Profile

I love being a scientist, and before doing my PhD I have had a few fun science jobs! I used to test chemicals to make sure they were good quality, and then I worked in a blood bank, sending out blood to poorly people to help them get better. I’ve always loved science since I was really small, and I love making a difference and helping people, and solving puzzles.

I really like baking, cooking and trying new foods. I’m always going to the shop and finding new unusual food I can try! I also love to travel and have been to 25 countries, hoping to hit 30 by the end of 2026. My favourite thing is exploring new places, especially if they are close to the seaside!

I make polymers – a type of large molecule that has lots of repeating sections. It’s like a big chain! I use these polymers on many viruses, and I hope that it will work well against all of them. This is because when people get unwell from a virus, it takes time to find out what virus they have and then it takes longer to make them better. With my materials, we can hopefully give people these and it will treat them no matter what virus they have. This will also help us stop people spreading viruses and then less people get unwell, so people are healthier.

In the morning I usually check on my cells in their incubator (like a little warm house to keep things in!), and check them under the microscope. This helps me plan what to do for the rest of my day/week. I also set up some reactions in our chemistry lab to make my materials, and these are timed so I can do other things between stages, like reading or replying to things. We also have a team meeting every Monday where we all chat about what we’ve been doing too.

I have lunch in the afternoon at some point (normally leftovers from my dinner!) and I go back into the lab. I like to do some puzzles on my lunch break too and go on a walk if it is dry outside.

After lunch I set up some more reactions usually, or finish working with my cells or viruses. Sometimes I stain things to make them colourful so I can see things better, which is really fun. Once I am finished in the lab for the day, I walk over to my car and head. Normally I am going home for some dinner and to chill out, but sometimes I’m also going to Guides or Rainbows which is really fun!