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Name : Ramota Adelakun Current Title: PhD Student A levels/ equivalent : Biology, Chemistry, Maths Undergrad and post grad degrees: Bsc Biological sciences (medical biology) with a year abroad Msc – Tropical disease biology Journey in 3 Words: Exhausting, Liberating, Fulfilling What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I have always been fascinated by how people work, it led me to my undergraduate degree and it was here I developed more of an interest into the disease side of things rather than the bodies response. My interest still holds and I want to help translate academic science into something than can be understood by the masses. This is an updated career profile. You can read more about Ramota's Msc journey : Tropical Disease Biology Msc Career Profile and her Year abroad experience Briefly describe your research interests: I am interested in the intersection between biological and social science and science policy development and implementation. My PhD is looking at arsenic and bacterial contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh, and the influence of evidence on developing appropriate health policy. The last time I interviewed you, you were “thinking” about doing a Phd. How did you find your current programme?: I used findaphd.com to narrow down my interests and see what sort of programs existed. Based on that I also identified where I wanted to complete my PhD, and what sort of research I would be happy doing. I did a lot of research on how programmes work and easily determined I wasn't interested in pursuing another masters. I was interested in rotational programmes that would give me a chance to explore further than my previous degrees. My current program offered me all of that. Do you wish you took a break between your Msc and Phd?: Sometimes, and that is mostly because I am exhausted by academia. But i also know that i work best with momentum - so continuing straight on was the best way to ensure that i would actually complete a PhD. What advice would you give your past self?: Stop worrying about what will be, keep doing what you enjoy and the rest will follow Work- Life Balance: I am a big advocate for work life balance, there is no reason why we should come and kill ourselves for work/academia. I ensure that I always get two days a week off. This could be the weekend, or one weekday and one weekend. It just depends on whether i feel like working on particular days and what my work load is like. I also ensure I take University closure days as times off. I dont attend any online meetings and I rarely respond to emails that require me to do immediate work unless I’m letting them know they’ll receive it after the break. I also work hours that suit me best, but ensure I get 6-8hrs sleep. This could be starting at 12pm and finishing at 6pm mostly uninterrupted. What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance?: Rejection can for the most part teach you what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes rejection is a game of chance, but a lot of the time you simply weren’t the right fit at that right time for that particular thing. Figure out how to re-invest what you want and find the next thing that may fit infinitely better. I also believe that what’s meant for you will never miss you. What do you do outside your direct Phd work and how has that shaped what you plan on doing in the future ? Outside my PhD, I am the founder of the UCL Black Doctoral Student Network. This is a community I fostered in the summer of 2020, to give students the opportunity to relate to one another in a safe environment. As part of this role, I am also curating our first public network event! I have also taught as part of the Brilliant Club, translating my research to Yr9/10 students and showing them what is possible. Furthermore I work as a Teaching assistant, and assist with any other side projects I have the opportunity to dip into. All of these things has helped me to realise my passion for sharing knowledge, and partaking in really good research. I’m excited to see what the future has to bring. Sign up for the UCL Black Doctoral Student Network : Teach me Like I am 5 conference : Friday 4th June 2021 This one-day conference will showcases the talents of Black Doctoral Students across different departments at UCL. All presentations will be developed to be communicated to a non-specific audience. It is inteneded for all audiences. Everyone is encouraged to sign up ! When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision?: This is hilarious because about 98%. I work hard and believe in being paid for the value of the work I put. I don’t believe I would work in a Job that doesn’t acknowledge that monetarily. Outside science how would you describe yourself: Introvert, avid tv show binge watcher and all round lover of life and food. To keep up with Ramota you can follow her on twitter : @TheRamota This is an updated career profile. You can read more about Ramota's Msc journey : Tropical Disease Biology Msc Career Profile and her Year abroad experience

How does the public perceive science? When I started this in 2020, I didn’t think I would still be this interested in the topic. I am slightly obsessed with science but in the 12 months of the pandemic I have tried to understand the balance and how much understanding should be expected of the public when it comes to health. In trying to understand this, I use myself as an example and try to look at other fields I do consider equally as important: finance and politics. I'm not that engaged and do I have the basic knowledge every adult should have? Is science made to seem inaccessible and deliberately confusing and complicated? After a year of immunology and public health at the forefront of discussion, has this changed public perception of science. Where do scientists stand and how do we better engage outside of the conventional outreach activities that show science is “fun”? In my first survey with 149 respondents people were more on the fence and had a lot of hesitancy around vaccines and pharmaceutical companies and it would be especially interesting to see how this has changed. So I’m doing another survey : Public perception of science 2 survey. Lets talk about my thoughts in this area: What do I think people are concerned about? Are vaccines safe? After a year and millions of people given at least their first doses and further rollouts. Safety questions around the vaccines won’t just go away. While I believe my immediate circle both personal and online are pro-vaccine many people are on the fence. The safety of the vaccine has been questioned for many reasons and I have seen sci commers and scientists fight hard at trying to understand the facts. Social media guidelines now indicate vaccine safety and links to official organisation posts. At the start people were very much concerned about vaccine safety, the false links with autism, lack of representative studies including minority populations. The truth is looking outside the UK , many trials were quite representative as they included a range of different countries . More than 400.1 million doses administered . Of those vaccines, the most controversial has been the Oxford/Astrazeneca (OX/AZ) vaccines. With many European countries haulting rollout before further confirmation from EMA of its safety. On a positive side,people tweeting their side effects form the vaccine has most likely reduced hesitancy around the vaccine. We cannot forget about the amazing work done my many communities in translating work and what does this mean for trust in science. Science has confused us. The Oxford/ Astrazeneca has perhaps been the most confusing vaccine. Following on science twitter and news headlines. Has it been science that has confused us or media headlines mixed with politics. The science hasn’t changed much and neither has the general opinion but what has changed is how government and media choose to use the information and when to share “facts”. The oxford/ Astrazeneca group in my opinion had an amazing start to the vaccine with the best video online explaining the process of vaccination. But it seemed after that things took a turn for the confusing. The battle of OX/AZ against Europe. It is not recommended for over 65s in Europe and now the controversies around blood clots. While the WHO and health organisations consider it all to be safe. T I have often felt overwhelmed with information and news of new variants sending a deep panic. This has left the question of have I just overcomplicated things and want clarity of every detail or has it left people fatigued to even read about the news and altogether just avoid the confusion? Variants,Variants, Variants ! How can this affect the future ? Variants are the main attention looking forward in this pandemic. What we know is that they lead to decreased vaccine efficacy. Knowing this, would it be useful to have a guide on all the variants that is easy to check or does knowing that the world could change just cause further anxiety. The next few steps in understanding peoples relationship with important science news is gauging what the appetite for it is. This next question might seem quite random but it was a question I often found myself asking even with all the research I did. Do people actually understand what the main aims of vaccines are? This has been an interesting concept. Has the talk around vaccines offered a false sense of security . A maskless society by June seems a bit ambitious but we will not find out until that time comes. Vaccines are mainly made to stop deaths and the standard is a vaccine with greater than 50% efficacy is considered a good vaccine. While I am not an immunology expert. We can see that vaccines with an efficacy of 95% tend to make the other candidates look incredibly poor or subpar and making people a lot more hesitant. This is a huge problem for many European countries with the fears of it being less than. We are living through an era of scientific development that shows the power of great focus collaboration and years of groundbreaking research. Can too many options be a problem? Has Covid-19 shown what scientists across different fields deal with on a daily basis ( this is really what science is about and shows how scientists have to continuously challenge their thoughts when presented with new information ) The information about Covid-19 is forever evolving and I see that has contributed to public controversy in not wanting to believe scientists but this is an accurate insight into the world of science. Science and medicine are different. Science is innovative and pushes boundaries there is usually just general consensus on how things work and people are trying to push boundaries and add to knowledge which can lead to change in a consensus opinion in a field. So with science its not that it is a lie it is that people really don’t know. To the public… i don’t know is a confusing but probably the most honest thing you will hear out of the mouth of a scientists. “ I don’t know” from a scientist should’t be scary How has all of this changed public perception of science? The points have just been my observation and so I would really appreciate if you take some time to answer this second survey -> Survey should not take more than 5minutes and will go into completing my public perception of science project. The results of the last survey have already been published and the results of this one will be added !: Public perception of science

A very detailed guide on how I wrote my dissertation I have always enjoyed writing and in both degrees I did well in my final projects. Writing in science although technical at its core, it is telling a story and ensuring your reader understands the main points. In this post I outline my thought process while writing my MSc thesis. I have included a link to shared doc that you are free to use as a checklist for your writing. If you do use it, let me know what you think and feel free to dm/ email me to discuss your writing goals/ struggles. TCIM RESOURCES: download guide on writing your thesis/ dissertation A long piece of work can be very intimidating. My BSc dissertation was 6000 words and MSc thesis 10,000 words. For context I have only written work that involves direct experimental analysis so this blog post will be most useful for students in a similar place, although the structure can be applied across fields. BSc dissertation title: The soluble erythropoietin receptor (sEpoR) is expressed in mouse models of obesity MSc dissertation title: Speckle tracking echocardiography: A retrospective study using pre-capillary pulmonary hypertensive patients The beginning. Before I start any piece of work, the word count is extremely important for me. I am a very concise writer so it keeps me in check of getting to the word count. With the word count in mind, I begin to roughly allocate numbers to each section. Examples: BSc 250 words for my abstract 1500 for my Introduction/Background and literature review this can be extended to 2000 1500 for my discussion of results and a conclusion paragraph The rest is split between my methods and results. MSc 250 words for abstract 2500 -3000 for Introduction and background 2500 for discussion and conclusion The rest is split between methods and results What is included in the word count and what style of referencing ( figure legends are usually not included,citations are included) Note any deadlines: Project report, project update, project presentation, draft deadline and full deadline: As you write, think of sections that will make sense for posters/ presentations. Create a timeline for the work I have to do with dates. I tend to set a personal deadline at least a week before the official deadline for big pieces of work. What is the assessment criteria and what do I want to achieve? What are the sections I need ? ( check your university criteria). Use other thesis as examples to get and idea of a structure you want to follow The general sections needed: Title, Abbreviations, Acknowledgements, Abstract, Intro/Background or literature review, Aims and Objectives, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion . Lets break it down further I usually write my sections independent of one another when it is in the very early stages and put it all together at the end of my writing process. Now let’s break down the sections Background/ Intro/ Literature review When writing your background. You start very broad and then slowly narrow this down into the specific focus and finally the importance of the topic you are writing. These are just a few questions you can ask yourself and start to answer What are the main topics of my title? What is essential and needs to explained ? What is the main focus of my project ( what has been done in this area) ? What additional benefit does my project add to the current field ? Additional notes:How can you visualise the information in this section. Can you make a figure for these sections. Can you add a table or flow chart for your literature review?. Your literature review can be tweaked as you read more papers so don’t hold on too tightly to the first full draft that you write. You won’t cover everything in a few weeks. You have till your submission deadline to perfect this section. Methods Write the methods as you go along with either conducting the experiment or research. Sometimes you have to think of your method before writing it. Use other papers as a gauge for what method is best and keep notes of any alterations you made and which papers you specifically followed These are just a few things to think about when writing your methods: How was the data collected ? What is your plan for analysing the data ? Is there an industry standard method that you need to reference ? What specific equipment did you use ? Results Before you write your results, you need to analyse your data but to analyse data you need to have an understanding of the outputs you want from the data. So have a structure in mind when looking at your data. What information can I get from my data? How do I want to present my data: Images, can this be quantified? - graphs what is the best type of graph? Statistical analysis-> Do I understand the statistical test? Is it the appropriate test and what software will I be using to get my results? If you are doing an experimental project in person. Two important questions: What do I expect from my results vs what did I actually get and the final column of what does my result mean. Were there any problems during data collection that may affect your results? -> how are you going to explain this: missing data, sample size and more Now the actual results Using your table from before: What results do you actually have How are you going to explain your results. I try to stick to the same format to explain results. The structure you present your results will depend on what you actually did. My structure: Heading of results: Statement of result:more detailed explanation of results. Is there a figure for these results? Making sure the figures and results section matches. My results follow a simple structure: What did I do, what did I find, did anything go wrong or look strange that needs a simple explanation. Some can be kept in the results and deeper results mishaps or explanations can be kept for the discussion. You are meant to STATE your results and not really explain them. ( I say this with a pinch of salt as it is the writing style I prefer) How is the data presented ( table / graph). What does the table describe? What does the graph mean? What is the overall finding from the results. How can you describe this in further detail? Two examples from my dissertation Bsc Msc Discussion This is the hardest bit to write. I usually think of any discussion points as I write up my results. As a rule of thumb anything that I don't understand how to explain becomes a point in my discussion. Your discussion can also be split Make it a story. Spilt the main findings of your results into different headings ( Limitations and conclusion). I did this for my MSc. Your opinion and view based on the literature ( this is where you analyse each point). State the result -> where does it stand ( is it with the general consensus, does it stray away?).You can have a whole section for limitations or sprinkle them as you go through. If your results are all quite different, don’t be scared to add extra heading to make buts flow better and read well ! Thinking points in my discussion Is it common and follows what is in the field ? Is it not common but has been stated in another paper? Is it not found in any paper ( this is where I throw the novelty statement where it looks like something good) ? Is it a big anomaly that can be explained due to data collection or machine error ? Is there work that already builds on this point and offers an alternative reason? Cant find anything to explain your results -> is it wrong or novel ? Examples of discussion headings BSc MSc What were the aims of your project and what did you find ! -> Break down the key results and begin to expand. Add headings by contextualising your results and explain them in relevance to your work and the field. What went well and what could have gone better. Where do your results skew or agree with information and what does that mean? Future perspectives, limitations and conclusion! Review: I wrote all my sections separately and once I had a good rough draft I put the sections together with the references all together! This is when I focused on formatting and line spacing and reading the sections out loud. Sending to people and leaving some time for it to sit Have I read it out loud? Annotate your work as you read it out loud-> I had things like “hate sentence structure”, repeated, don’t understand and sounds ugly. Be brutally honest with yourself, Read your work like you weren’t the one that wrote it. Do I have at least two people to read over my work ( Non-specialised for grammar and specialised to understand flow and critique ie good enough subject background) Use the Resource I made when checking over your work : Download TCIM writing resource This is a very detailed overview and personal to me. In writing people don’t share what they do and I hope this can help someone, no matter what stage of writing they are at. Furthermore it may seem like I did everything to plan but really I wrote my entire MSc project excluding my introduction in 10days ( I wouldn’t recommend it) but as a student you can really do anything under pressure. The only pro to writing in such a short time was, I was hyper focused on my work so I knew exactly what to do and didn’t have to get myself up to speed with bits of my writing Major con: I had writing fatigue and didn't even want to look at my work for a few weeks In addition to this, I watched YouTube videos and attended the writing course from my university to make sure I had the right idea of what standard was expected from me ! Its a long process to produce a piece of work you are proud of. In both cases my work wasn’t published but for my undergrad achieved 72% and MSc 85%. So don ‘t worry about your work needing to be published. If you liked this post, let me know and feel free to drop me questions about writing problems you may have. BASIC OUTLINE TO GET YOU STARTED :VIEW HERE If you got this far please fill out my survey . In my first survey with 149 respondents people were more on the fence and had a lot of hesitancy around vaccines and pharmaceutical companies and it would be especially interesting to see how this has changed. So I’m doing another survey : Public perception of science 2 survey.

On the 23rd of March 2020, I actively started following Covid-19 headlines. Since then my research has grown way more than I had initially thought.I have learnt a lot about infection, immunity, public health and the pandemic response. The place of science in society is slowly being redefined as a result of the pandemic. It gave me time to fully realise what science meant to me and was the birth of my first big science communication project: Public perception of science. I started this journey simply talking about what a vaccine was quite early on and then expanding that through what clinical trials were. This grew into combatting information on how the public perceives science, videos on wrongdoings of science and how to hold said system accountable. Multiple lockdowns later, the growth continued: trying to predict what the new normal would be through IG lives, podcasts and even more twitter conversations. In that time so much has been learnt and there is still so much more. One year on,how people receive information, what is considered urgent and important is still being debated and will probably form a new area of research or focus for the next decade in preparation for the possibility of another pandemic. This blog post is a reflective overview of what has happened and where things are going. “ pandemic is a contagious infectious disease that has spread to multiple geographic areas or continents. The term “contagious” implies that the infection can be transmitted person-to-person, either directly or indirectly. Covid-19 and the year 2020 is one for the history books. With more than 121 million cases worldwide and the unfortunate deaths of which many could have been avoided. This is not something that can be skimmed over. Covid-19 has claimed more than 2million lives which is comparable to other epidemics such as the Russian Flu and Asian Flu. The only virus that exceeds the death toll is HIV Aids with more than 25-35Million deaths from 1981 to present. The Covid-19 numbers do not include the many families that have further been affected by the loss. This is why, comparing this disease to the common cold will be one of the biggest communication and misunderstandings of the Covid-19 pandemic. As things begin to look better in some parts of the world, it is easy to talk of the pandemic like a thing that is slowly becoming a past issue. It is still new, meaning there is so much to be learnt in terms of long-Covid-19 sufferers and what society would look like moving on. It has led to a strain on many already struggling systems leaving more people with other diseases even more vulnerable and burning out an entire workforce. For some people, coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is sometimes called post-COVID-19 syndrome or "long COVID"- NHS website Even though we are a long way from “normality” , there have been many strides through science in getting some populations to a better position. At the start of the pandemic we had no idea how and what the best tests were. Testing capacity and options greatly changed and increased . The main two are the standard PCR test and now widely used Lateral flow test.Pharmacological interventions were also highly debated, Chloroquine and the controversy behind it , magical juices or remedies were also a point of conversation. Treatment and management of Covid-19 is at a much better place than it was before. With great strides, comes new questions, with the biggest and most important for the future being: Do the vaccines stop or reduce transmission of Covid-19 Do the vaccines stop or reduce transmission of Covid-19? A big question on transmission that led to extreme lockdowns around the world. While the data around vaccines reducing transmission is promising, it hasn’t been set in stone. As time goes by and more people are vaccinated, the picture will get clearer. For now, let’s take a look at real world evidence and different approaches ( with and without vaccines). Looking back to the source:Wuhan,China. From extreme lockdowns to control and keeping cases down have been an incredible example to the world on how to handle an outbreak even if in the early outbreak things weren't perfect. Some countries were able to show great strength in public trust and compliance leading to control of the disease without the need for vaccines. These countries include: Australia, Taiwan and more. Their strategies and success have fully been outlined in a previous blog post: The world can handle Covid-19. Outside of lockdown measures, vaccines have been fundamental in changing the course for many countries especially the UK and US showing huge decrease in cases and deaths that they were not able to control with lockdowns. These two nations like many others will probably not look at a zero Covid approach but instead look for an “acceptable” range like other countries have done and manage the disease accordingly. In a recent press conference where prime minister and advisors were asked in their approach he stated "There is therefore no credible route to a zero-Covid Britain or indeed a zero-Covid world. And we cannot persist indefinitely with restrictions that debilitate our economy, our physical and mental well-being, and the life chances of our children” - BBC How have vaccines changed the trajectory of Covid-19 ? To date, just in the UK there are several vaccine candidates available with more in the process of approval across the world. To keep track you can find INFORMATION from different vaccine trackers below Vaccine tracker Bio-render vaccine tracker To understand what life could look like, again we need to look at other countries that have been leaders in vaccination rollouts and have started to open up. There is overwhelming evidence that the vaccine rollout has had an extreme positive effect on lowering the amount of covid-19 cases and deaths. In Israel there has been solid proof on the effectiveness of the vaccines “ Jab has 97% efficacy against disease and death and 94% against infection without symptoms” having vaccinated 55% of their population with at least a single dose. “ Another country to look at is the UAE, exceptional leaders in vaccine trial participation, rollout and keeping the country open and even at one point the safe haven for British tourists. This is what you find UAE had max reported cases of approximately 1500, following the influx from the UK, cases rose to approx 4000 and is on the decline now .Deaths have remained below 20 per day! Reported deaths increased in Jan- Feb of 2021 ! but are still quite low.The UAE has also been one of a few countries to provide booster shots for individuals with a lower immune response. This is especially important when looking at the effects of booster shots as new variants arise and the vaccines become less effective against them. Life in Israel and the UAE are somewhat normal. I could go on to compare the US which is also has a fantastic vaccine rollout , but for the most parts, many states have been somewhat open and without a single national lockdown. The US is an interesting backdrop for vaccine rollouts and once things settle down, will make for an interesting country comparison if it hasn’t already been done ! By looking at countries outside the UK, you get a real sense of what life and normality could look like. While there isn’t time to look at every country and every region, the new normal worldwide will continue on as some countries join those in an open society and some unfortunately continue to battle with the effects. The efforts of the COVAX vaccination scheme are good intentioned but will it be enough for global travel to resume in a simple way? What is COVAX? It is the only truly global solution to this pandemic because it is the only effort to ensure that people in all corners of the world will get access to COVID-19 vaccines once they are available, regardless of their wealth. - Gavi website The threat of new variants spreading and becoming dominant is a major pushback to the strides in vaccine development and rollout ! If there was one thing to look for in headlines as the world opens up, it is the emergence of new variants ! Current vaccine candidates have been tested against new variants and they all show a reduction in effectiveness although levels are good enough to still offer more than the recommended minimum level of protection. The variants reported have been tested against vaccines and to date of writing this post, variants with the EK48K mutation are now known to be more transmissible - what was responsible for the massive rise in cases in the UK. At the time known as the kent variant, now B.1.1.7 . This mutation has also been reported to be more deadly as compared to the original variant that had spread worldwide. When looking through headlines, for now new concern would be further spreading or mutations of the variant that further change the characteristics of the virus and make vaccines less effective. Till then the measures in place will hopefully work ! More recent reports on Covid-19 variants suggest that even though they mutate independent from each other, they seem to follow the same path. "One pattern we see is called convergent evolution, where the same trait emerges in different independent lineages over time, usually as they adapt to similar environments "- Scientific American Looking at the UK, It has currently reported all variants currently circulating in the world to be identified in some individuals. To some extent things are under control and being monitored. What will be difficult looking into the summer is the idea of travellers to neighbouring European countries that have not been as successful in reducing case numbers and vaccine rollouts. While countries like Portugal and Greece look to open up borders to travellers and think about vaccine passports, other nations like France and Germany etc have struggles with vaccine hesitancy around a specific vaccine candidate: Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine. A survey published stated that Less than 50% in some European countries are willing to get vaccinated with some being as low as 36% in comparison to other western countries such as the USA and the UK. Most non-EU( European Union) countries are at least 70% receptive to vaccinations. This would have probably been made worse by the news of Oxford /AstraZeneca vaccines possibly causing blood clots. More than 16 European nations temporarily stopped rollout and some having resumed rollout after the European medical agency declared it safe. The Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine has had a rollercoaster ride in the press and would think things are turning for the better, there is more. Recent reports of the vaccine being 79% effective in trials in Brazil and other places brought joy to the world but these claims have been quickly shut down by private regulatory bodies in the US. This is not to say the vaccines aren’t safe but the data regarding their safety and effectiveness is not being reported accurately in their press releases. It is an interesting thing to witness as the confusion brings about doubt in communities and can easily be used by Anti-vaccers as a way to further propagate their agenda. To date of this post AstraZeneca vaccine is still safe and efficacy reported at 76% - Nature report . Let’s hope there is no more drama. The lack of trust and mixed messages out of Europe shows how trust and politics goes hand in hand. This is why science and politics should always be on the same page, with science leading policy and not the other way round when it comes to important health issues. A recent article outlines how Taiwan was able to achieve great balance between public trust, previous outbreak experience and new science: ‘The West was not humble enough’: Taiwan’s health minister on why Covid brought Britain to its knees Public Perception of Science Survey Link Welcome to the second Public perception of science project from “TCIM” - TheCatalaystInMe. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic I surveyed 149 people and now we're doing it again to see how public perception of science has changed . The main aim of this survey is to understand where people have got their Covid-19 information from and how that contributes to their perception of science as a whole or scientists as individuals. I have no real answer for what I believe the future would look like. Having gone through 2020 and almost a quarter of 2021 it is something you can’t fully predict. The future is very much what you make it. You can choose to loosen your restrictions in line with regulations or choose to wait and see what happens. The pandemic has taken its toll and honestly it is clear people have had enough. While travelling and living a mask free- risk free life like before we knew what Covid-19 was is very tempting but the realities are we have to be aware of the risk of our action. We need to understand risk and benefit: collectively we can get things to a good place by being responsive as situation changes or make it get worse if things do get worse by ignoring red flags for the sake of normality. Whether you stay inside for a little longer or hop on the next flight out, these are a few things you should think about: What are my personal risks Have I been vaccinated ( BOTH DOSES) How many cases are there where I am going and what are the local restrictions Is my travel destination a place that has a had a good vaccine rollout ( think about the additional risk you may pose to people living there) In the event I catch Covid-19, what do I do? What are the potential risks with the activity I am about to do ? Am I feeling unwell after vaccinations: Do you know what you should do? If you enjoyed what I wrote and want to stay up to date with Covid-19 headlines, you can follow across social platforms and for news straight to your inbox, subscribe to the tcim newsletter here: Subscribe to the newsletter If you got this far please spare 5 mins to fill out the survey: Public perception of science 2. Public Perception of Science Survey Link Welcome to the second Public perception of science project from “TCIM” - TheCatalaystInMe. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic I surveyed 149 people and now we're doing it again to see how public perception of science has changed . The main aim of this survey is to understand where people have got their Covid-19 information from and how that contributes to their perception of science as a whole or scientists as individuals.

Name: Rahma Sesay (she/her) Job: Biology/Science Secondary teacher A level: Biology, Chemistry, Religious Studies and Welsh Baccalaureate Graduate degrees: Biochemistry BSc, Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology MSc, Education MA Journey in 3 words: Unsure, Confident, Risk Favourite scientific fact: All humans contain the same number of chromosomes however we have so much variation as a species genetically and physically different. Briefly describe your current role: I am a biology teacher at a private secondary school. I teach biology to students year 7 all the way to year 13. I love the fact the biology is so relatable and it stimulates a range of questions from students Favourite thing about science: I love that science answers questions (to a certain extent). As a child I was very inquisitive and very practical in my approach of things. Science made sense to me, it presented me with answers to my questions and it provided the proof to back it up. What I also love is that what you have learnt previously in the past, can also be disproved by research. So then you adapt, and re-learn the new found information. How has the arts inspired how you teach science? Arts inspires how I teach science so much! science is actually a very visual subject. A lot of the models that are used in science are a scientist's visual interpretation of the research presented especially at a molecular level. I use art as a way to help my students to remember and understand key biological processes and key terms. What did you enjoy the most about your masters course: My own personal growth and my level of understanding. I will be honest, when I did my Biochemistry (BSc) degree, most of the time I felt like I was doing the work but not truly understanding the topics of the modules. It was not until my 3rd year when I did my dissertation( the effect of treatment of breast cancer between pre- menopausal and post-menopausal women.) things started to click and make sense. So when I did my MSc in cancer Cell and Molecular Biology I felt more confident going into the course because I really understood the science behind it. What advice would you give someone wanting to follow the same path? Do not be afraid to ask for help and be vocal if you do not understand. Once we get to university there is this expectation that we will understand things straight away. However, that is not the case. One of my biggest regrets was I suffered in silence during my first degree. While I got a good grade in the end. It could have been better if I seeked help earlier. Also teaching is an amazing profession you get to inspire the next generation to have that same love for science that you once had as a student, so do not discredit it as a career option after a science degree. You have three degrees, what advice would you give on choosing a university and the right course for yourself? Research the university, look at the feedback they have received with regards to the course you want to take. If you know what you want to do after university, see if that university has links to help you with your future plans. In every journey, there are highs and lows, what are some of the lows you’ve experienced and how has this shaped your path now? As mentioned earlier, during my first degree I struggled with part of the course, and it affected my confidence especially when those around me seemed to be thriving. For a while I did not enjoy the course as I felt like I did not get it. To put this into context. I was a high achieving student in secondary school. I was used to getting things the first time and working independently until I understood it. This phase of my life taught me to be patient, to be vocal when I do not understand something and then that everyone learns differently and at a different pace so do not compare yourself to everyone. You run an amazing platform called sesaysaysso! What inspired this and what do hope to achieve with this? I wanted to make biology accessible for my students and for parents who may want to help their children, but do not have a biology background. The podcast can be listened to at anytime and each episode only lasts about 10-12minutes. When I teach I draw a lot and always have ideas in my head of ways to help students remember things. So instagram allows me to promote my biology visual images to help students remember key biology facts. Outside of science how would you describe yourself? I describe myself as an Introverted extrovert. At first I am shy and reserved but when you know me I am quite weird and outgoing. I am into traveling, drawing, photography and cycling to name a few. Keep up with Ramha Instagram Resources

Author: Nomhle Ngwenya Profile (South Africa) I was born in South Africa in 1996 and I am considered part of the ‘born-free’ generation in the post-apartheid era. I am also part of a vibrant African youth that is actively seeking to create changes and advance development due to the injustices of slavery and colonialism that are still stemming on the African continent. Growing up I was fortunate to have been raised by parents who had access to opportunities to create a better life for themselves but to ensure that I was also equipped with the necessary resources to fulfil my highest potential. A key part of this was my education and I am the first person in my family and generation to have advanced my studies to the level that I am at. One of the things I have always appreciated about my education has been my exposure to STEM related subjects such as science. It is through science that I discovered my passion for an understanding of climate change and the impacts that it has for developing regions such as in Africa. However, science still needs to transform in South Africa as historically black people were excluded from any STEM research or careers during apartheid. Aligned to my interest in global development is not only climate change but it is the narrative of who is representing the stories told about climate change and other STEM related issues. The biggest challenge I have faced in my academic journey is the lack of representation of young African women in STEM in South Africa. This comes down to societal and cultural pressures that young African women are faced with such as being expected to marry at a certain age or be pressured to have children. These are issues that I as a young person still encounter on a cultural and societal level. If novel solutions for Africa’s development is to occur, it is important that young African females are given an opportunity to participate in global development issues and are not excluded based on race, age or gender. These issues are linked to inclusion, transformation, diversity and gender equality which are issues that still needs to be addressed in a country that is still reeling from the consequences of apartheid, 27 years later. As a young scientist and researcher, I am interested in has been around exploring low-carbon technologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa as well as the important role of emerging and innovative climate finance to facilitate the energy transition. South Africa is in a very unique position in terms of climate change strategies as there needs to be a swift transition towards a low-carbon society which is essentially dependent on moving away from the reliance on fossil fuels where coal mining has been the backbone of the South African economy for decades. Whilst government and business leaders as well as policy makers decide how to handle this transition, carbon capture and storage may hold the key to achieving near and medium-term greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Central to this is the need for the country to seek alternative financing such as green bonds in which I am one of the few scholars in the country and continent that has researched and explored green bonds as an emerging climate finance mechanism. Get to Know Nomhle A levels/ high school equivalent subjects: In South Africa we do not necessarily do A levels but I went to an all girls private Catholic school (IEB level). I did the following subjects: Geography, Maths, Life Sciences (Biology) - I think those are the relevant ones. Graduate degrees - B.A (Majored in Geography and Sociology), Bsc Honours (Geography), Final year PhD (Geography and Environmental Studies) Phd Title - The role of institutional frameworks in promoting green bonds to finance carbon capture and storage in South Africa Brief Phd description - South Africa is amongst one of the world's highest carbon polluters and carbon capture and storage is one of the low-carbon technologies that the South African government has included as a mitigation strategy. However, this technology is highly capital intensive and financial resources need to be mobilised. South Africa has seen several success stories of green bonds and my research analyses how green bonds can also be extended to finance carbon capture and storage. Importantly, this needs to be supported by the necessary institutional structures such as clear government mandates, policies as well as frameworks to successfully implement this. What motivated you to pursue a career in STEM? - Growing in a developing country such as South Africa, I realised that pursuing a career in STEM is one of the biggest stepping stones to being at the forefront of ground-breaking discoveries that can contribute to the country's growth and development. There is also still a need to motivate young black girls to enter such fields as there is a lack of representation. Fun fact about your field ? - Elon Musk and Bill Gates who are amongst the world's richest people are very interested in funding feasible carbon capture and storage technologies. Journey in 3 words - Rewarding, tiresome, joyful Enjoyed this? Don't forget to subscribe to the TCIM Newsletter

When you talk about contraception. In many cases women are at the forefront of discussions and while there have been huge strides in medical advancements there haven't been many around male contraceptives. Women have many options but you cannot say the same for men. This unfortunately leaves the burden of preventing pregnancy mainly on women. In this post, i’ll focus on two review papers that discuss the current findings in relation to male contraceptives. A review paper is a document that summarises key scientific findings within a specific research area. What are the main options for men? There are only two methods of contraceptives for men Condoms Vasectomy To fully understand the difficulty in making male contraceptives or the delay in the production of male contraceptives we have to understand what makes a good contraceptive. Simply put a good contraceptive will stop sperm being present in the semen. The active agent for child production is sperm so therefore we need a contraceptive that leads to lower or no sperm production. The scientific term for this is Azoospermia ! Azoospermia is the medical condition of a man whose semen contains no sperm. How have the developments in male contraceptive methods achieved this? Review 1: Reversible Inhibition of Sperm under guidance ( RISUG) Date published: 2020 Bench to bedside scale: closer to the use in the clinic. In phase 3 trials and waiting for approval in India. Single country study, therefore limited but its success could change things globally! Overview: In 1979 Prof Guha a well known surgeon developed a method called Reversible Inhibition of Sperm under Guidance (RISUG). The procedure has been in the process of development and implementation for close to 40 years. During the procedure a liquid( insert name) is injected with the aim to block sperm movement. The authors describe the process as follows “RISUG® forms electrically charged precipitates in the lumen and further layers the lumen wall and inner walls of vas deferens. Precipitates are dominated with positive charge creating an acidic environment. Passing through the RISUG® injected vas deferens, sperms suffer ionic and pH stress, causing acrosomal damage, rendering them unable to fertilize oocytes” In a very simplified form, the vas deferens is a tube like structure that carries the sperm. Like many process in our bodies, there are optimal conditions and this means that changes to these processes can affect the outcome. The RISUG method changes the environment of the sperm thereby damaging them and making then unable to ferilize “eggs”. It doens’t change how future sperm will be produced but only sperm that is on its way through the tube ( vas deferens). Vas deferens: serves to transport sperm cells RISUG was developed by Prof Guha. In India, sterilisation is a commonly used method of contraceptive. Sterilization is usually done to women, leaving men with little responsibility. In an aim to level the playing field the RISUG clinical trials in India serve as huge strides and in the field of contraceptives. Now we’ve had a looked at how it works and why it was developed. Let’s dig a little deeper into the process and real world evidence of the procedure. Clinical trials as we have all seen due to covid follow a pattern. It initially starts with proof of concept, showing the treatments works in animal species. Common animal models include: mice, rats, rabbits and pigs. In the trails of RISUG rats, rabbits and monkeys were used. Following animal trials and proof that the procedure is safe, small scale human trials were conducted to further prove safety. In the RISUG trial, phase 1 trials the participants underwent the procedure and were then followed up for two years post procedure for any clinical complications. Where participants had partners both were confirmed to be sterilised. What is sterlisation? Sterilisation is a permanent method of contraception, for people who don't want more children, or any children. It works by stopping sperm from meeting an egg After proof of safety, proof that it works and actually prevents pregnancy was done in phase 2 studies, alongside studies to determine the appropriate dose. In Phase 2 studies, 12 men were given the treatment and women were not sterilized or on any form of birth control. In this study, only a single pregnancy was reported. The child was healthy and following that success phase 3 trials were conducted ! The Phase 3 studies were proven to be very effective with a failure rate of 0.98%. Participants also reported no side effects and benefits from the treatment were 92.6% effective after 2 months and increased to 96.7% six months post-procedure. Review 2: Male Contraceptives: Where are we going and where have we been Bench to bedside scale: Phase 2 clinical trials ( small group size before expansion to phase 3 studies) So we’ve had a look at a minimally invasive procedure as a contraceptive now lets move on to hormones. The previous method - RISUG looks at targeting the transport of sperm cells. This paper published in the BMJ focuses on hormonal methods of contraception but I will specifically look at the gel based method that got a bit of press in 2016. This is a gel and was talked about quite a bit on the press in 2016. The gel is now in phase 2 trials which is the actual effectiveness stage.This method focuses on the hormonal conditions that are needed for sperm to be produced, by changing these conditions, Azoospermia is achieved. Azoospermia is the medical condition of a man whose semen contains no sperm. So what happened in clincial trials. The results showed a decrease in sperm concentration. This approach focuses more on the targeting specific pathways in sperm production to achieve azoospermia. The authors summarised their findings as follows “ A nestorone-testosterone gel (NES/T) has recently entered an international phase IIb clinical trial -> There was a significant decrease in sperm concentrations in the NES/T group despite the duration of treatment being only 4 weeks, and no differences in psychosexual measures between groups or from baseline. “ In summary, the gel did work in the small group it was tested on with encouraging results although the study had a short treatment period of only one month. In terms of side effects. It was successful with relatively few side effects and common to those women usually complain about and no effect on men suxual desires from baseline. The most common adverse event was acne (21% of subjects, mild in 16%, moderate in 5%) without differences among treatment groups. Changes in sexual function were reported by four subjects (4%). Subjective depressed mood was reported in one, depression in two, altered mood in one, and mood swings in three subjects. Insomnia was reported in 6% of subjects. Headaches, reported in 17% of subjects, were high Finally, How do men actually feel about this. Agenda aside, men from surveys held were pretty receptive to the idea of more contraceptive option. So even with the positive attitude, pharmaceuticals are still walking the fine line in developing a product that has adequate demand. So to end will you consider either of these contraceptive methods? To stay up to date with future posts. Follow on socials and subscribe to my newsletter !

Name: Adama Saccoh ( she/her) Course/ job: Cardiovascular Imaging Research Assistant/ Technician A levels: Biology Chemistry Maths Economics Undergrad and post grad degrees: Bsc Medical Physiology Msc Medical Ultrasound ( Echocardiography) Favourite science fact: humans don’t taste spicy food but feel it and its because our pain receptors are activated. As a spicy food lover it just shows I like pain lol ! Shoutout TRPV1 Journey in 3 Words: Confusing, Hard, Passion-driven What motivated you to pursue a career in science: I find the human body incredibly fascinating. I remember learning about the heart and circulation and that just stayed with me. I liked learning about how and why we worked. It did start by me wanting to pursue medicine which I have written about: Dr or else. My curiosity is what has kept me in science ! Briefly describe your role and course: I have described my Bsc in a previous post: Bsc Medical Physiology. In summary that course was everything about the human body and had bits of neuroscience, physiology, pharmacology and genetics. It was the perfect foundation for learning different processes in the body at a ‘basic science( cellular and molecular)’ level. My Msc on the other hand was very different and was focused on imaging of the heart using ultrasound ( Echocardiography). It was clinically focused on the presentation ie diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. My final year project involved using relatively new software to track changes in the right heart of pulmonary hypertensive patients in order to predict their chances of death and or hospitalisation. Finally my role as a cardiovascular imaging assistant uses skills from both my undergrad and postgrad. I mainly use ultrasound to follow preclinical models of cardiovascular disease and treatment methods. 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. Do you have a career plan? What is it? Why do you do what you do? I have a rough idea of what I want to do but I have strayed away from having a solid plan. I made The Career Plan series for my blog as my “plans” during my Msc year were more or less stepped on. I am leaning more into what I enjoy but also having clear goals on where I want to be and constantly checking in with myself to see if things have changed. In short if i was to describe my plan I want to merge my love for science, learning, design and communication in everything I do ! Whats your favourite part of your job: 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 ! Work- Life Balance: I consider “work” as everything I do that involves my actual brain power and attention.My white board deserves all the credit here. Ever since I started planning out me week ( EVERY SUNDAY) It’s allowed me to fully think about what I do.This led to the blog post: Am I do too much or too little. By planning out my week and also overworking myself ( which isn’t good) I have realised when I need breaks and what is a realistic time frame for me. I don’t think you can ever really perfect the work-life balance as it is a difficult scale but having check ins and some form of a gauge of what you do and setting boundaries with yourself make it easier to not feel like you’ve lost control all the time. I have also started using notion ( I know I am late to sort of map out ideas and have less random notes everywhere). What is most important when choosing a masters degree - biggest lessons learnt A masters degree should only be done when you feel the timing is right. It should be in something you are passionate about ! It is genuinely hard and academia will always be there so if you need a mental break you should definitely take one! This is something I wish I did and in part why I didn’t rush any Phd applications. I needed time to pause and enjoy the moment I am in. Another point is don’t focus on the general ranking of the institution and instead really pick apart the course you want to do. Compare the modules of different universities and make sure you are getting the most of what you want. Finally, put your all into your degree. In my undergrad I shyed away a little from how much I liked science. Fully immerse yourself into your course not because of the grades but its a lot of time and effort and you want to be proud of what would be a very challenging year. Why didn’t you go from a masters to Phd? Truthfully I wasn’t in the right environment lol. It wasn’t something I was avoiding but life happens and I guess it said “not yet”. The academic system isn’t the best and you really need to be supported to do a Phd or be in a good mental space to push yourself ( which I wasn’t) - See Academia is the ghetto What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? Rejection is just inevitable. I would advise having a coping mechanism. Personally I assume rejection in every application process even though I want it ( it doesn't make sense but it helps me deal with it) Perseverance: If you're not doing it for yourself then stop. It's easier to stick at something when you are doing it for you. Not looking at external recognition, that way if a mad man tells you that you can’t do something it really won’t phase you at all ! When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? The final decision to do my masters was made based on salary. I knew NHS jobs paid well and with the potential to start at band 6 ( £30,000) I was sold. Later on through my course I would say I realised it just wasn’t the right fit for me and that’s when money couldn't even motivate me. For my overall career as that is a journey, salary will always be a deciding factor but passion and mental peace will rank higher than the pay. I do work in academia right now so I am still figuring out how to make the best of my skills to earn what I want because I know it is possible! Outside science how would you describe yourself Ha ! Outside science I do more science lol ( this blog) . But outside of that I really just enjoy the most stupid things and proudly binge netflix shows. I am all about leaning into things that purely spark joy The best way to stay up to date with what I do is stay subscribed to the newsletter! Follow on socials. I am everywhere. LinkedIn: TCIM Careers Twitter:@catalystinme_ Instagram:@thecatalystinme

Name:Jennifer Dominic (She/Her) Current role:Transitioning from a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) to a Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Managing Director of a Pharmaceutical company A levels/ equivalent :Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Maths Undergrad degree:BSc Bioscience Favourite science fact: An individual blood cell takes about 60 seconds to make a complete circuit of the body What motivated you to pursue a career in science I have always thrived in subjects that allowed me to understand the world we live in. Developing scientific knowledge and understanding the theory which underpins this really helps to acknowledge the potential of science to improve and help lives. With clinical research and human biology specifically I have been able to be part of some of the greatest advances in science and human history. Journey in 3 Words :Unique, Complex, Informative Briefly describe your role CRA( Clinical Research Associate): The main function of a CRA is to monitor clinical trials. A CRA reviews study progress, the quality and accuracy of data collection, compliance of patients to trial visits and assessments, and investigational product accountability, and will ensure good clinical practices are maintained throughout the trial and offer direction when needed. During a trial, the CRA conducts regular site visits—virtually and physically—to ensure proper progress and record keeping on the part of the clinical site. CoS( Chief of Staff) : In general a CoS works with the leader of an organization and their leadership team. I will be working behind the scenes to implement strategic initiatives, support the leadership team solve problems and deal with issues before they are brought to the managing director. Often chiefs of staff act as a confidant and advisor to the chief executive/managing director, acting as a sounding board for ideas. Ultimately the actual duties depend on the position and the people involved. What transferable skills do you use from your degree now in your job Regardless of the role you work in within my current field the core skills are all regularly utilised in everyday life as a student on most courses particularly science based courses. Communications, teamwork and collaboration skills will always be critical skills to communicate effectively and work with others (think group work!).In addition, analytical skills in my previous role were used almost daily to interpret patient information and data. This was to ensure they are eligible patients to be enrolled into our clinical trials. Why didn’t you go for the option of further study and what advice would you give an undergrad wanting to follow your career path? It was a very difficult decision for me that was very much influenced by my experience whilst working as a lab researcher for my university. Through this my passion for science intensified and so did my ambition to want to contribute to healthcare which led me to a career in clinical research and 5 years later I am currently looking into what postgraduate degree options there are to further my studies which support and complement my career so watch this space! When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Salary was a factor but not a huge one. My whole career path to date has been focused on roles that have allowed me to gain a wealth of experience! Making sure I was well equipped for roles that would grant me growth, as this is key to achieve my future career ambitions. You run an amazing platform called Wenite - how do you maintain balance with your main job? Great question! Maintaining balance is key for peace of mind - I try my best to implement barriers and boundaries to make sure I have sufficient time for all elements of my life: family, faith, friends, Wenite, career goals, etc. Some weeks are great and other weeks I can do better but I am committed to establishing a strong equilibrium in my life! Last year with Wenite I decided to operate a bit differently as I found that it was taking a lot of mine and my team of 2 at the times’ time. Since then we have increased the team size to 9 and outsourced as much as possible. This new structure has allowed us to innovate more, increase efficiency and with lower time commitment. Spreading the workload between the team has allowed me to draw on shared passion for science with a highly talented group of friends that I have worked or interacted with in my own personal life/career journey. What advice do you give in terms of networking and how have you gone about building meaningful connections? Networking is key - this is something we see and hear about all the time and as cliche as it sounds it really is important to network ‘authentically’. I have always enjoyed meeting new individuals and sharing ideas/thoughts, especially through my involvement in groups of interest such as the Women of Colour in Pharma, I was able to connect with women who inspired me, empowered me and understood me. What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? To deal with rejection and perseverance, its important to fall back on your support network, who’s primary aim is to help you achieve your personal or professional goals. The network does not have to be large and it does not have to be limited to your friendship. Find people you connect with that allow you to feel vulnerable and share, vent, express your feelings to them. Most of the time they won’t be able to do anything but often they empower you to be able to cope with the stresses of life best! Outside science how would you describe yourself ? Serioholic - I love to binge watch shows! Connect with Jennifer Instagram:@jenniifer_xx & @wenitestem Twitter:@oluwajennii & @wenitestem Linkedin: Jennifer Dominic & Wenite Wenite

Name Dr. Stephanie Hayden-Adeyemo ( she/her) Current Job Title CEO/Founder- at The Learning NoMad LLC Undergrad and Post grad degrees Bsc Biology/Chemistry Msc : Pharmaceuticals PHD:Advanced degree: Teaching and Learning Favourite science fact: Virus are non-living · Journey in three words Resistant, steady, and determined · What motivated you to pursue a career in science Just the drive and intent of asking questions motivated me to pursue. The intent of creating a new way of thinking and process. · How have your previous experiences played a part in your career path? In a quick summary, All my experiences that I have had whether challenging or serene, led me to the state that I am at now. I first started out studying at Howard University during my undergraduate years in Biology and Chemistry. I later applied St. John's University where I started to pursue a Masters degree in Pharmaceuticals Sciences--Specializing in Pharmacology. In studying to pursue a PhD in Pharmacology, as a primary to fund my education as a a graduate assistant while in my laboratory and also outside the laboratory, I was able to work as teacher in a program called the Brooklyn Bridge Program. The program was geared for those students that did not finish the high school course due to circumstances sometimes beyond their control. I was fortunate to teach them science courses in Biology and Chemistry respectively. It is in this time, I saw that I had a desire and a gift to articulate the most complex topics at the time in the science to more while engaging in a more meaningful dialogue with those learners (who others have deemed not teachable). I was excited and I was more challenged in finding a way to pursue this new passion. I respectfully wrapped my program and went on to pursue the new found respect and love that I had to inspire while educating in the sciences. I then enrolled into a program that allowed for the transferal of course and started pursuing the means to be a credential educator. I did finish and went on in a few years to work on obtaining an advance degree in Teaching and Learning at the post-graduate level. I finished with a few years and proudly defended my dissertation. It was not with great pain at time. I was told that the reason why my journey may have taken some detour was my complex interaction with others. I was amused by the observation; however, in time I would discover what that was coded for--you are young, gifted, black, and bossed woman! This is the sentiment and mantra I choose to move forward with. I know that the world is both fascinated and nervous at the sound of that mantra. We are science and we are here! We have always existed! I know that in my desire to reach those that are tossed aside, I cannot forget to motivate and inspire! When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Salary has never been a consideration for me, I just wanted to have the flexibility to make my own choices and path. Nevertheless, I needed to know that my basic needs were met. Not only that, but the level of respect and trust was essential wherever I landed. You have a wealth of experience in education and mentoring, what advice would you give your younger self/ younger people in science? The one advice that would give is don’t change yourself for anyone. Stay true to what your intended purpose is. · What advice would you give to people looking to network and build genuine connections? Build a connection where you feel you can be the greatest asset. Don’t stress when you are in rooms of rejection. Just open the door and leave. • With over 24 years of experience what drives you now and how has that changed / stayed the same from when you just started? I am more focused on the legacy that I will leave behind. This is what drives me now. When I was younger, I just wanted to pull up more people. This was the wrong approach. I wouldn’t have any strength for myself. Now I understand the necessity for self-care and the art of saying no. · Outside science and education how would you describe yourself I would say that whether I am in the science arena..I am constant in that I am young, gifted, and bossed….as a black woman showing up everyday for my legacy.

· Name - Sheeva Azma (she/her · Current job title - Freelance Science Writer and Lead Writer/Researcher, Fancy Comma, LLC · A levels/ equivalent - N/A · Undergrad and postgrad degrees - BS, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; MS, Neuroscience, Georgetown University · Favourite science fact - Neuroscientists used to think that you’re born with all the brain cells you will have your entire life, but now they know that the adult brain grows new brain cells. Journey in 3 Words - Persistence wins everything! · Briefly describe your role -I am the founder of my own science writing company, Fancy Comma, LLC (http://fancycomma.com). Basically, this means that I spend a lot of my time doing what I love -- writing. As a freelancer, I get to take on work that I like, and I can say no to projects that I don’t think are a good fit. I also get to set my own hours. The flexibility of being a freelancer is amazing! I also, of course, have to deal with the business aspect of freelance science writing. That includes seeking out jobs, as well as performing accounting and other tasks. · What motivated you to pursue a career in science - I have always been interested in science, especially neuroscience. Growing up, I really liked chemistry, biology, neuroscience, and medicine, and so I studied biomedical sciences in undergraduate and graduate school. · How have your previous experiences played a part in your career path. - I was a cognitive neuroscience researcher for over 10 years, during which time I studied the attentional mechanisms of the brain, and the brain’s susceptibility to stress and addiction. My scientific training gives me the critical thinking skills needed to examine issues carefully. 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. · What made you decide to pursue science writing full-time and as a freelancer - I actually wrote an entire article about this! You can read it here: https://www.thexylom.com/post/science-writing-was-worth-it-it-just-took-longer-than-i-thought. · What was the hardest bit about pursuing freelance writing ? and what advice would you give someone wanting to follow this path? - The hardest part about freelance writing is the fact that it can be very isolating at times. Sometimes, sitting in my little writing nook, it felt like I was the only person doing science writing. It helps to connect with other science writers. In today’s increasingly remote world, this is easier than ever. On Twitter, you can chat about science communication and follow the hashtag #SciComm. You can also join the National Association of Science Writers, which holds regular networking events and provides other resources for science writers. Feel free to follow me on Twitter, also! · How do you feel careers in your field have evolved / where are they heading to? - When I was in academic science, many of my colleagues expressed concern that they did not have marketable skills. As a graduate student, I helped organize career panels for people interested in jobs outside of academia -- so-called “alt-ac” careers. These days, so-called “alt-ac” careers have become more mainstream. You can read more about this here. Also, careers in science have never been more important. Science is at the forefront of many global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. · When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? - Salary is an important consideration when deciding on a career. As a freelancer, your income can be inconsistent, so it’s important to have strong budgeting and accounting skills so that you can live comfortably while doing something you love · Outside science how would you describe yourself - I am an avid runner and have run three marathons - The Chicago Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, and the Philadelphia Marathon. To keep up with Sheeva, follow her on socials below Instagram FancyComma Twitter FancyComma Facebook FancyCommaLLC

In this post, I go through the three points of “The Career Plan” checklist - they somewhat relate so it didn’t make sense to split them up. A bit of a longer read but there are natural pauses and you can always come back! Lets begin Do I have all the information I need to make a decision ? I had to make my most life defining career choice in a panoramic ! Not ideal but I survived. Pretty early into my masters, I was already planning my exit strategy, not that I didn’t like it. I just knew it wasn’t the right fit. You know that gut feeling telling you this is where you are supposed to be… I didn't have it.I started missing undergrad life a bit too much for reasons more than the lack of the amazing friendship circle I had built. My lack of contentment meant I started leaning a lot more into my blog for the space of science I craved so much. In many ways tcim has been my clutch when everything seemed like it was going against me. TCIM doesn’t pay so I needed a real world next alternative. So here is how I went about it … What do I already know Who can help Time frame Running a careers blog would make you think it’s relatively easy to solve my career dilemmas but not really, it left me feeling highly confused in how I had made what could be the wrong decision for my future. I knew the end point of my masters and the job that was intended for me but I also had to accept I hadn’t done enough research into the “end” role and that is how I got myself in this position. *insert many breakdowns* As hard as that was, I accepted it and brain dumped all the skills I had developed. Started from my first year of university, blog and knowledge gained during my Msc. While I didn’t hate the content of my Msc the path just wasn’t for me. So what was then? Following on from: How bad do I want it blog post, I knew two things I wasn’t done with basic science I wanted to help people in some way Before completely abandoning my intended career steps I used twitter to reach out to people for advice because I clearly had a gap I wanted to fill. I was lucky enough to have a zoom call with an amazing woman that cleared up a lot of my worries. Really having someone validate my concerns in a time of panic when my course couldn’t provide,was just the support I needed. Reaching out on twitter is indeed very easy and I outline this in a blog post: Networking using social media. After said conversation and a few options laid out. I set it that I needed a time frame to complete this. The time frame had to answer a few questions. How long could I afford to be jobless Was I willing to retrain to fill in the gaps and how long would that take What will get me to my desired goal in the least possible time Although these questions really seem somewhat vague, it really helped me decide. Frankly the answer to all was: I wanted out of education fast. I wanted to do something I enjoyed and felt comfortable with. This didn’t leave me with many options but at least it helped pinpoint what was actually important to me. This leads me into the next question How flexible am I towards my end goal ? The simple answer: I was quite flexible as long as it involved science . With the help of the questions mentioned above, I narrowed my goal to something that excited me and scared me at the same time. The thought of really living with none of the barriers I created in my head for myself! Reminder of my end goals I wasn’t done with basic science I wanted to help people in some way If my Msc year had gone how I had intended, I probably wouldn't have been as flexible. Going through complete confusion or rather a better understanding of academia allowed me to narrow down that I wanted to still pursue academia but it wouldn't happen in the picture perfect way I had imagined because academia is the ghetto: see blog post ! Okay now the end and what really matters What happens when things don’t go to plan? Before my medicine rejection( now 4 years ago). I had never thought of a back up plan. Because why? I am amazing and how could anyone not want me. Well sad reality, shit happens. To date “nothing” has really gone to what I “planned” So I started incorporating a mental back up plan and thinking of things I could enjoy. Being 100% honest my back up plan if I didn’t get a job within three months was to just go sit in Sierra Leone for as long as I could, maybe start a Youtube Channel and focus on graphic design skills. These all tie into my bigger goal of helping people and growing tcim. Weirdly dreaming up this alternate reality that solely depended on me helped relieve some anxiety. I had something to look forward to if things didn’t go to plan. This is me talking from a very comfortable place of zero responsibility. In other situations where time isn’t on your side and an escape is just not an option. I really believe in giving yourself a limit on the days you can be FULLY sad. Sadness comes in waves and will sometimes never go away but we can try our best to limit the days these emotions overwhelm us. Plan a pause in the application cycle or repeat the points from the beginning of the blog post - dust yourself off, restrategise ! Coincidentally, most of my science journey has not been intentional and so far I am okay with that, so things not necessarily going to plan somehow works itself out.