What did you study at A-level and why did you select those subjects?
Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Biology, and Japanese.
What degree/PhD did you study?
I completed an undergraduate degree in Chemistry, followed by an MSc in Computer Science, and then a PhD in Chemistry/Physics. I began my PhD in the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Department at the University of Oxford, and later moved with my supervisor to the Physics Department at the University of Liverpool in 2021, where I completed the remainder of my PhD.
What inspired you to choose and study your degree subject?
I really enjoyed learning reaction mechanisms in high school and loved organic chemistry—though that ended up being my least favourite branch of chemistry at university! However, I fell in love with working with lasers. I decided to pursue a PhD in a physical chemistry lab, where I could use my hands, work with lasers, and combine experimental work with coding. It was very challenging at first—I didn’t understand anything—but I told myself that if I could overcome that, I could overcome anything.
What is your current job and what do you enjoy about it?
I’m currently a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr Julia Lehman’s group at the University of Birmingham. We study reactions that occur in the dense molecular clouds of space. One of the most exciting parts is working with frequency combs (essentially broadband but high-resolution lasers) to study the chemical species involved. It’s super fun.
What has been your most exciting project?
In the last year of my PhD, I had the opportunity to go on a collaborative research trip to the National Institute of Materials Science in Japan with a postdoc from my group. This was to initiate a new collaboration, and it was an incredible learning experience—not just scientifically, but also culturally, seeing how research is conducted in other parts of the world.
What are your top tips for working in your industry/sector?
Find your support system, and support the people around you. Academia can be very demanding, but being in a supportive and collaborative and supportive environment makes a huge difference.
Any other advice you’d like to share?
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, and believe in the value you bring. These are things I'm still working on—it’s definitely not easy—but we all have something to bring to the table!
Why are you passionate about your career?
In the day-to-day of research, it’s sometimes easy to forget that we really are working at the forefront of science. Being able to push that boundary, even just a little bit, is an incredible feeling—and it deepens our understanding of the amazing world we live in.