Profile

Well I did a degree in Genetics and worked in a lab for a year as part of that. I decided that what I liked best about science was asking questions about the ethical impacts and the way that such research is governed. I was given the opportunity to do a Masters and PhD at the ESRC Innogen Centre at Edinburgh Uni, part sponsored by the Scottish Stem Cell Network and Scottish Blood Transfusion Service.
So now I don’t work in the lab any more but I get to spend all my time looking at the other aspects of stem cell reseach, such as where we get tissue for research from and how we can make sure therapies are developed in safe and efficient way.

I don’t really have a typical day! Sometimes I can spend all day doing admin stuff – answering emails, booking rooms or conferences or travel tickets.  I can spend all day reading or writing or going to meetings. Sometimes I have to transcribe my interiew data which takes forever! I try and walk the two miles each way from home to work and go to the gym at lunchtime – it gets me away from my desk for a bit. It can also be quite lonely working in an office by yourself so we have staff coffee for the whole building every Friday morning, and I try and meet up with other researchers at least once during the week.
After work my time is taken up with lots of hobbies – I sing in a choir, go sea kayaking, am in a knitting group and swim in the sea once or twice a week.