life in general. In this moment it is vital. Seek Normalcy through Routine Right now, social structures are shifting or have gone on hiatus: the job market; friends, family, and professional peers. The sources of social connection and stability through gatherings and interpersonal connection are no longer available. As a result, it has become paramount to seek and maintain what connections and structure is available. Seeking normalcy via maintaining (or creating) routines – especially consistent sleep, wake, and getting-ready-for-the-day routines – even when you are not compelled to by obligations, is absolutely necessary for well-being. Cultivate and Maintain Social Connections Cultivating and maintaining social connections (if only experienced virtually or via phone) is also essential. Social connections are more important now than ever. Even though you may not be able to spend face-to-face quality time with your family and close friends, regular virtual catch-up sessions or phone calls can go a long way toward reducing stress by giving you an outlet to decompress and making you feel connected and supported. Explore New Pastimes On the other hand, at this moment, for many, especially those who are home-bound, monotony is the word of the day. As important as it is to have routine and to trust that the social structures and connections that you depend on are and will continue to be there, it is equally important that you break from the banality of practical quarantine: where days and hours blend together and lose meaning. Finding a project or activity to get excited about – something that requires creativity and inspires you will enliven you and is vital to your well-being. Build Healthy Habits Beyond this, many have a unique opportunity to focus on building healthy habits. Many of us now have extra time (that we would have spent for example travelling to and from work) that can be used to take up new habits such as yoga and/or exercise. Finding time for physical activity is particularly important for students – especially those attending class remotely – as we could spend our entire day doing sedentary work if we do not incorporate physical activity in. Four Keys to Well-Being in the Pandemic In summary, the four keys to well-being while navigating the already bumpy waters of school, work, and life made yet choppier during the pandemic are: seeking normalcy through routine, building healthy habits, exploring new pastimes, and cultivating and/or maintaining social connections. In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever to seek, build, and maintain normalcy and structure and to cultivate and strengthen our social network. This is the glue that will hold our day-to-day life together and the net that will give us support. However, uncertainty and the shift from norms is also a unique opportunity to take stock of your life and habits. Remote or hybrid work and being homebound due to social-distancing opens up more mental space and time to incorporate those habits or activities into your life that you couldn’t find time for before. As the saying goes, “perception is 90% of reality,” so shift your perspective to a reality that awakens you to vitality and well-being. Read even more tips on achieving work-life balance in the pandemic over at the Fancy Comma, LLC blog. If you are struggling with mental health issues in the UK, visit NHS website for organisations and more tips on how to cope !

“They” - being parents, teachers, environment, loved ones painted a picture of “ if you do A, you WILL get B”. Did society fail us by not adequately preparing for the inevitable cycle of disappointment and confusion? On one side you could be angry but on the other, can we really blame anyone? Will I tell my 13 year old brother that his next great idea may not lead him down the path he thinks? Can you really ever be prepared? Nobody really used to talk about all the weird inbetween stages from A that actually get you to B. With the growth of social media and this new “podcast era” a range of experiences are being highlighted and more realistic ideas of how success is achieved are being pushed forward. On the negative side of social media, people highlight their success, which they have every right to but is often sprinkled with a come up story of struggle and hardship. Which again i have no issue with. What is lacking in our generation where we “overshare” as some may argue, is sharing the state of confusion and not knowing what to do. This could present itself in many forms such as not liking your initial path that you had idolised or completely feeling out of your depth constantly because nothing seems enough. These are things I struggle with and I know I am not alone. I am extremely passionate about a few things and I would be lying if I say anxiety hasn’t kept me up many nights with constant doubts and “what if”. The realities are that you may be extremely enthusiastic about something, try it and HATE it… That is part of the process and if not the most important part in finding what you really like. Think about these things as your non-negotiables when it comes to your future career. There isn't a completely straight forward path and that is completely OKAY. There is so much we can learn from our mishaps, perceived failures or temporary confused state. To add, there is a privilege in saying “no” to something you are not 100% passionate about because you have the luxury to explore other passions. In other parts of the world passion is just a mere hobby as there is no established industry to nurture talents. If you find yourself in this situation, I cannot speak from personal experience but going against the grain and networking across may turn your hobby into your actual career. So i hope society begins to diverge away from the "I knew since i was a kid" to more transparency around the "i am 25 and still confused". Thanks for reading Adama x Here are some blog posts that highlight the crazy inbetween phase Azro - A neuroscience Masters graduate that changed universities and took a gap year at the begining of her journey. Elodie - A current Phd student studying malaria vector control but before that dropped out of her previous phd. She highlights this journey in an external post on "10 priceless things she learnt as a young scientist" External Borderless podcast - A bi-weekly podcast hosted by a young Sierra Leonean who is passionate about story telling. Discussions with people all over the world. Not science based but the discussions are interesting.

It's been enough time and maybe even slightly overdue to reflect back on two amazing experiences that have directly contributed to where I am now. I completed a 10 week lab internship during the summer of my second year of undergrad with my university. The summer after graduation just before my masters I completed another 11 week internship as “ Biology Week” Intern for the Royal Society of Biology. Both experiences were quite different and allowed my to decide what i liked even though neither directly relate to my current masters in medical ultrasound. Here is what i learnt Biology Week Intern Do things the best the first time round - i would say this is the most important thing I directly applied to my everyday life. I had to write blog posts and help with many documents for events. The university mentality I had was always to just write what I had in mind and then fine tune later. Weeks of being here taught me to treat my first draft as if it was my final and with this mindset I produced more sound and thought out work. Pushing through to get things done- Working in an office can be quite monotonous - you cant avoid things like sending emails and the mundane tasks. To get through this i just had to get into a IT HAS TO BE DONE mentality to actually complete it. Now applying this to my masters, there are quite a few things i hate doing but having the GET IT DONE gets the task done faster. Your work depending on other people and waiting for approval - i really developed patience and got an understanding of the deeper thought that goes into big organisations. Documents go through many people and working with others means you may have to wait a little before things actually get done an i guess this was the most frustrating aspect of it all. Small talk - You are around people almost every lunch so building up what you want to share is something that was quite interesting. This ties into another point of ensuring your environment is one you feel comfortable in. I don't really beleive any job is worth it if you are basically suffering in all your time away from the desk The range of roles your science degree are applicable to - I specifically worked with the events, communications and outreach teams. The amazing thing about the office is that everyone I came across had some sort of science degree ( Bsc, Msc, Phd) and had either worked in their fields prior or completely switched after graduating. Everyone was genuinely happy to be where they were contributing to a beautiful cause. It taught me you shouldn't pigeon hole yourself early on and to always be open to new careers you are interested in. Science degrees are honestly gold and leave you so many options. Your passions don’t need to be solely science and you can still have loved your degree and move into something completely different. Still currently figuri g out what i like the most and how i can intertwine my passions. There most definately is a way! Summer Lab This was a while back so i've added things i also learnt during my 3rd year while i did my lab based dissertation. Independence - it is a quite isolating time and you are solely responsible for the progression of your project on a daily basis. It made me realise how much i liked human interaction and the level i wanted wasn't something the lab could offer me. , Problem solving / independent thinking - you are left alone in the lab quite a lot and expected to maage your time and be responsible in the things you do. When things don't work you may have to wait some time for help and to combat this you learn how to think a little more and start coming up with possible solutions. Being okay with failure - experiments fail all the time even when you think you did everything perfectly. Constantly trying and something not working really taught me how to not let negative emotions get the best of me. The begining of my " WE MOVE" phase The wider context of science-"doing" science is more than the thirst for new information, it encompasses the wider global position of science and research, healthcare, education and more. Being in the lab particularly solidified my love for academia. I found myself in a supportive lab environment and although I didn't decide to follow a laboratory path, it highlighted the importance of strong mentorship on enjoying the placement you are in and planning your next steps. If you found this useful or think it would be useful don't forget to share with friends and family Lab life series https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/lab-life-1-i-m-learning https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/lab-life-2-i-want-to-do-a-phd https://www.thecatalystinme.com/post/lab-life-3-aggression-in-zebrafish Useful blog posts Places that offer summer internships Cv and internships Getting through application season