Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?
My name is Tea and I’m originally from a small village in the West of Cumbria, just outside of the Lake District national park, stationed perfectly between the coast and the mountains. Due to the small population, I was one of the first people to attend higher education from my village, moving to Liverpool in 2019 to begin my MPhys Physics degree. I have since graduated from my undergraduate degree in 2023, being awarded a First-Class Honours degree and the HWB Skinner prize for the best MPhys Project. As you can expect, the initial move to a brand-new place was scary, but now almost 5 years on since my move, I can say that I fell in love with Liverpool, and it is the place I feel at home the most
Pretty much ever since I could talk, I have expressed that I wanted to be a scientist, the ambition originally taking root with a desire to be a marine biologist, fascinated with the idea of discovering something that nobody else had (as a child I thought it meant I get to go diving/swimming all the time…). As I became a teenager, my passion for science was directed more towards the physical sciences, with chemistry and physics being my favourite subjects in secondary school. After my GCSE’s, I moved to a specialist engineering school in Cumbria, where I pursued A Levels in physics, mathematics and chemistry, and it was here that my passion for particle physics properly took root.
Can you tell me about your PhD?
I am currently undertaking a PhD in Particle Physics, working on the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) direct dark matter detection experiment, which is based in South Dakota, USA. The purpose of the experiment is to detect one of the most popular dark matter candidates known as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPs. I joined the Liverpool LZ group during my final year of my MPhys degree, conducting my master’s project within the group, which I enjoyed so much I decided to continue with the group for my PhD.
My research has been focused primarily on developing accurate position reconstruction within the LZ outer detector. The implementation of this into the LZ outer detector would allow for reduction of background rates in the detector, in turn reducing our dead-time. My methods of investigation have included machine learning, more specifically the use of convolutional neural networks, in addition to a similar method which is utilised for position reconstruction in our liquid Xenon time projection chamber.
What are you enjoying most about your current research?
Seeing my own skills strengthen and develop through my PhD so far has been amazing and has helped to massively boost my personal confidence. I can already notice the big difference in my computational skills from when I first started and now, even though I am only a mere 10 months into my 4-year journey as a PhD student. Being able to learn new skills in addition to developing pre-existing skills has been extremely rewarding; notably I have been learning and applying machine learning techniques to my research, already achieving fantastic results through its implementation.
Another highlight has been being able to travel and meet other physicists, both within my collaboration and outside. Seeing first-hand the incredible research which our collaboration is conducting is inspiring and exciting, and highly motivates me to keep pushing myself to keep learning and to become a better physicist in the field of dark matter.
What attracted you to physics?
I was hooked on physics from the moment my A Level Physics classes began focusing on the Standard Model of Particle Physics, I was fascinated by learning about the fundamental particles which constituted our Universe and how they interacted. My excitement regarding particle physics was only strengthened when given the opportunity to visit the home of particle physics, CERN, in 2018 with the rest of my physics class.
I also had two incredibly passionate teachers in physics, and I would never have pursued a career in physics without their input to my education. The quality of their teaching and their passion was evident in everything that they taught, always going above and beyond to ensure our education was concrete. It was for the first time in my life where I felt like my teachers genuinely cared, and that in turn boosted my own academic performance and passion for physics, igniting the desire to become a particle physicist.
Why did you to choose to undertake your research at Liverpool?
Coming from a very small and rural area, I knew that I wanted to get out of Cumbria, despite its beauty, and live in a city. As many northerners do, I wanted to remain in the north of England for my higher education, but still get the proper university experience. I chose to move to Liverpool and pursue my degrees’ here due to the involvement of the University in many major particle physics experiments all around the globe, in addition to the smaller scale of the city seeming less daunting in comparison to other cities. It’s also convenient to hop on a short train journey home whenever I miss my dog a bit too much!
Conducting my master’s degree here made me fall in love with the city of Liverpool, it is quite possibly one of my favourite places on earth, and I am still discovering things which make me love it even more. I have met so many amazing people throughout my undergraduate degree, some who still live here, in addition to experiencing working with an amazing research group during my master’s. For me, it seemed like a no-brainer to continue living in this city and study within the Liverpool LZ group whilst gaining my PhD.
What challenges have you faced if any and how were they overcome?
I am autistic, and was diagnosed at age 18, after it first being highlighted at age 16. I struggled my entire way through my younger education, there rarely being a day where I made it through school without intense difficulties. As my teachers didn’t know or understand that I was autistic, I was often just seen as being a troublemaker, rather than someone who was struggling navigating a world not made for the way my brain functioned. Unable to function as well as my peers, I was often removed from my classes, resulting in me missing vital aspects of my education, achieving mediocre grades and being told that I would never succeed in life by my teachers.
Receiving my diagnosis shortly before moving to Liverpool was life-changing, it finally meant that I was able to receive support which would have supported me throughout my younger years. The support which I received throughout my undergraduate degree changed my life for the better; I finally felt as though I was able to exist and function among those who are neurotypical. The support received allowed me to flourish in my undergraduate degree, reaching my ultimate potential and achieving grades which I didn’t ever think would be possible.
The diagnosis additionally allowed me to understand myself more as a person; I no longer had to spend every single day pretending to be someone I wasn’t and masking my true-self, and since that point, I have enjoyed every aspect of life a bit more. I am a massive advocate for neurodivergent people and a proud member of the Physics EDI Champions. I have found that campaigning to make the world a better place for myself and other neurodivergent people has helped me overcome my own personal challenges.
What is the support at the University of Liverpool like?
As already stated, the support which I have had in both my undergraduate and postgraduate degree so far has improved my education massively. The department disability contacts are fantastic and have always done everything in their power to support me and ensure that suitable adjustments are in place. Whether it has been for a quick chat or a more in-depth discussion regarding my disability, I have always felt supported and heard, regardless of issue. Without the support I have received, I would have been unable to complete my undergraduate degree and continue to a PhD.
What do you hope to go on to do after graduation?
As I am only just coming to the end of my first year of my PhD, I am still unsure about the road ahead once graduation comes around. Given my passion and love for dark matter and particle physics, I think I would like to continue climbing the academic ladder and remain conducting research in the field.
I would love to be able to travel around the world and experience new cultures, so I think that my next step post-graduate would potentially involve leaving the UK, continuing my career in another country, or taking a small break to experience the world!
What parts of your experience do you feel have been unique to you?
I think that a lot of my journey throughout my undergraduate degree, and now in my PhD, has been very unique simply due to being me autistic. I’ve often struggled to relate to many of my peers throughout my studies, mainly due to my struggles being rooted in my disability. For example, receiving rest-breaks and extra-time in examinations throughout my undergraduate degree often made me feel like I was cheating the system, even though these were reasonable adjustments for the way that my brain functions. Although it is normal to suffer with imposter syndrome in the field, I feel as though at times it is especially heightened through the lack of other autistic women showcased in physics for me to relate my experiences to. These are other reasons why I am such an advocate for neurodivergent people in physics; I want everyone to have the tools to flourish in their research despite their disability, which I know often feels like an additional boundary stopping us from reaching our full potential.
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