• Question: What has been the most challenging part of your job so far/

    Asked by anon-177049 to Andrew, Daniel on 9 Jun 2018. This question was also asked by anon-177043.
    • Photo: Andrew Singer

      Andrew Singer answered on 9 Jun 2018:

      I doubt any research scientist would disagree with the reality that research has very high highs and can have many low lows. The most challenging part of being a scientist is experiencing a long series of lows and keeping your eyes focused on the horizon. I tell myself something which I learned from Dory in Finding Nemo…seriously, I do…it’s written on the whiteboard in my office and has been there for about a decade: ‘Just Keep Swimming’. To me, this means, no matter how hard times get, no matter how lost you feel, no matter how depressed you might be about how things are working out, just keep doing what you think is the right thing to do. With hard work and some luck, it’ll be enough to help you recover.


      Enjoy!

    • Photo: Daniel Marsh

      Daniel Marsh answered on 11 Jun 2018:

      As a scientist working with both industrial partners and regulatory bodies I have lots of great ideas that would bring real health benefits to many people giving them a better quality of life and for some, a longer life. The biggest challenge that I and other scientists face is getting funding to carry out the research to create the evidence and prove that these ideas work. There is no central pot of money and the government does not fund our research even if it would significantly reduce their other costs such as within the NHS. I am currently part funded through the Mayor of London (GLA) and this has allowed me to carry out research that will benefit many Londoners as well as people living in other UK cities through sharing of information.

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