The campaigner
is a cell biologist at University College London. She is the author of two 鈥渓ab lit鈥� novels inspired by her scientific experiences, and is founder of the organisation, which successfully campaigned against UK science funding cuts in 2010
Are you a happy scientist?
Yes, very happy, because it鈥檚 a wonderful life to live. There are great opportunities to travel the world and experience different laboratory cultures. There鈥檚 a great buzz to it, particularly when you are young. The downside is that it鈥檚 quite an insecure job 鈥� you never know where the next contract will come from. So it鈥檚 a love/hate thing 鈥� love the job, hate the insecurity.
Advertisement
This job insecurity is something you are trying to change, as part of the Science is Vital movement鈥�
Yes. Science is fuelled by young researchers. PhDs and postdocs do the vast majority of the actual 鈥渨et work鈥� involved in science, yet there is only a tiny number of places for them at the top and very few middle positions. In other professions you have the top person, but then you have middle layers 鈥� it鈥檚 like a pyramid.
Science isn鈥檛 like that. You have the lab head and then all these apprentices and trainees on short-term contracts. Science is Vital and other interested groups are involved in round-table discussions at the Royal Society to try to come up with a way to make science a more secure career.
Research isn鈥檛 the only option for science graduates, though.
No, there are lots of great jobs out there that you can use your science degree or PhD for. You can take it to the private sector, make lots of money and do really interesting things.
Which you did鈥�
Yes, I had a great time working at a biotech start-up in the Netherlands before I came to University College London. At university we were always told: 鈥淚ndustry is the Dark Side! You can鈥檛 go over there, you鈥檒l never come back.鈥� But that鈥檚 not true at all. You can go over to the dark side and enjoy it, and you can come back.
You based your second book, The Honest Look, on your experiences in industry. What鈥檚 so interesting about scientific life that you want to immortalise it through 鈥渓ab lit鈥�?
I think people have no idea what scientists do. They envision us as boffins in white coats, stroking fluffy white cats and laughing maniacally. They don鈥檛 realise that it is a modern profession full of interesting, fun, creative, smart people, just like any other industry. 鈥淟ab lit鈥� is a chance to show what it鈥檚 like.
聯People envision scientists as boffins in white coats with fluffy white cats. 鈥楲ab lit鈥� novels are a chance to tell it how it is聰