Question: what made you want to become a scientist

Katie Pickup answered on 21 Nov 2022:

As a kid I always liked nature and liked watching David Attenborough documentaries. At school when I started learning about cells and DNA I thought it was incredible that these things make up our bodies and we’re basically just controlled by really tiny cells and molecules! I knew I wanted to learn more so I just kept studying it.

Also when applying to university I read a few science books -one was the Epigenetics Revolution by Nessa Carey, and now I work on epigenetics which that book was about!

During university I did a year abroad working in a lab, which I liked but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a researcher forever. After graduating I tried a different job but missed being so closely involved in doing actual science so came back to the lab. I might not stay in lab work forever but definitely would like science to stay part of my career! There are so many different types of science jobs that don’t have to involve lab work!