What is it like being a scientist?
Honestly, it’s great. Some days you have breakthroughs, other days nothing works! But it’s all part of the challenge. I really enjoy being in the lab and working with colleagues to solve problems and answer questions. I consider myself very lucky to get paid to do something I love.
What inspired you to become a scientist?
I’ve always been very curious about how the world works, so even before I studied science in school, I was interested. I was lucky enough to have some good teachers, and patient parents too. After seeing the Moon through a telescope for the first time, I was hooked!
What is the best thing about being a scientist/ your job?
The best bit is that you get to do something different every day. I am very driven, but equally, can be easily distracted! I need to feel inspired by my work, and the ever-changing pace of scientific research really gives me that.
If you could go back in time which scientist would you like to meet and what would you ask them?
I think I’d like meet Marie Curie. She is an inspiration for female scientists everywhere! I’d ask her if she could ever have predicted that one of her discoveries (radium) would be used to probe the atom. A discovery which utterly changed the face of physics
What do you do in your free time?
I love to write, so I always have a notebook / laptop to hand. I recently started a part-time PhD, so that takes up lots of my time. I like being outdoors, walking, hiking etc. and I love dancing, mostly street and hip-hop, so I do that as often as I can.
What is the first science you remember doing?
My dad is a retired engineer, so for as long as I can remember, we carried out lots of science experiments using things from around the house. The first “real” science I did was a school project to track / image the phases of the moon over the course of a month.
What advice would you give a school child who is interested in science?
Enjoy it – Do science for the love of it. Work hard – Exams are the stepping-stones to where you want to be, so give them your best shot. Try it – Look for work experience at a lab like NPL; it’ll show what being a scientist is all about!
How would you inspire a child/non-scientist to be interested in the work you do?
Scientists are just like you – we like gadgets, having fun and we care about what goes on around us. Our research reflects that. Nanotechnology has already given us better sports equipment, cleaner bandages and faster electronics. It can even help us answer the big Energy Question!
What’s the funniest/strangest/most surprising experience you have had in your career?
I think it was walking under a Delta-II rocket on the launch pad in Florida - an utterly out-of-body experience. I won a scholarship to work and study at the Kennedy Space Centre in 2004, and spent that day with Boeing staff. I also saw the launch just a few days later!
What discovery or invention could you really not live without?
I always say I couldn’t live without my laptop – it stores my life and gives me access the Internet. But really, the invention I couldn’t live without is the aeroplane – my family are all in Ireland and I really love travelling, so without air travel, I’ve no idea what I’d do!
What do you think is the most important thing yet to be discovered/invented?
It’s not really a specific invention, but I’d like to see a realistic solution to the energy crisis. Solar or wind power alone are not enough. We need more money, focused research and better international cooperation to bring together the “big” solutions and the small ones, like energy harvesting.