What is it like being a scientist?
I love being a scientist, I get paid to think. Being a scientist means doing a lot of problem solving: how to test an effect, how to capture some data, how to describe what you've found. I work in clinical neuroscience so the discoveries we make and the techniques we develop have the potential to improve people's lives. The application of science, plus the intellectual stimulation make it a great job.
What inspired you to become a scientist?
It was probably my parents when I was about six. My Dad could explain everything and it set me up for a life of curiosity. Later at University I spent several semesters studying the history and philosophy of science. This humanised famous scientists of the past and made me realise that science is a continuing process - it hasn't ended and if you want to, you can be part of it.
What is the best thing about being a scientist/ your job?
Creativity. Science is about using your imagination. If you want to understand or make something new you need to come up with a new idea or a new approach. Having a job where I'm paid to make up things is incredibly rewarding.
If you could go back in time which scientist would you like to meet and what would you ask them?
I love the old astronomers, especially ones whose work forced us to rethink the nature of the cosmos. I'd like to meet Kepler whose careful work showed the true paths of the planets around the Sun. This lead to the theory of gravity and eventually space travel. I'd like to ask him what he thought his work would lead to; could he imagine its implications?
What do you do in your free time?
I do many things, but mostly I like to talk. My friends and I discuss ideas. Many of us are scientists, musicians, philosophers, artists and most of them have great senses of humour. If I could afford the time and the headaches, I'd spend most of my time going out with friends and getting into heated discussions about some concept or another.
What is the first science you remember doing?
It was during my undergraduate psychology degree, alone in a dark room, surrounded by machines and wires, watching the brain's electrical activity (EEG) on an oscilloscope. I was running an experiment with some guinea pigs. Any sound I made alerted the animal and the EEG would change. I remember thinking that this bright green trace represented the activity of millions of neurons.
What advice would you give a school child who is interested in science
There are so many different types of science, take some time trying out different areas until you find one that really excites you. Remember you can move about in science too if you have the skills and the drive. Also, learn to program: Computers are central to most aspect of science. If you can bend them to your will, you'll go far.
What’s the funniest/strangest/most surprising experience you have had in your career?
There was a time during my PhD when we were trying out a new anaesthetic for guinea pigs. This anaesthetic was gaseous and we hadn't quite figured out the exhaust system - the gas was just pouring out behind a computer somewhere. After an hour or so my colleague's jokes were getting particularly funny and we realised that we were getting more than a little anaesthetised ourselves. We fixed it up a few goes later...
What discovery or invention could you really not live without?
Can I choose two? Music, I couldn't work or live without it. But I guess it wasn't really a discovery. One thing that changed science fundamentally is the Internet. The ability to browse the literature, communicate with peers around the world and search for equipment has been radically changed by the Internet. I like the romantic idea of writing letters to peers in Copenhagen, but really, who wants to wait four weeks for a reply?
What do you think is the most important thing yet to be discovered/invented?
The discovery of extra-terrestrial life. The knowledge that life is common throughout the Universe would fundamentally change the way we view ourselves.