I grew up in Dennistoun with my one-of-a-kind single mother who let me thrive as a scientist from a young age. Some of my first words were always “what when why how”. After school, I studied Immunology at the University of Glasgow where I received an award for being the most outstanding student of my graduation year. Recently, I handed in my thesis for my PhD research focused on cancer immunology at the CRUK Scotland Institute (Beatson). In my final year, I received an award as the most promising PhD student of my year.

I love research but my passion lies in engaging others with science. Allowing science to be accessible is vital for the future of research. To do this I have been involved in science festivals and talks which I have done at schools and for learners in prisons. I also co-host a science podcast, This Is A Stupid Question But…. In 2020, our podcast was Spotify’s 33rd most popular science podcast in the UK. A particular interest I have is improving accessibility in STEM for people from marginalised backgrounds and improving the communication between scientists and the public.

Finally, I have been using my research and creative skills working with GIRLvsCANCER to grow the charity and its campaigns to improve the lives of people impacted by cancer. As well as my work, something I am really proud of is the connections I have made with my friends and family. Having a community around me and making memories with them is something I really prioritise. This includes my ball-of-energy puppy called Toddy!

GIRLvsCANCER charity (1198507) supports people impacted by cancer. My role is to create content on: medical information; charity campaigns; and social consequences of cancer. I also interview people with cancer on their experience, manage the social media channels and help plan the future of the charity.

Between 2017-2022, I also took part in career and science talks and festivals.

Read my PhD women Scotland blog post from 2021, Money makes the academic world go round: classism in UK universities, here.