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As an early career scientists finding a space in politics may not be the first thought but change doesn’t come by waiting for someone else to do the work.In many ways science holds itself as an evidence based unbiased practice supported purely by facts, while politics is generally known for the opposite. The latter has become a game of appeasing the masses and finding the evidence that will support your narrative. The RSB(Royal Society of Biology) young voices of the future policy events encourages researchers to pose questions to parliamentarians with an invited audience to further understand how UK parliament works and where scientists fit in. The event was attended by sitting members of parliament of the science and technology select committee. In this session roles are reversed with them on the hot seat ,opposite to what they are used to. As someone not fully aware of how parliament works, forgive me for any errors. A pre-set list of questions are asked by representative bodies of different institutions and learned bodies from the UK. I was invited by the Royal Society of Biology and other members included Ecological society, Royal society of chemistry and more. The questions asked ranged from: translating the breadth of issues facing scientific communities from funding to graduate outcomes and public engagement with science to pressing water quality issues. With so much covered which you can watch back in detail below. But this is what stood out to me. …squeezed out Retaining professionals in any field is a growing problem and for scientists from PhD minimum stipends to striking lecturers, the conversation has moved from encouraging new people into STEM to keeping those recruited in. A particularly important issue from a TCIM point of view as with every new initiative floods more people leaving the field that just don't feel supported. The government through many public campaigns do encourage STEM pursuits and its’s marketed as a lucrative well paying industry, and while this may be true for some there are holes in the framework to address employment across the sector. On the top end, even with the work being done by many niche organisations it seems that the ceiling is impenetrable with purposeful negligence at times. The discussion hinted on the importance of fixing this problem. Public Engagement Covid-19 is the backdrop for one of the biggest public health campaigns for many young scientists. The effort in spreading correct information was not solely down to top government officials but heavily relied on the vast range of skills from scientists from medical doctors and immunologists to influencers, comedians and more. This provided key context for the discussion on the use of social media and training that may be needed in the future. It was interesting as scicomm is still a relatively new field that is growing daily. What we currently know as scicomm is constantly evolving and will only grow further. A clear example of this is the upcoming launch of YouTube health - a dedicated section with select content creators providing bite size health information for everyone. The discussion suggested the government should look into engaging with the expertise available outside traditional forms of communication. Policy in Action River pollution in the UK is a growing concern of public and environmental health. Illegal dumping of sewage into the rivers was brought up by the ecological society. This was especially interesting as it was a current issue that needed to be addressed and responded to by recent government work - “ sewage and inlands water bill - 2021 ” recently published that aims to monitor and report sewage dumping and report the results for potential action by the government. Having clean free outdoor space is incredibly important for wellbeing - taking away from the natural resources and what affects regal living and enjoyable actions. To reverse this damage government policies will have to change to force companies responsible for river pollution to change what they do.Interestingly a question touched upon at the policy event shows change being placed but impact and benefits won't be seen till much later. Like science, policy can be a slow burner in getting known evidence from written reports to positive outcomes. Policy is an important part of how society functions and the event further highlighted this and sparked interesting ways for me to at first just stay updated and actively care about things I am passionate about. It takes the interest from concerned groups to get action if this isn't already an area of importance to the government. While great and long lasting changes are probably more impactful through policy, that doesn't make it the only way for change and change doesn’t come by waiting for someone else to do the work. You can watch back the event below. The Covid-19 pandemic gave us the greatest insight into the role of the Chief Scientific Advisor in a national emergency and while there is only one slot available there. To get your policy journey started - these careers all contribute to impact driven work. Policy Advisors : “To date, I still have one foot in academia as I work with academics and support policy activities that apply to an academic context.I enjoy connecting people that are working on inspiring EDI initiatives with learned societies. In the policy world, you have to be a sponge absorbing lots of evidence. Along my journey, I have learnt to take large amounts of information and disseminate findings in understandable, digestible formats covering various life science disciplines" Junior Consultant UNICEF. “ My role focuses on finding the best ways to organize content for country offices, finding free online resources, and looking at course completion rates. This role has enabled me to get more experience with program implementation and evaluation, which is very applicable to public health projects. “ Science Communication: As someone with strong research skills, I have been able to branch out from science writing; these days, I also do health, policy, technology, and business writing. Because I am a scientist, and am familiar with the terminology scientists use, I also know how important it is to summarize complex topics in a manner that is easy-to-understand for a general audience. So, my science background has been foundational to my career as a science writer. Business Developer: “My passions have become more tailored to my career. When I was younger it was more focused on Technology but now my passion is to help improve the quality of the human lifespan. The defining moment was in 2017 when I went to a conference and saw the future of what healthcare could be. My passions have become more tailored to my career. When I was younger it was more focused on Technology but now my passion is to help improve the quality of the human lifespan. The defining moment was in 2017 when I went to a conference and saw the future of what healthcare could be. “ Freelance consulting : I’m setting up as a consultant for medical research charities and researchers. I provide insight into research grant portfolios, links with industry, how to develop research strategies that are patient focused, and how to utilise research for fundraising.You learn about pitching to different audiences, the importance of strategy vs planning, stakeholder management, meeting chairing, etc. Science Strategy Lead: In my current role at the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health, I help embed sex- and gender-based analysis in Canadian health research. This involves keeping up with the most recent science in the area and developing materials like fact sheets, training modules and presentations to help equip researchers to apply these methods in their own work.

Name - Jonta Kamara (she/her) Job Title - Junior Professional Consultant (JPC) at UNICEF Headquarters A levels/ equivalent - International Baccelaurate Diploma Standard Level: Chemistry, Math, Peace and Conflict Studies Higher Level: Biology, English, French Undergrad and post grad degrees BA ( Hons) in Health Studies with a double minor in African Studies & Immunology from the University of Toronto, MSc Public Health from King’s College London Favourite science fact: Public health is very interdisciplinary that almost everything can be public health. Journey in 3 Words: Branding. Intentional. Network. Briefly describe your current role : My current role is focused on UNICEF’s Learning Passport, which is a tool used to ensure children everywhere can access education. My role focuses on finding the best ways to organize content for country offices, finding free online resources, and looking at course completion rates. This role has enabled me to get more experience with program implementation and evaluation, which is very applicable to public health projects. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? As a Sierra Leonean in the diaspora, I was always disheartened knowing that where you live and your financial situation can have a significant impact on your ability to receive healthcare. This led to my interest in public health and health system strengthening. Global Health is such a varied field, how have your experiences helped shape the path you find yourself on now? ( e.g internships and other experiences) ? During undergrad, I made sure to try a variety of opportunities. This enabled me to have a good sense of the kind of work that I enjoy and what I would like to do in the future. I realised that I was not very interested in wet labs and preferred roles that involved event planning and desk research. This helped me on the path, that I am on now, as I took the time to reflect on the skills I have and what I enjoy doing and used this to guide the kind of roles I look for when applying to jobs. What is a typical week like for you? Would you describe your role as varied or predictable and how does that tie into your personality? My position as a JPC is fully remote and I am on the same time zone as New York which is where the UNICEF Headquarters is based. I have 30 minute meetings with my supervisor on Monday and this sets my tasks for my week. My supervisor is very open to me suggesting tasks to do to ensure the role fits the skills and experiences I want to have. My role is varied, which I like as I am able to get varying experiences such as research, program evaluation, and also attending meetings with country offices. This ties into my personality as I like engaging in several initiatives at a time. During my week I also try to plan content for my Instagram @Jonta_Kam and my blog on my personal website: www.jontakam.com What advice would you give new students and recent graduates on maintaining a good work-life balance and staying on track given your experience as a part-time research assistant? I did my research assistant activities while I was a full-time student. During my undergraduate degree, I did these positions for course credit. I found that doing them for course credit made it easier to maintain a good work life balance as they were more strict in ensuring that you worked a certain number of hours a week. As a Master’s student, I found it harder to maintain a good work life balance while doing part-time research assistant roles and being a full-time student. Advice, I would give is make sure you are not working overtime too much especially when balancing other commitments. Also, be open with your supervisor and let them know if you will be unavailable during certain times of the day and speak up if you feel as though you have too much work. I think these opportunities are great to gain work experience, but at times they may be hard to balance with your other commitments. Sometimes, maintaining a good work life balance is very hard depending on how supportive your team is and how fast the deadlines are approaching. What resources have helped you most during your career journey ( you can also talk about the lack of resources if applicable) During my career journey, one of the resources that have helped me the most is people. Family members and friends have always connected me to people working in global/public health which have connected me to people in various public/global health positions. This allowed me to network with individuals since I graduated from high school. Having these conversations early developed my understanding of careers in the field and also my ability to feel comfortable networking with others. I always make sure to maintain my relationship with these connections, so it is nice to hear from them how they have seen me grow. What is an insight you gained about your job/global health only after you started your career? An insight I learned about global health after my career is that the specific degree that you have is not actually that important, it is more about your experience and how you brand yourself. Have you had a mentor and how has that contributed to your career journey? I signed up for a mentorship program once in undergrad otherwise my mentors have been connections that I have made and kept relationships with. When finding a mentor it is important that you both match, so I personally prefer scheduling a meeting with an individual so I get to know them and maintaining the relationship if that is what I want to do. These mentors have helped me by connecting me to other individuals, forwarding my name for opportunities, and providing advice on cover letters and resumes. You are very active on linkedin and have just launched your own personal website(www.jontakam.com ) Planning to launch instagram ! . What advice do you have for networking and putting yourself out there? Honestly, just go for it and start! Networking can be very daunting at first, but when you do it a lot of times, there are a lot of benefits for you as you are making yourself more visible and speaking to people also helps ensure you can effectively communicate your interests to others. People that you don’t know will also interact with your posts, and you connect with people that have similar interests. Overall, I have found it to be very rewarding especially as you never know who you’ll end up being connected to and how this will help you. website: www.jontakam.com How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you? A defining moment for me was when I realised I did not want to limit myself to solely public health research and academia and saw myself also working in program management and roles that involved program implementation. This led me to reflect on the courses I was taking and the experiences I was gaining and how they would help me work in the kind of roles I aspired to be in. Where do you see yourself in 5 years In 5 years I see myself working in public health but more on the African continent. I also see my personal brand growing, so I hope to do more speaking engagements and possible consultancies, but we will see where life takes me. Outside science how would you describe yourself? Outside of science I like to model and travel. I am also into supporting more African founded brands whether it is make-up, hair products, artwork, clothing. I always try to support them and look for more!

Name : Aishat Yusuff (She/Her) Job Title: Trainee Software Developer A levels/ equivalent : I schooled in Nigeria so the A Levels equivalent is the West African Examination Council(WAEC) Exam and I got: English -B3, Maths - B2, Chemisty - B3, Physics - B3, Biology - B3 Undergrad and Post grad degrees Bsc Biochemistry Msc Clinical Biochemistry Favourite science fact: I find it interesting that visible features like the ear and face shapes can be used as paternity cues in sons. Journey in 3 Words : Interesting, challenging and surprising Briefly describe your current role: My background is quite different from my career field now. My role as a trainee software developer involves me learning new things about software development/engineering while on the job. It involves a lot of studying and hands-on practice, which isn’t unusual for the field because technology is always evolving. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I first fell in love with science when I saw some medical students in white lab coat. It sounds quite funny but it was a driving force for me. However, I decided to career-switch because I wanted to try my hands on something new. The ultimate career goal for me now would be combining my Biochemistry knowledge with my newly acquired software development knowledge, to advance health tech! What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? A typical day for me includes a few catch up meetings with my colleagues to update them on what I’m currently working on/learning. As I work from home, this ensures that I’m not isolated, as I also get to ask lots of questions. As my role involves a lot of learning, I’d be creating simple practice software projects, while solving problems and reading about different software development concepts. Problem solving, oral communication and research skills are my most used skills on a typical day. As I’ve recently started working on a project with my colleagues, I wager that I’d be using a lot of team working skills in the months to come. As a career switcher, all of the above mentioned skills came quite easy for me because I’ve groomed them in my academic life, however, I’ve had to tailor my problem solving skills to suit the software development field. It was quite difficult at first but constant practice and asking for help when I need it has made it easier for me. How did you decide on your Msc? and do you feel you made the right decision for your career? I wanted to explore the clinical aspect of Biochemistry as my undergrad was quite generic. That’s why I decided on my MSc course. I’d also say yes, I made the right decision for me at the time. The MSc journey didn’t just teach me about clinical Biochemistry, I learnt a lot more as a person; about my own personal health; about writing even about my professional skills. What advice would you give anyone wanting to follow your career path? I’d say do not be afraid to make a career switch if, like me, all you’ve known is a different field. I know that technology is the latest hype but don’t like that stop you. Take a leap and try it out— and this doesn’t just apply to technology by the way. Remember that you’ll only live this life, once. You decided to make a big career switch, what resources or thought process led you to this path after your life science based degree? Initially, I’d wanted to try something new because I wasn’t getting a favourable response on my job application process — after my MSc. I needed the confidence boost and I’d figured that trying out something I used to think I’d suck at, might help. Coding wasn’t a thing I thought I’d find interesting, so when I started learning (and enjoyed it), I realised that I could make this a career. The code first girls initiative provided me with lots of free resources to facilitate this journey. "Rejection can be very debilitating and we’ve ALL experienced it, so please know that you’re not alone in how you feel." What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? Rejection can be very debilitating and we’ve ALL experienced it, so please know that you’re not alone in how you feel. What I’d say though is that like me, you can try your hands on new things ( that may provide another source of achievement and will remind you that you’re worth it!). This doesn’t mean that like me, you should make a career change, but I find that when you do things that remind you that you can achieve anything, you can channel that renewed confidence to combat that sense of rejection ( and strengthen your perseverance). Would you have originally picked this career path instead of doing a masters if more information was available to you at the time? I believe so, yes. I don’t regret doing my MSc in clinical Biochemistry, because as I’ve mentioned earlier, I learnt a lot from the process. But I believe if I’d found the desire to “try something new” earlier, or I’d come across a brilliant initiative like Code First Girls earlier, I might have opted for a conversion masters in Computer engineering or software development. What advice would you give your younger self ? Enjoy your learning phase. Let go of all that worrying about what your future would look like and actually enjoy every learning moment of your present. You’d look back on them and see how those moments contributed to who you are today. Where do you see yourself in 5 years ? I see myself still holding firmly to the above advice. I also see myself being a formidable presence in my current field and helping other career switchers like me overcome their imposter syndrome (and be the best versions of themselves). Outside science how would you describe yourself? Outside of science and technology, I enjoy listening to and taking care of myself. I do this by immersing myself in my love for books, writing, kdramas and sleeping 😄.

Humans have this weird thing of latching onto age or benchmarks of success and timelines. Whether that makes us feel more accomplished through comparison or maybe simply contextualising our feelings on “scientific fact”is comforting in a way. Brain research i.e. neuroscience and psychological studies of human development will always spark interest as they attempt to give us a better understanding of who we are but what happens when those “facts” are heavily extrapolated into conversation meaning something completely different? “ It is well established that the brain undergoes a “rewiring “ process that is not complete until approximately 25 years of age.” “Your brain isn’t mature until 25” - this is somewhat the new common knowledge from scientific discovery that has found its way into general conversation.Like all science discoveries it may take years for something to penetrate through the barriers of research papers and academic conversation to common conversation and dining table fun facts. This topic is no different ! Neuroscience is one of the fascinating fields that can easily capture people's attention! In a quick google search the question of “is my brain mature” at 25? brings up... “ It is well established that the brain undergoes a “rewiring “ process that is not complete until approximately 25 years of age.” But if you take a deeper look at the paper which google references, the actual context of this statement means something slightly different to what has taken over common talk. On social media, it won't take much scrolling to hear people say “something just feels different at 25”. So, why do many people feel the world starting to make sense after this landmark age ? How it all started: The leading article comes from a 2013 Review paper where researchers were trying to understand violent behaviours in adolescents. Some of the questions explored why adolescents are such risk takers. In child development, puberty is a key progress marker in maturity as changes seen are visible and linked to the hormones we all learn about growing up. In the brain, growth or rewiring is attributed to two things: “dendritic pruning” - reducing the number of pathways by getting rid of unused pathways and “myelination”- insulation of the neuronal cell leading to faster signalling . The easiest way I could put it is “A spring clean and essential maintenance process of the brain happens as we age”. The review goes into further detail on the hormonal changes during adolescence such as changes in dopamine, serotonin and melatonin . MRI studies which scanned the brains of adolescents reviewed in the paper showed that adolescents use less of their prefrontal cortex in making decisions than observed in adults and were more emotionally led. The way we view age and maturity plays a part in how we observe things. If we think that our 20’s are a restart on us gaining understanding of our hormones, surrounding and personalities, with 20 at zero and 25 as 5. Is it at 5 years into “adulthood” that we begin to fully understand who we are as people and how that ties into our relationships? “dendritic pruning” - reducing the number of pathways by getting rid of unused pathways and “myelination”- insulation of the neuronal cell leading to faster signalling What does brain maturation look like? The prefrontal cortex lies just behind the forehead and plays a key role in the “brain maturation” theory. The development is also linked to the development of “myelin” which leads to faster brain signalling and growth . Growth in this case, isn't in terms of brain size as children grow in height where we expect these massive physical changes but as mentioned before it is an essential process that researchers have found takes us away from being more emotional/ hormone driven decision makers . The brain instead goes through a flux in maturation and relative size where myelination will increase “size” as well as the loss of neurons. Brain size is essentially determined by maturation which “increases” size by reducing pathways and increasing processing speed if we describe the brain as a computer network and ageing that is essentially the loss of matured pathways and connections. The nuanced meaning of brain growth and impact on society In researching for this article I came across a blog post " Master you metaphors " that highlights the importance of not over-using metaphors to "translate" scientific evidence to the general public. Rewiring as a term to explain things about the brain is useful but does it give the full picture? In a sense it explains that things move from one place to another and therefore making a “better” brain from something that was seemingly wrong ( this is open for interpretation) . In the real world, rewiring occurs when something is wrong. You wouldn't rewire your house if it wasn’t done correctly the first time. Describing the brain fully maturing ties into the human sense of seeing changes similar to that of puberty as a way to describe these final stages. What it actually means may be evidenced one day by research but the feeling of maturity and what it is, will forever remain open to societal context. Science “fact” is weaponised in society as a whole and something the science community has come to struggle with. Those examples give quite a lot to think about, which is especially important for the topic of brain maturation. Maturity is somethings that can only partially be defined by brain evidence as the nuances around what counts in different societies is yet to be understood. Food for thought: How do we infer from scientific evidence accurately in daily conversation? Thinking of the brain as this static machine allows people to forget that human beings don’t work as the systems we have created but instead as a whole with many pieces we are yet to understand. We take in information at the same time hormones are released and emotions are expressed, therefore pinpointing maturity as a single sign of what has been evidenced doesn’t do the human body justice and frankly most scientific findings can only highlight the bits we have been able to measure and rationalise. The beauty of our full-selves lies in the unknown and learning something new everyday ! TCIM continues to be a platform to present the “FACTS” but open to a challenge and discussion of understanding. As said perfectly in the Master you metaphors blog,” science is done by humans to better understand humans but not without the bias “ making it as I will add a perfectly imperfect system to not put context when it comes to studies on behaviour and even health and how we occupy space . Review (free): Maturation of the adolescent brain Why is 18 the age of adulthood if the brain takes 30 years to mature? Master you metaphors The Myth of the 25-Year-Old Brain

Name ( pronouns) : Dr Abigail Otchere (she/her) Course/ job: Medical communications manager/medical writer A levels/ equivalent :Maths, biology, chemistry, drama Undergrad and post grad degrees BSc biomedical science MSc neuroscience PhD biomedical science What is your favourite science fact? It has to be fruit fly (Drosophila) related as that’s the model organism I used in my PhD: when male fruit flies get rejected by females during mating they turn to alcohol! - If they are presented with food soaked in alcohol or with no alcohol, rejected flies are 4 times more likely to drown their sorrows with alcohol (similar to humans) Journey in 3 words : Testing, varied, unexpected Briefly describe your current role Currently I am a medical communications manager/medical writer. I work for a global medical communications who are basically the middle person between (our clients) pharma companies and healthcare professionals. I work in events, so from the planning to the kick-off meeting to the running of the event. One of the biggest perks of the role is attending events you assisted to plan, sometimes they are held in beautiful venues and countries. We also create medical education materials for healthcare professionals, such as slide decks to educate doctors on treatments for a particular disease or testing methods currently used in clinics or currently in clinical trials. What motivated you to pursue a career in science ? I loved science in secondary school and was also top in my science class - which can’t be said about my other subjects. I loved learning about the human body and how relatable science is - everyone has a loved one who has been affected by old age or ill health, for me science has also been about finding solutions to people’s real life problems. My biggest motivator was my science teacher, she was also a black woman and she encouraged me that I could do anything and should push myself to achieve. She also made science so fun and easy to retain information. Before Doing a PhD you worked in clinical trials, what interested you in working in that field? I fell into clinical trials by accident, I was looking for a lab role once I completed my masters. I applied to work in a lab for a CRO ( Contract Research Organisation) who specialise in flu/virology studies. I got the job but the company didn’t reply to me for 3 months after I accepted the job role. Eventually they sent my start date but not for a lab job but as a data associate and said there was scope for me to move around the company and eventually end up in the lab. I remained on the data team for just over year! What interested me about clinical trials was working on new drugs that could potentially come to market. I realised I loved research and wanted to do more independent research which a PhD offers. Your PhD journey has been quite unique - What was the deciding point in moving from clinical trials to full-time research? After almost 2 years of working in clinical trials, I realised I loved research and wanted to do more independent research which a PhD offers. I also noticed everyone who led a clinical trial had a PhD and soon realised if I wanted to get to the top and run my own trials, a PhD was necessary. I also missed the lab - I had spent two years at a computer desk! What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a PhD coming from a full-time job. Don’t allow inner doubts to stop you from applying. A PhD is a learning ground so they don’t expect you to be an expert before you start, you will receive training on everything. Also your working experience is an advantage, even if it’s not directly lab work. There are skills you learn at work that are useful for a PhD such as time management, presentation and working to tight deadlines. Thirdly, don’t just apply for any PhD. Make sure it’s something you are passionate about. A PhD is not like a 9-5, it becomes a lifestyle, this topic is all you think about for 3/4 years. It’s only your passion and motivation that will keep you through the challenging times What excited you the most about your PhD research and have you been able to share that knowledge to the wider general community ? I used fruit flies as a model to study ageing and I was so fascinated the range of things you could test in these tiny organisms such as their memory and measure things like fat and dissect their guts! I was also excited to find that the mutation (in a group of receptors called metabotropic glutamate receptors) I was studying extended lifespan in female flies and not males. I further found out using RNA sequencing, that the females had stress protective genes and were more resistant to starvation and oxidative stress conditions. During my PhD I was fortunate to go to international conferences and other UK universities to speak about my findings. Since completing, I love being able to chip in what I found during my PhD to non-scientists like in the most random places (a friend’s birthday or to someone on a plane!) Coming from a PhD, I was used to working on my own project or independent working. But I had to adapt to team working for my current role. What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? I work mostly from home although we have a office close-by. My days consist of meetings with my internal team or clients, replying to emails, working on slide presentations for symposium at scientific conferences or brainstorming ideas with the team. I enjoy using my communication skills which I blend with my scientific expertise and also the ability to learn new topics fast. Coming from a PhD, I was used to working on my own project or independent working. But I had to adapt to team working for my current role. Sometimes I’m required to work as a team to complete a slide deck for example or brainstorm ideas towards the program of the conference. Also you need to have great attention to detail as our clients are paying for a service and your work needs to reflect the company’s image/branding- this I work on every day, triple checking my work I send to clients and making sure I’m up to date the company’s house-style. How do you stay motivated ? especially after completing a PhD during the pandemic, how did you deal with the uncertainty and what advise would you pass on? I recently read that just 1% of the world’s population have a PhD! Not only that but a PhD graduate has a 98% employment rate, it gives me confidence knowing this especially when dealing with imposter syndrome. I also remember if I could complete a PhD during a pandemic I can do anything, I basically use the struggle as a constant reminder of what I can achieve. Things will work out, that’s the advice I can give, I didn’t get a job straight after my PhD, it took me 4 months after my PhD viva. But in that 4 months, I discovered medical communications as a career, gained invaluable interview experience and had much needed rest! A postdoc is generally a short-term research position that provides further training in a particular field, and for individuals planning research careers in academia, government, or industry, the postdoc years can be an opportunity to develop independence, hone technical skills, and focus research interests Having "left academia" , what were the deciding factors in not choosing a Postdoc? I spent an extra year because of the pandemic on my PhD, at the end of it I was ready for something new. The lab can be a lonely place, especially with the work I was doing and I was ready to explore some my other skills I enjoyed during my degree such as communication. I considered applying for for postdocs upon finishing but I felt like I would only do a postdoc if I wanted to stay in academia and research in the long term. I’ll never say never to going back to academia but at the time of choosing jobs the thought of a postdoc felt like a ‘second PhD’ and was honestly that didn’t appeal to me at the time. Other factors included the contract length, postdocs are on a fixed term contract basis and some are not very long. I wanted a job which was more permanent so that was one of my biggest deciding factors. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? To be honest, salary has not been my driving force when it comes to my career choices. At the very start of my career I learnt it’s okay to start from somewhere and work you way up especially when you don’t have experience. Having said that I have refused jobs in the past where the pay didn’t make sense, in terms of the work load and responsibilities and how much they were willing to pay also weighed against career development prospects. When I completed my PhD especially when I was trying to move into medical communications, some companies were offering lower starting salaries than if I was in a lab role because I had no communications experience but I knew my value as a PhD graduate and didn’t go for those. I had my salary range and was very strict on this. What is a typical week like for you? Would you describe your role as varied or routine and how does that tie into your personality? Very varied, I usually work towards one project/event at a time. I work with different client contacts and on different disease therapies. For example one week I could be working on lung cancer, working with a graphic designer and project manager to design the symposium invitation. The next week I could be presenting the main clinical data from recent blood cancer trials, in a slide deck. I like how it is varied because I like a challenge, I like new tasks and I like learning about new disease areas/treatment options. It is important to point out, working in medical communications there are quiet periods and then very hectic, crazy busy periods. This is usually between events. I enjoy the quiet times because when it gets busy, it requires working to tight deadlines and sometimes working longer hours especially when there are last minute changes to slides or even changes to the speaker. I also think this ties into my personality well because sometimes I can talk for days but other times I like my own company. How do you describe yourself outside of science ? I would say I can be dramatic, I am creative (I love writing) and tend to think a lot. I also love looking good, and travelling to new places How do you feel careers in your field have evolved / where are they heading to? Especially after finding out the host of careers outside of academia after your PhD? I think jobs are going to require more skills than just scientific knowledge. For instance, creativity. My current role involves working with graphic designers to design materials for symposia, skills I didn’t know it required. Some of these skills I developed during my PhD when making my own presentations for conferences or making research posters. I think this opens new job opportunities, especially in job areas you never knew a scientist would be needed. In addition I believe things are going to become more digital - a prime example is AI in healthcare, I never thought I will sit in a meeting and be hearing about the metaverse but has become the norm! With the lack of career guidance out there, where do you think universities are getting it wrong? Many graduates are leaving university not knowing what to do with their degree. This is especially so for graduates that don’t won’t to take the typical/traditional career path e.g a biomedical science graduate that doesn’t want to go on to study medicine or work as a biomedical scientist. Along with teaching content, I think universities need to educate on the different careers, invite more companies to visit and give students a taste of the real world especially those who don’t complete an industry placement. I also believe the problem starts very early on, before we get into uni, we are not exposed to many careers, and will hope schools will start introducing careers before year 10. You run a science page called @sistemuk. What are the motivations and future goals for the page and what is it like having a real sister in STEM ? It’s been amazing so far. I’ve learnt so much about other careers and have discovered there are so many women that look like me doing amazing things across STEM. We started SiSTEM because we both struggled as black when in our respective fields and a big part of that was because we felt alone. We didn’t want any girls to give up their dreams because they lacked representation. That’s a big goal of our platform to increase representation by showcasing black women in STEM and change the narrative of what a scientist/engineer or doctor looks like. We also went through so many things that if someone told us at the start we wouldn’t have gone through it so we want to share this with our network - and hear such things from others. Having my real sister as a co-founder has been a blessing! From our experiences we wanted to do something to help girls/women in our fields separately but we discovered we could combine our dream and become a force to reckon with! There something special in sisterhood and that’s what we are offering women in STEM - a community. We also don’t look your typical scientist and engineer, we hope that too inspires. Follow SiSTEM on Instagram and LinkedIn

Technicians are one of the unsung heroes of the science world. Throughout my undergraduate degree I never fully understood the scope of the technician but always appreciated them. Responsible for providing routine and non-routine technical support to researchers by performing a variety of tasks in support of research. The research technician performs tasks in an agriculture or laboratory setting, in the field, or other research settings. Technicians pass on knowledge and information to trainee students and become experts in the skills that keep the lab running. Technicians do all different things and the science Museum exhibit did an amazing job immersing you into the day to day of different roles. Technicians are both generalists and specialists and with the amazing exhibit they are no longer hidden across the range of fields you find them in. The exhibit was an immersive experience, taking you through a range of different roles with a career questionnaire to pair you with your 5 best suited technician roles. To my surprise I was given “ clinical coder” amongst others that led to media careers. The experience got me thinking, why hadn’t I written a post about technicians having been one myself ? What was it like being a technician ? I haven’t been in it for 6 months yet so there is still a lot to learn ! A typical week or month will involve scanning animals, practicing surgery procedures, reading papers, lab meetings and finishing any other training I have to do. TCIM Career Profile: Bsc Medical Physiology to Research Technician Being a technician is such a varying role where you get to form relationships with a range of people. While some technicians can work on a singular project with the main PI ( Principal Investigator) in universities or industry, others are more of an all hands on deck and work between projects. That was my situation and I loved it because it allowed me to understand a range of techniques and gain an interest in so many scientific questions. At the time I started my role, I was unsure if I wanted to do a PhD and that space allowed me to fully understand the research environment which weirdly taught me I liked being a multi-project person and also enjoyed the administrative sides of the role. I wouldn’t have applied for the role if I hadn’t interviewed someone on this very blog who was a scientific officer . This then taught me that the same role had quite a few different job titles. The ways in which you view a technician career can differ based on your preferences. For me , it was an opportunity to engage with science without commitment. The short contracts can often be off putting as they don’t offer stability but it can also set a time frame for understanding “what next” ? Everyone becomes a technician for reasons personal to them but I can say a want for carrying out scientific research is at the core of the role. It is a perfect space to understand where you want to fit in the academic structure. In a nature article the views of various technicians highlight the paths that can be taken and the fulfilling things that can be done. Progression can involve managing the lab in the future or using it as a way to get into a PhD or starting as a technician in industry to open the entire world of Pharmaceutical research and management. TCIM has interviewed a few technicians and while all got through after a masters degree. The technician pathway doesn't have to follow that route. There are apprenticeships that can lead to technician roles in school, laboratories in hospitals, pharmaceutical companies or universities. The National Careers Service and Royal Society of Biology(RSB) have information on the different entry routes and RSB also focuses on further training and more. The life science industry covers a range of scientific disciplines and technician roles will be specialised according to different topics making it quite difficult to pinpoint the exact skills needed. The skills taught at university should complement the common skills used. Because this is such a huge question, TCIM is creating a survey to make it a little easier to understand . Fill out the survey here if you have a life science degree: TCIM What's next Project Subscribe to the newsletter if you are a student or want update on the project : Subscribe here Why become a technician ? The ability to gain and perfect a range of skills over a short period of time Not ready to commit to wanting to do a PhD and gaining a bit of insight into the academic environment Gaining insight into a particular field Being able to leave your work at the office and not be consumed by the pressure of academia You enjoy science and working on different projects with a range of people You learn skills that can pivot you into other fields within the university or job sector as it heavily overlaps with administrative tasks and working with de Access to university/ organisational resources which can help advance your career What are the downsides Short term contracts: technician contracts in academic institutions can be dependent on the length of the grant funding the project. You may not have full ownership of the project you are working on. Progression as a fully independent researcher will need a PhD Tasks can become repetitive What is a typical day like? Elicia: I am currently employed as a Scientific Officer at the Institute of Cancer Research. I assist in lab-based medical research to investigate a paediatric cancer known as neuroblastoma. Our overall goal is to discover therapeutic targets within neuroblastoma cells, which would lead to drug discovery for the affected patients. Many neuroblastoma patients have a genetic amplification of an oncogene known as MYCN. My colleagues and I attempt to target MYCN and its associated genes/proteins using techniques such as PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. If targeting these genes/proteins reduces the cancer phenotype, these results can be used for drug development. Seun: 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) More Questions on the role How did you get into your role and how does it differ from job roles such as "laboratory assistant" ? Elciia : I applied to the Scientific Officer position straight after my Master's course in 2017. I was happy to get the position. I had just finished a Molecular Genetics Master's, which I believed helped me to get into working in cancer genetics (with neuroblastoma research). To be honest, I'd say that my role is a research assistant type role, but with a fancier name haha! I assist with lab work often. I've been privileged to work on the research elements a lot, because of my awesome team who gave me many chances. My role has technical aspects, but also gives me the freedom to think of, and test new hypotheses to investigate neuroblastoma cells. TCIM Career Profile: https://www.thecatalystinme.com/single-post/career-profile-scientific-officer Which parts of your role do you enjoy the most and what are some hard truths you have had to face in the role? Seun: 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. TCIM: Career Profile https://www.thecatalystinme.com/single-post/biochem-to-research-assistant What's your favourite part of your job? Adama: I get paid to learn ! It was a weird concept to deal with at first. I genuinely enjoy reading papers and thinking ( I say this now because I don’t have loads of pressure on me) but as long as I am learning and challenged it weirdly sparks joy ! I love the fact that no week is the same ! TCIM Career Profile: https://www.thecatalystinme.com/single-post/bsc-medical-physiology-to-research-assistant Similar job titles: Research officer, Scientific Officer , Research technician , Research assistant. What are the most needed skills in the UK life science technician market ? Entry into the techncican world as a life scientist can be quite complicated. For technician roles in schools a professional qualification/ certification vs a degree will be enough in most cases but with the changing landscape of the job market a lot of people have degrees. Technicians in the university setting may even have to opt for masters degrees as many roles require independent research experience where an undergrad research project may not have taught the techniques in enough detail. This is something I don’t personally agree with but it’s just how it is at the moment. If you like the structure of the research technician being a biomedical scientist may also be a good fit in terms of working hours, skills learned and potential flexibility in working hours. Entry level to these roles would be Medical laboratory assistant and roles that are similar Resources How working as a research technician can bolster your scientific career Not your average technician TCIM Career Profiles : All profiles did a masters before their roles as a technician. Adama: Bsc Medical Physiology to Research Technician Elicia: Bsc Biomedical Science to Scientific Officer Seun: Bsc Biochemistry to Research Assistant Royal Society of Biology Technician resources National Careers Service Technician Resource

The “value” of the degree has changed over the years as the ways to make money increase, and career paths become less linear. In a society where impact or success is measured by monetary value, the changing world makes it even harder for life science graduates whose pathways have never been linear to to feel a real sense of value. The formation of the STEM industry has created a false sense of job security that isn’t translated across all disciplines. In a recent report by the Nuffield Foundation, of STEM graduates only 46% of were employed in highly skilled STEM positions. Even without the report ,this statistic is validated by the online postings of recent graduates who can’t find careers where they can use their degree skills post graduation. As a biological science (BS) graduate this outcome is even worse with the report stating only 32% of BS graduates were working in STEM roles. Having graduated and creating a blog to tackle issues dealing with careers and pathways of life science graduates, I want to discuss the potential reasons in this post : The miscommunication between graduates, universities and employers The awareness of potential career paths The immediate skills gap and the number of places available Navigating the ever changing world The miscommunication between graduates, universities and employers University is a bubble where the support you get is highly dependent on the expertise of your careers service team. While many do a great job at showing the main options available to students, such as : internships, year in industry and graduate schemes. When the student pathway goes off this road, it can become difficult for students to know what to do next. Universities project a false sense of job security and calm onto students leaving them feeling lost post graduation when this doesn’t happen. Having faced the job market, entry level positions ask for a range of things that aren’t easily identifiable from your degree. Not having metric based work is sometimes not valued by employers that want someone essentially “ready to go”with little training. As the number of university degrees increases, what is taught at different institutions can vary greatly and the recruitment process then becomes highly flawed. The famous phrase “ they only take two minutes to look at your CV” will continue to cause chaos and widen that gap of potentially great graduates into roles. As shown by the career profiles there are many routes for life science grads but staying the course or even gaining training of relevant skills seems to happen by chance rather than by design. The awareness of potential career paths TCIM was created almost 5 years ago due to my personal lack of understanding of potential life science careers and options. This is still a problem and even though there seem to be more opportunities available to learn about different pathways, could there be an information overload where students aren't getting balanced opinions to make decisions? As someone that has had multiple interests, finding relevant jobs has been difficult as even searching for one role can lead to job postings that seem so far out of reach. In the simple sense just knowing the appropriate job title to search for can be a game changer for many students. Did you know: A “technician” can be : A research technician, science technician, research associate and scientific officer . For each of these technician roles the job descriptions and responsibilities may slightly differ but where one description at one job posting may be too much for a recent graduate the same title at another institution can be a perfect fit. Universities further that false sense of security with surveys that all graduates gain “employment” after graduation - even though when you look at the data and having interviewed many people for TCIM the steps to finding the “right role” post graduation can take as long as the degree ! "Keep on learning and at first it may seem like it doesn’t lead anywhere but after a few years there will be a massive difference propelling you to further success. It took me about 3 years after leaving university before I realised what career path was best for me. This was mainly due to being a Lab Scientist during those early years and still learning new techniques, but once I figured that out, I was then able to explore how to build on the foundations laid and accelerate my career. " Dami , Head of scientific Business development The immediate skills gap and the number of places In the job market, there seems to be a form of miscommunication between the graduates and employers and a skills gap that isn't being filled by the content being taught. Universities promote transferable skills but identifying employers that understand the value of them is quite difficult. The infantilization of graduates that seem to “know nothing” even having completed degree based training is also a major problem. Employers and universities aren’t communicating enough to address that skills gap. In pathways where there are skill logs such as biomedical sciences, the number of trainee positions available are far below the number of graduates that need them ! In a recent policy lates event by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) : bioskills of the future were discussed,and the current skills gap needed to maintain and grow the bioscience industry in the UK. The event highlighted the change in workforce demands which is also supported by the Future skills for life science report. The types of skills and needs are changing, we are categorising less and working together more as an industry to have the desired impact. Entrepreneurship through the growth and creation of biotech companies alongside data skills to deal with the large amount of data being processed were fields mentioned. The field of data science, entrepreneurship and bioinformatics is massive. Even with a focus on these new skills the older skills need to be maintained in order to keep robust science and discovery. While computational skills are here to stay, the identification of markers of disease and analysing big data all comes from the generation of quality data that only happens as a direct result of a highly trained and skilled workforce. Some of the event went on to further talk about how we categorise skills and people at an early age not allowing for individual growth based on genuine interest but rather based on university requirements. TCIM profiles have been able to show through the range of A levels done that you don’t have to fully box yourself into the “STEM” world to be successful in the life science field. Being skilled in multiple things and industry opening up to people switching careers and allowing that crossover to bring in new perspectives is currently working really well to lead new discoveries and can only grow in the future. Navigating the changing world “the Cinderella moment where all fields merge and then truly begin to create magic”. - Professor Neri Oxman, Netflix Abstract art of design S2 Where lines become more blurred and fields continue to overlap and exchange technology, the science industry becomes more creative. The outcomes of graduates are only partially dependent on the degree and skills acquired but more dependent on a stable job market and economy. In an ideal world, everyone will have a job that is both fulfilling and financially rewarding to them. In the UK , it couldn’t be clearer with the wave of strikes on pay and workers conditions across industries that things aren’t based on what seems fair but instead a grander scale of things out of the control of a new graduate. To finally answer the question of: is a bioscience degree a scam? : In simple words no, as the degree provides a foundation of knowledge which is what it should. Expanding on that, the job sector needs to change as the current retention rates are not acceptable. Universities need to play a bigger part in ensuring graduates are being taught and provided with experiences valued by employers. With such a vast range of outcomes, I couldn’t tell you what a neuroscientist needs to be successful or an epidemiologist,imaging scientist, AI specialist or more. The opportunities are endless and your degree is what you make of it ! Subscribe to the TCIM newsletter for monthly summaries on life science careers and more here. References Read the Nuffield Foundation's Report (2018) on career trajectories for STEM graduates Read our Future Skills for the Life Sciences conference report (2019) RSB Policy lates event page and youtube

In the UK, summer begins when Love Island starts ( for me x) . Love Island is a dating show but as a careers blogger I've noticed an interesting trend on the wide range of careers represented on the show. For those unfamiliar with what I am talking about, Love Island is a dating show with adults 18+ looking for love and a cash prize of £50,000. The benefits from the show stretch past the money, the winners go on to sign multi million pound deals with many brands and contestants can dramatically change their lives after the show. A notable example is Molly-Mae who is now the UK’s creative director of fast fashion brand pretty little thing alongside her other ventures. Many contestants go on to become media personalities and gain a massive following across various media platforms. Over the years, it’s the increased representation of science careers that has caught my eye: The first scientific career represented by Dr Alex an A&E doctor and2018 cast member . Ever since, there has been at least one contestant with a science background each year. 2019 - Yewande an oncology vaccine specialist and Anna a Pharmacist 2021 - Dr Bret - PhD student at the time who focused on sports therapy and cardiovascular disease and Priya a medical student. 2022- Dami a Senior Microbiologist, Ikenna who works in pharmaceutical sales and Paige a Paramedic. The range of careers offered and personalities show science graduates as more than just boring people with no lives. Their presence on love island and trajectory after the show can highlight the way young people now view careers and working. A life-long career is something slowly of the past with people wanting to explore different parts of themselves and utilise the power of the internet to live fuller lives. The islanders mentioned here have already started building a social following as bloggers or entertainers. Some have gone on to continue to grow in the entertainment field while others have continued to utilise their scientific knowledge showing the flexibility available to science graduates. This desire for flexibility is also a theme seen across TCIM career profiles. 5 years from now I see myself working as a working as a senior biomedical scientist, training to become a clinical scientist working in Public Health, alongside healthcare professionals in order to treat disease and assist with public health investigations. I also see myself running a successful fashion boutique, whilst inspiring the next generation of future scientists/healthcare professionals. - Ayodele Osobu ( Biomedical Scientist) This year a fan favourite and my personal favourite Dami ( Senior Microbiologist) has been a real entertaining force for the villa. But let's break down his route and his fellow islanders. Biomedical science is one of the most common undergraduate courses by life science students that covers a wide range of lab, written, analytical and personal skills. A key route to be successful down this route is making sure your course is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) in the UK as it gets you closer to filling out your portfolio and ready for the working world. The biomedical science route can be very fulfilling as a key part of the healthcare profession. It is high in demand in both the public and private sector. As with all roles there are pros and cons which have been highlighted in TCIM profiles below. Biomedical Scientist to Biomedical Science ( Microbiology) Operational Lead ( Biomedical Scientist) Dami could return to his role post love island as a locum scientist while also freelancing as whatever form of media professional, but from his Instagram fashion blogger seems to be the likely path. Ikenna (pharmaceutical sales professional) and Dami have similar pathways and as a biomedical science grad himself could have followed the path of Dami, but interestingly chose the world of Pharmaceutical sales. Pharma seems to have a role for everyone in different paths such as: scientific discovery, sales, data science, marketing and more. As a recent grad, Ikenna could have gone down a graduate training programme to get into this path as many companies do advertise exactly that. A good way to set yourself up for understanding the word of Pharma is to do a degree with a year in industry which has many benefits as described in TCIM profile:Biological Science with Year in industry at GSK Some of the other routes also described on TCIM can be found below: Medical Science Liaison Clinical Data Management Life science consultant and marketing strategist: Pharmacovigilance Specialist I manage pharmacovigilance (drug safety) cases through intake, documentation, case processing and submission. I determine the seriousness, expectedness and causality of each case and perform follow-up if required. - Chude Obuaya( Pharmacovigilance Specialist) Yewande ( oncology vaccine specialist) started university at 16 and with pandemic pushing vaccines to the forefront of public attention, an explanation of the impact of her role isn’t really needed. Her early route into science gives her the added advantage of being in the working field for longer. Her route to specialist without a PhD also shows the fluidity of science roles. For a similar role working in therapeutics and some wet lab work, TCIM profiles also cover this. Graduate Research Associate Visiting scientist to Graduate Medicine Anna (pharmacist) went on to work during the pandemic when there was a call for people to help. Pharmacists like doctors and biomedical scientists are a skill- set based role with the skills always in demand making it easy to transition back into the working world. Anna directly showed the flexibility of science careers as she continues down the path of influencer/ pharmacist. The Doctors : Alex, Priya and Bret. Let's start with Bret whose PhD focused on exercise and health has then gone on to notably advocate for climate issues within the fast fashion industry alongside modelling. Pursuing medicine might be the most flexible of all. Dr Alex saw an easy transition into the working world but as an A&E doctor and his season happening just before the pandemic allowed him to become a force in science communication and health advocacy. This pathway isn’t limited to medical professionals as many TCIM profiles have shown. Science communication is a rapidly growing field in the science world and many life science graduates sought out to explain complex scientific information. The rise of social media and ease of access to information and misinformation shows the need for scientist to have large platforms. Pharmacovigilance to Medicine Public Engagement Lead Freelance Science Communicator My experiences and career to date only motivate me further to develop opportunities for a broader range of people to have a say in how HE and research enriches our world. It’s easy to forget sometimes how much we still don’t know because we are so saturated with information, the next big challenge is working out how we best use what we know to create a more equitable, sustainable way of living. - Marie Nugent ( Public Engagement Manager) Whether you watch love island or not, the exposure scientific graduates get from the show can spill over into science circles. The representation can change the perception of scientists, this puts people with the knowledge in positions of relatability and trust bringing science into mainstream and everyday conversation which I support whole heartedly. There are still 4 weeks left of this season and more room for some science representation. Subscribe to the TCIM newsletter for science careers and science topics straight to your inbox on a monthly basis: here. I am always looking for new people to interview: If you are a life science graduate with journey to share don't hesitate to email : thecatalystinme@gmail.com

Name : Damilola Aboyeji (He/Him) Job Title : Head of Scientific Business Development A levels/ equivalent : 1A,1B, 1C, Maths, Biology and Chemistry respectively. Undergrad and post grad degrees : Undergrad in Microbiology (Bsc Hons). Postgrad in Stem Cells and Regeneration at University of Bristol (MSc) Journey in 3 Words : Dramatic yet exciting. Briefly describe your role: I use science to drive business decisions in relation to healthcare services. What motivated you to pursue a career in science: I’ve always been curious about the universe and trying to figure things out since I was a kid. That curiosity led me down many paths and I had to choose between technology and biology. I went down the biology route after my A Levels.During my A-levels, I remember speaking with a family friend regarding career paths, and he mentioned that you can't always go wrong with healthcare. A part of me still wanted to be involved with science rather than going the clinical route and that paved the way for me to go on to study Microbiology. How did you decide on your Msc? and do you feel you made the right decision for your career? I made the decision as I had spent most of my career working with stem cells at the time, so it made more sense to focus on something I was passionate about and had experience with as well. So far it has proven to be a great decision. What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree? If you are keen on studying and passionate then it becomes less difficult. Pay attention to the individual modules studied during your course. a huge part of the two modules I studied came to be very beneficial for my next role which required the setting up of a laboratory and PCR. These two modules were Molecular Biology Techniques and Cell Signalling. I also found that during my MSc, many of the students were in the industry or were surgeons, which was quite interesting as they had a lot of practical applications different from what I have done, but we were able to share experiences and learn. What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? A typical day usually consists of at least 5 meetings, where business challenges are identified and resolved. My problem-solving skills tend to come in handy the most and being able to apply a scientific approach. Work- Life Balance ( what are working hours like? And how do you strive to maintain balance?) - I usually work 9-5 but at a managerial or director level this usually extends into your personal time. I have learnt to allocate time better so that all work I do is mostly done during working hours. What resources helped you most during your career journey ( you can also talk about the lack of resources if applicable). I found that being able to sign up to a CPD programme with the Royal Society of Biology helped. Having a mentor was also very key in my first scientific role. My mentor used to drive me home from work and became a close friend of mine from our drive-home conversations. He excelled in his own career and told me how to optimise my CV, work hard, make connections and keep researching. He said, if you keep researching, then you are either on the right level or ahead of the curve. You have been in many positions of leadership and set up a Covid-19 testing lab. What were the thoughts that led up to that and how does that lead into where you see yourself in 5 years?. Over the last ten years, I have been fortunate to be rewarded for the extra effort put into my personal development so leadership opportunities came naturally. In the next 5 years I see myself as a director in one of the largest scientific or healthcare companies in the world. What advice would you give anyone wanting to follow your career path and working in a highly regulated industry. Keep on learning and at first it may seem like it doesn’t lead anywhere but after a few years there will be a massive difference propelling you to further success. It took me about 3 years after leaving university before I realised what career path was best for me. This was mainly due to being a Lab Scientist during those early years and still learning new techniques, but once I figured that out, I was then able to explore how to build on the foundations laid and accelerate my career. Why didn’t you go down the PhD route ? I I wanted a more direct experience in the industry rather than getting it through academia first. With years of experience: How have you grown from rejection and what advice would you give Believing in yourself is key, so even with rejection you just see it as another step in the journey rather than a stumbling block. What were your perceptions of being a scientist before you started your course and how do you use your stem ambassador role to create an image for people interested in stem ? I’ve always thought being a scientist was cool but when I started studying I realised there were many stereotypes which hinder people. This is why I decided to become an ambassador to hopefully motivate people like me and those that are challenged when pursuing a career in STEM subjects. Outside science how would you describe yourself? Love to have a party and see myself as an extrovert. Have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you?. My passions have become more tailored to my career. When I was younger it was more focused on Technology but now my passion is to help improve the quality of the human lifespan. The defining moment was in 2017 when I went to a conference and saw the future of what healthcare could be. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision Once I became a manager there was an expectation of what my base salary should be as I started to realise what my input brings to an organisation and I now had experience behind me and a Masters degree to back that as well. Sometimes I simply look for similar jobs and see what the top and mid-ranges are. And also take into consideration what the company might be paying people on similar level on Glassdoor.

Name ( pronouns) Benjamin Forson (He/Him) Course/ job Clinical Data Manager A levels/ equivalent Biology, Chemistry, Business Studies, Maths Undergrad and post grad degrees BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science MSc Clinical Drug Development Favourite science fact Human beings are more than 99 percent identical in their genetic makeup Briefly describe your role As a data manager I'm responsible for all data management activities small to large complex studies. I facilitate the setup and development and maintenance of the trial database and case free report forms, through working with numerous vendors and departments. I manually review, and analyse data, as well as running listings and reporting data to study sponsors.I am also the primary communication point for project teams and company departments with regard to clinical data management. I provide a communication line for clients/vendors for all data management aspects of clinical projects and clinical data management reporting. Journey in 3 Words Laborious, Fortunate, Rewarding. What motivated you to pursue a career in science I enjoyed science lessons in school and typically achieved good grades in exams. I was also intrigued by the ever-developing nature of science. This led me to consider science early on as a career option. How did you decide on your MSc? and do you feel you made the right decision for your career? I decided to do an MSc in order to specialise in a scientific discipline. I took an interest in clinical trials following an engaging module in my undergraduate. I sought more information through research and decided to do an MSc as I believed it would help distinguish me from other job applicants. I feel I made the right decision, as I've been able to get opportunities through achieving this qualification and the network I developed whilst studying. You’ve worked both during your BSc and managed to publish work in this time and Full time during your MSc : What advice would you give in terms of managing time and was it possible to maintain a work-life balance? Prioritise what is important to you and be prepared for opportunities. Although I am no stranger to procrastination, I set deadlines for tasks and ensure I meet them. There's often time each day that we all could spend more productively. My advice is to set realistic targets and start small in order to develop healthy habits in the way you work. Working whilst studying for my degrees did not drastically have an impact on my work-life balance. I endured to make time to socialise and relax during the holidays. However in my experience a healthy work-life balance in full time positions (post-university) has been more difficult to achieve. However flexible/remote working and developing routines has drastically improved work-life balance. What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? A typical day for me can vary slightly depending on different phases of each project I'm working on. I usually start the day by going through unread emails and any messages from colleagues and vendors. I'll also check my to-do list and prioritise any tasks that are urgent, whilst setting out a plan for the day. I may have a catch-up with members of some of my project teams if there are any urgent/complex queries that need addressing, ensuring to account for working hours in different countries. I'll also run metrics, listings and other data reports for different studies. I'll analyse data to give feedback to sponsors and/or appropriate team members. Depending on the studies I'm assigned, I may also perform some of the following duties such as user acceptance testing, reviewing clinical trial data, managing queries, reconciling SAEs and other data related tasks. I'll usually try and finish tasks to end the day, or get to a point that I feel is a suitable endpoint. I'll then review my to-do list and amend as necessary, catch up with any remaining unread emails/messages and then sign-off for the day. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science ? That all scientists wear lab coats to work. Outside science how would you describe yourself? I'd describe myself as someone who likes to try new experiences (e.g. travel, food, activities etc.) Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I see myself in a higher level role developing data management/science skills in order to become financially independent. I hope to either be working as a contractor (especially if I've further developed programming skills) or part time, whilst balancing other business ventures. Having experience in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry . Do you ever see yourself transitioning back into academia? I'm not ruling out a transition back to academia. However salaries and contractual benefits (i.e. flexible working and bonuses) would have to improve. Both are enjoyable, however with the rising cost of living, and career options for my skill set, the pharmaceutical industry is my current preference. What are the main differences you have learnt between academia and the pharmaceutical industry? Depending on which organisation you work for in academia, career growth can be limited, due to the number of roles available and funding. Pharmaceutical industry roles seem to offer higher salaries than jobs in academia (although this does not apply in all cases). Also in pharmaceutical industries you may often be dealing with numerous sponsors for studies, whereas my experience in academia was the opposite. Sometimes dealing with a single sponsor is preferred as it enables you to better understand their working practices and studies. However with that said, both academia and the pharmaceutical industry have roles that cater to a similar skill set in clinical trials. What resources helped you most during your career journey Training resources provided by my employers have been extremely helpful. The resources enable me to keep up to date with current regulations and working practices as well as help me develop for career progression. How have you grown from rejection? I take every interview as a learning opportunity. It helps me continue to build a bank of information about what organisations are currently looking for and how best to present yourself as a solution to an issue. Though rejection is oftentimes disappointing, there is typically knowledge that can be gained from the experience. What are your experiences on mentorship and what advice would you give? I've been a mentor and a mentee. I think mentorship is a great way to assimilate new starters in a company. I also think mentorship provides an outlet for information, ideas, feelings and general discussion to be exchanged, that may otherwise be avoided in a more public setting. What advice would you give to people regarding salaries in your field? If you don't ask, you don't get. Research the market before applying to jobs and negotiate salary or other benefits where appropriate. How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you? Since starting my career I have taken a keen interest in financial independence. The pandemic further highlighted the importance of this. However most of my other passions and interests have not really changed since starting my career, they've just become more affordable.

Name :James Bolaji (he/him) Job Title: Medical Science Liaison A levels: Biology, Chemistry, Maths and PE Graduate degrees Pharmacology BSc PhD in Clinical Research Medicine Journey in 3 Words: Marathon not race What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I was always interested in science but wasn’t keen on studying medicine (didn’t want to be that type of doctor). I saw pharmacology as a great way to understand the way medicines can be used to treat disease and save lives on quite a large scale. Briefly describe your current role I work within a medical affairs team to be be a bridge between the pharmaceutical industry and clinicians (doctors, nurses and pharmacists) and act as a point of contact for non promotional/medical queries. Within this role I also run medical projects such advisory boards and scientific workshops within my therapy area to further scientific knowledge and also understand the needs of clinicians and patients in this area. What transferable skills do you use from your degrees ( Bsc and Phd) now in your job? The ability to research and run simultaneous projects. No day is the same and it’s always important to stay on top of the latest data for when it comes up in discussions with the clinicians you work with. You’ve had a few roles within the clinical research field ( Medical Science Liaison, Scientific communications project manager and Account executive ) what advice would you give anyone wanting to follow your career path If medical affairs is a long term goal, then there’s no rush to get there. Working in a startup was a really good opportunity to learn a few different skills before starting in medical affairs. I’m able to use those skills now in the various projects I’m involved in. How did your internship abroad better position you for roles within clinical research? Really gave me a deeper understanding of the industry and all the different jobs you can do with science degrees. How did you know a PhD was for you? I wanted to get the doctor title and was also quite young after doing my BSc and really wanted to get most of my studying out of the way before working. I also found a really great supervisor who helped guide me through and I think that’s even more key than the subject you do your PhD in Reflecting on your journey ( the good and bad) What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a PhD? A few different aspects you should consider (in this order of priority): the supervisor, the institution (useful for building your network), the subject (try to be as broad as possible, if you don’t want to stay in academia forever) How have you grown from rejection? And what would you tell a younger version of you? Rejection is a part of life and though it can hurt, you need to learn to carry on until you achieve whatever it is you are trying to do. Important also to reflect on rejection but purely through the lens of how to improve for after. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Hopefully, I’m still loving whatever I’m doing, involving all the things I love: medicine, research and digital projects. What advice would you give to people regarding salaries in your field? Talk about your salary with your peers and with people you want to work with. You are not a charity and a salary is important as it can help with whatever life you want to lead outside of working. That being said, money will always come when you’re happy in what you’re doing and can excel. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science That pharma is purely out to get money. There are divisions (e.g. medical affairs) who’s sole purpose is non promotional (commercial) that you can still really contribute to making sure patients have access to the best medicines they need. Outside science how would you describe yourself I would say I’m quite easy going and try to have as much as fun as possible. It’s important to work hard but keep some balance, which makes it all worth it.

As I did my weekly email check, I came across the WHO article on “exploitative marketing” of breast milk substitutes more commonly referred to as baby formula milk. While this blog post will go into some detail on the direct effects on mothers and why WHO flag that as a problem, my instant thoughts went to all the other possible ways the media can influence our health based decisions. Digital media includes any online or digital means of transmitting marketing communications, including but not limited to, websites, social networking environments, search engine advertisements, banner advertisements, email communications, streaming audio and video, online gaming, messaging services, mobile services and online retail platforms Consuming digital media has become a part of everyday life. Whether it’s restricted or unlimited scrolling on your favourite app for hours. Digital media has given a platform for anyone to share information, as with all spaces there are pros and cons. In the healthcare space, marketing ads affecting health based decisions is one of particular concern to the world's biggest health organisation - WHO. “ WHO reveals shocking extent of exploitative formulas milk marketing” The WHO news article and reports brought forward the detrimental effects to newborns with the rise of breastmilk substitutes. According to the WHO, babies should solely consume breast milk for at least 6 months of life which also excludes water. The health benefits and importance are listed on their site. The WHO has a goal of achieving a target of 50% of babies to be exclusively breastfed in their first six months of life. The rise of breastmilk substitutes and targeted ads are having a detrimental effect on these goals . Advertising rules used today were set in 1981 and are being applied to a media landscape that wasn’t even imaginable at the time of writing of these rules. The report highlights the problems with “user generated content “ , “ dark posts'' and even companies using community spaces to obtain valuable information on target demographics to sell products. The report had many quotables that left me thinking of the endless possibilities and subconscious ways our habits, discussions and intended safe online spaces are being used. Dark Posts a digital form of direct marketing that enables advertisers to create and distribute advertisements tailored for narrowly selected groups of people to only and exactly those groups of people. These advertisements only appear only in the newsfeeds of those users and do not appear anywhere else (these are also known as unpublished posts) The marketing rules as mentioned in the WHO article don't actually allow companies to directly advertise or promote these substitutes through traditional advertising or even through direct media using the companies own page in some countries. The grey area of dark posts and user generated content has somehow created a loophole that the law hasn’t yet accounted for. User generated content pieces feed off the trust built within communities or influencers allows this prohibited content to come off as genuine. User generated content when genuine just act as reviews that influence a new consumer of the product being sold. With the rise of social media, giveaways, competitions and the simple rise of content creators begins to blur the lies of where the reviews are genuine. A few standout points from the report include: Research conducted by Hastings and colleagues quoted a BMS marketing executive, who said that his company “is always on a quest to find ways to identify women who are pregnant for the first time … first time mothers are the holy grail” These data can also be used to strengthen BMS marketers’ capacity for “building faux-friendships rather than making an overt sales pitch: ‘we want to build a relationship with you as a mother, we want to support you, we want you to see us as an ally and we want to subtly insinuate ourselves as your friend and support in a healthy pregnancy and a happy baby BMS companies routinely establish virtual support groups — known— often products — that consumers do not even know that they need, usually do not need and may cause harm. Moving away from the topic of breast milk. Why are companies infiltrating online safe spaces? Online spaces come as a form of release for many, there are many platforms where sharing our wants, hopes, disappointments are becoming more common. As an avid tik tok user, I have come across many deeply personal stories that are often debated on twitter to be considered oversharing. If companies continue to infiltrate these spaces and use the information to promote products they want us to need. In terms of health related content this has a great effect on things like types of contraceptives used, vitamin supplements that may be no different and even skewing our our outlook on health and disease. As an avid sharer of health news and promoter of science engaging with the community, this comes as a disappointment. As content fills the internet we are becoming more sceptical of “the norm” and more people seem to be receptive to alternate ways of doing things. In some cases this can be community finding that final solution, but in the mix can be brands manipulating people who lack the time or patience to stop and ask “ do I really need this”. If anything this blog post is a sign to pay more attention to the things recommended and #EndExploitativeMarketing. Will there be a change in Legislation? It’s all fine knowing what you are exposed to but the internet and ads aren't something you can always control. Further to my shock and horror I just hoped something was being done. In the UK, the government recently consulted on “ online advertising programmes” - published march 2022 which covered the market in general but also the harms. Something that came up again was regulation of user generated content with indication of speeding the online safety bill to specifically cover this area to tackle fraudulent advertising User generated content is any content—text, videos, images, reviews, etc.—created by people, rather than brands. The report also goes into detail on how different social apps use our data to personalise ads and what level of control consumers have on switching it on and off. No shock that the social apps owned by META: Facebook and Instagram give the least bit of user control. User generated content will continue to grow as a problem for everyday decisions and health based decisions.