Scientists are like sperm...
We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who supported the APSFemwork at our debut event this week – we had a great turnout and the event was a huge success! This was mainly due to the science communication queen that is Nicola Hemmings. The audience were absorbed as she revealed her history - Nicola is currently in her post-doc researcher position at the University of Sheffield, studying the reproduction behaviour of birds. She is also very passionate about taking part in Outreach and furthering scientific understanding through teaching.
Being quite an established sperm-guru, Nicola makes a genius parallel with life as a sperm likening to life as a scientist. The ‘ejaculated’ cohort of undergraduates are the ‘sperm’ attempting to trek their way through the reproductive tract that is academia. Numbers dwindle as the path gets treacherous until only a select few are left to fight over the fertilization of the egg, or secure their academic position. A career in scientific research was not Nicola’s plan from the start, but her upbringing and hobbies have provided her with key attributes that make her an assertive researcher. Even a somewhat unconventional start can lead to the production a successful scientist. Being a keen and competitive horse-rider has been a trait that has continued to aid her throughout her career. She recommends developing a competitive edge, which she believes has opened up greater opportunities to progress within her career. One piece of advice that seemed to resonate with the audience was to run towards your goals without fear – after all, “what’s the worst that could happen?” Misplaced fear can often be the factor which can set you back in most cases, and Nicola is a keen believer that persistence can pay off in the best way.
Nicola’s talk highlighted many crucial topics and gave us an intriguing insight into what shaped her into the scientist she is today. From her childhood aspirations of being a west-end star (though she admits it’s still a dream that she might accomplish in future…) to dealing with the mountain of pressure that comes with being an academic, her talk highlighted that you are often equipped with tackling life’s hurdles by embracing a great work-life balance. If you want to know more about Nicola or find out more tips she has to offer, she has a blog you can visit here. We’d recommend her post on 10 reasons being a scientist is so great! You can also tweet her @HemmingsNicola1
