In yesterday’s blog post, Hannah gave an insight into her journey
as a scientist and now she has answered a few questions to get to know her in advance of the event.
Q: Hannah, how did you get to your current position?My path to my current position is incredibly twisty and started with the realization that medicine wasn’t what I wanted to do. I took a massive detour into space with a Nuffield Bursary placement at the Faulkes Telescope Project, where I hunted for asteroids and fragmenting comets. I then applied to study an integrated master’s in biology, initially thinking I’d work in human pathology. However, I soon realized that plants get sick, too, which has significant consequences for future food security. I pursued a PhD with the University of Nottingham and Rothamsted Research, focusing on a fungal disease of wheat. After my PhD, I wanted to gain experience in other research areas, so I worked on an industry-based project investigating how blackgrass, a common weed on farms, changes its protective waxes and fats when exposed to various weed killers. I also studied how certain modified versions of a small plant, Arabidopsis, react differently to a lack of iron. I now work with the same fungus from my PhD but using some of the additional skills I picked up that have enriched my research capabilities.
Q: What, or who inspired you to get a career in science?
My teachers and University lecturers probably inspired me the most. My experience with the Faulkes Telescope Project team (at the time, Paul Roche, Sarah Roberts, Alison Tripp, and their external collaborator Nick Howes) led me to decide that science was for me.
But for my general interest in science, the long list includes Mythbusters, BBC Springwatch, David Attenborough, and Professor Brian Cox; I read a lot of Ed Yong’s blogs while making my university choices, and I was primed to find plants interesting at university, having read ‘What A Plant Knows’ by Daniel Chamovitz.
Q: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?
One of the most exciting parts of my research is uncovering how wheat plants and a fungus called Zymoseptoria tritici interact, especially when they’re under the stress of rising temperatures. It’s like a detective story where the plants and fungus constantly adapt to outsmart each other, but with the added challenge of climate change. I’m getting the scoop on the evolutionary battle that is already going on in our wheat fields. Diving into their world by studying their genetic material and molecules to see how they communicate and change under these conditions. This not only helps us understand their battle strategies but also guides us in protecting our crops against the combined threats of disease and global warming.
Q: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place?
A style of science communication that I have not done before!
Q: Sum up in one word your expectations for the day
Engaging.
Q: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be?
It would be to shift the focus from prioritizing high-impact publications to valuing and rewarding rigorous, reproducible research and collaborative efforts. By pooling knowledge, skills, and infrastructures, collaborative efforts can help address complex global challenges more effectively while optimising limited funds.
Q: What would be your top recommendation to a woman studying for a PhD and considering pursuing a career in academia?
My top recommendation to a woman studying for a PhD and considering a career in academia is to actively network and strategically choose where to invest your time based on the tangible benefits of each experience. For instance, I was able to fill the gap between my PhD and finding my ideal post-doctoral project through my network. Dana MacGregor (in the office next door to my PhD supervisor) needed an extra pair of hands on an industry project. I wanted to gain experience in a different field, learn new skills, and test my flexibility after deeply drilling into my PhD focus. I also wanted to work with Dana, so this opportunity ticked many boxes. Later, as our project was winding down, I connected with someone from Dana’s network who needed a molecular biologist for a short-term project. These experiences broadened my skill set and expanded my professional network, proving invaluable for my career thus far.
Don’t miss out on finding out more from Hannah at CentreMK on Saturday 6th July.
Soapbox Science Milton Keynes 