• Question: this is for all of you guys. do you enjoy your jobs? why did you decide to do it? will you ever move on the a different subject? how do you become a scientist?

    Asked by iluvgok to Charlie, Eoin, Jemma, Julian, Steve on 20 Mar 2011. This question was also asked by mexicanimmagrants.
    • Photo: Jemma Ransom

      Jemma Ransom answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      I love my job! Sometimes it is stressful, and frustrating when experiments don’t work, but when something goes well and you get the result you wanted, this far outweighs any frustration in the pursuit of you discovery. I decided to become a scientist after a summer lab project I did as an undergraduate – I realised how much I enjoyed designing experiments and coming up with theories to explain results. If I ever got bored with what I study now, I would certainly move on to a different subject. That’s a wonderful thing about being a scientist, if you don’t like a project you can simply go and study something else, there’s no need to move to a different career!
      And finally. I came into science via a pretty standard route. I did an undergraduate degree in a science subject (Physiology – the study of how the human body works) and I’m now completing my PhD which is like an extended work placement in which you work in a lab on a project for three or four years, after this you write up everything you have done in a long lab report, and you graduate – Then you are a scientist!

    • Photo: Julian Rayner

      Julian Rayner answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Hi iluvgok. Love my job! Following on really fascinating questions that noone has worked on before, that might also help sick kids, is a really great combination. Can’t see myself moving off malaria either – there is way too much to do.

      I became a scientist by doing a research project while at university. I realised that research was the thing for me, so did what I needed to do in order to make that happen – take a doctoral degree (PhD), then work in labs until I got to run my own lab!

    • Photo: Stephen Moss

      Stephen Moss answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Hi Iluvgok
      Yes, I love my job, I feel incredibly lucky to be getting paid to do something that is so interesting and so much fun. I decided to become a scientist after working in a lab after leaving University, and discovering the excitement of doing experiments. I’ve changed subject a few times within the broad topic of cell biology, starting with cancer, then doing a bit of heart disease, and now focusing on eye research. I’m fairly sure I won’t change again as the current work is going really well. To become a scientist I studied science at A level, did a science degree at University (although I didn’t finish) and then got a job in a lab.

    • Photo: Eoin Lettice

      Eoin Lettice answered on 18 Mar 2011:

      Hi ilugok,
      Lots of questions there! I love it!

      1) Yes, I love it. It’s great fun learning about new things
      2) I really liked science in school and had some great teachers who inspired me to be a biologist
      3) I’m sure i’ll move to different projects, but they’ll probably all be to do with plants in some way!
      4) If you like science, do some science subjects in school, pick a good science course in university and work hard!

      Eoin

    • Photo: Charlie Ryan

      Charlie Ryan answered on 20 Mar 2011:

      hi iluvgok it was great chatting to you the other day!
      Yes i enjoy my job! It isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty exciting, and although difficult, it’s great when the things work! In fact it’s better that it is difficult – it gives you bigger staisfaction when it does work!
      I’ve always had an interest in science – but not really a burning desire to become one. I’ve just followed things that have interested me, and that led me to be a scientist (altho really i’m an engineer but there’s not so much difference really!).
      Will i ever move on and do something different? Well maybe, i think doing the same thing as i’m doing at the moment might be a little boring in say ten years, so i guess i will move on. But i’ll still probably stay in the science field – i just simply enjoy it!

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