IW alumni interviews

IW Alumni Interview: Dr Sarah McGlasson

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This is the third in a series of quick fire interviews with Ingenious Women alumni. The Ingenious Women programme has been running in Scotland for eight years and over 130 women have been on the programme.

sarah mcglasson

Dr Sarah McGlasson

Postdoctoral researcher

UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh

 

1) Please describe your professional background and current role. 

Response:

I got my PhD in human genetics in 2015 and since then have been a postdoc gradually moving into neurovascular science and applying genetics and molecular biology to (attempt to) solve problems of human disease. I feel constantly out of my depth in a neuroscience department but looking at questions from a different angle that a neuroscientist may not have thought about!

2) Why did you apply to the IWS programme?

Response:

I really struggled with the PhD to postdoc transition – which also coincided with life changes (I think this is often the case). I felt really lost for a couple of years without the structure and deadlines of a PhD, and any self-belief I had disappeared. I knew I needed to push out of my comfort zone and I applied to the IWScot programme looking for some fresh perspectives and some constructive ideas about how to develop myself and my career.

3) What did you take away from the IWS programme?

Response:

The women that I was lucky enough to go through this programme with are the most inspiring bunch and we have developed a very supportive network – which is absolutely invaluable. It has also pushed me to go on to develop other networks further as it has shown me that a diverse group of networks are really important in career progression and for personal support.

4) What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Response:

This is going to sound a bit daft but the highlight has actually been the fact that I’ve made it this far! There have been so many times that I’ve thought that I’m not cut out for it, and not good enough to keep up, but I’m proud of my stubborn streak that doesn’t let me give up!

5) What three career recommendations would you give to early career researchers?

Response:

  • Surround yourself with good, kind people that inspire you and build you up.
  • Don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides – everyone is fighting a private battle and everyone is trying to put a good face on it.
  • Enjoy what you do – at least the bigger picture. There are a lot of challenges but the enjoyment has to outweigh it!

IW Alumnus Interview: Dr Sophie Shaw

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This is the second in a series of quick fire interviews with Ingenious Women alumni. The Ingenious Women programme has been running in Scotland for eight years and over 130 women have been on the programme.

sophie

Dr Sophie Shaw

Bioinformatician

University of Aberdeen

1) Please describe your professional background and current role. 

Response:

My career path has been an interesting journey so far. I started out completing a PhD in Biological Sciences, working as a wet lab scientist carrying out experiments on the yeast Candida albicans. During my PhD I learnt skills in bioinformatics and in analysis of next generation sequencing data. This was followed by a short post-doctoral research position investigating transcriptomics of the fungus Trichoderma hamatum GD12. This role was 90% data analysis and 10% wet lab experiments, and confirmed for me that my interests lie within the bioinformatics! After this, I took my current position as a bioinformatician. This is a support role working with researchers across the university to help them analyse their next generation sequencing data. As a part of this, I get to run workshops on both a national and international scale.

2) Why did you apply to the IWS programme?

Response:

As a non-academic scientist working within a university, I saw the IWS programme as an opportunity to meet more women at a similar career stage to myself, especially those which had taken alternative career paths. I also hoped to improve my skills in the “themes” of each weekend – creativity, cash and control.

3) What did you take away from the IWS programme?

Response:

As well as taking away a raft of new skills in creativity, negotiation and resilience, the most rewarding output from the IWS programme was the fantastic network that we developed. Over a year later, I am still in touch with many of the women from the group. We give each other advice, provide support, , commiserate each other’s failures and celebrate each other’s achievements. Having a group of like-minded individuals who are facing the same issues, both in their careers and everyday life, is an invaluable resource.

4) What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Response:

Although it is over five years ago, finishing my PhD is still the highlight of my career and my biggest achievement. I don’t think anyone can really prepare you for the challenges that you will face during a PhD, and there is no feeling more satisfying than finally having completed it!

5) What three career recommendations would you give to early career researchers?

Response:

  • Find yourself a mentor. This needs to be someone senior to you, that you feel comfortable being honest with. And who you know will be honest with you! In the toughest times, it is always great to have advice from someone who has already been there.
  • Build your network of peers. Having as many people around you who are facing the same challenges not only helps you to work out your problems, it also reassures you that you are never alone.
  • Never be afraid to ask for help! This can seem daunting, especially to more junior researchers, but knowing when to ask for help is incredibly important at any career stage.

IW Alumnus Interview: Margaret Cunningham

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This is the first in a series of quick fire interviews with Ingenious Women alumni. The Ingenious Women programme has been running in Scotland for eight years and over 130 women have been on the programme.

maggie

Dr Margaret Rose Cunningham

Chancellor’s Research Fellow

University of Strathclyde, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS)

 

1) Please describe your professional background and current role. 

Response:

I started my career as a modern apprentice laboratory technician at the University of Glasgow at the age of 17 where I was based at the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics.  During this time I attended college day-release over a 5 year period to achieve a HNC in applied biological sciences and then a HND in biomedical sciences.  I also completed my SVQ level 2 and 3 in laboratory and associated techniques.  I decided to leave my technical position and continue my studies at the University of Strathclyde where I was a direct entry student into Year 3 of their BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and Pharmacology degree programme.  It was the first time I had experienced pharmacology as a topic and I really enjoyed it so I decided to continue on that track at postgraduate level.  I was successfully awarded an AJ Clark PhD Studentship from the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) and I started my career investigating the pharmacology of surface proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and consequences of GPCR dimerisation.

When I completed my PhD in 2010, I applied for fellowships – whilst unsuccessful, some valuable feedback from the process recommended that I move and experience a research environment outside of the Glasgow area. Looking back, I completely agree with the advice I received.  For my first postdoctoral position I moved to the University of Bristol to work with the Bristol Platelet Group to research platelet GPCRs and GPCR-protein interactions. After 4 years in Bristol, the opportunity emerged to start my own research group through the Chancellor’s Research Fellow Scheme back in the University of Strathclyde. In 2014 I returned to Strathclyde with a Chancellor’s Fellowship where I have a growing research group investigating cardiovascular GPCR function in cardiotoxicity and design of new GPCR molecules as potential new cardiovascular therapies.  Other roles in my current position include lecturer in pharmacology for undergraduate students, co-director of SIPBS Outreach and co-lead of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic group.

2) Why did you apply to the IWS programme?

Response:

When I saw the IWS programme advertised, my motivation to apply was largely to expand my professional network in enterprise and meet new people at a similar career stage.

 

3) What did you take away from the IWS programme?

Response:

The network that has formed since the IWS programme has been excellent and continues to grow.  Several events have been held since the retreat which has kept the momentum going and helped to strengthen the network.  I met so many wonderful people during the retreat and I still keep in touch with many of them regularly and meet up.

4) What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Response:

One of the highlights of my career so far is being elected as an RSE Young Academy of Scotland member recently in 2018.  This is another example of a great network of professionals spanning academia, business, industry and policy etc.  The backgrounds of the members are so diverse with great opportunities to be part of activities that have high societal impact.

5) What three career recommendations would you give to early career researchers?

Response:

  • Don’t be afraid to ask for advice and take the time to find a good mentor.
  • Use every opportunity to meet new people both within and outside your area of expertise.
  • Look into courses that offer professional development training. This could be anything from leadership, project/time/people management to writing, presentation or communication skills.

 

You can follow Margaret on Twitter @MagRoseCun