What is a typical day like for you? How has this changed due to COVID-19?
Generally, on days when I am at home, I wake up and spend the first hour or so doing my self-care practices (gratitude journal, working out or stretches), breakfast and then start the day. On days when I come into FWB, I occasionally walk home at the end of the day (weather permitting). The changes due to COVID19 have been adding (and sticking to) my self-care practices and of course (as is the case for most people) working from home!
Looking back, what has the pandemic and resulting lockdowns taught you?
I have realised the importance of managing stress, switching off from work and constantly checking in with myself to make sure I’m happy.
Do you have any current projects that you’d like to tell us about?
I founded the King’s College London Fight the Fakes (FtF) Chapter last year following on from the Malaria in Africa: What’s next? Event which I curated and hosted in October 2019 thanks to funding from the King’s ODA Research Partnership Seed Fund (find out more about the event here). Our committee is made up of undergraduate and postgraduate students’ researchers from across King’s as well as King’s alumni. We also have an advisory board. We aim to raise awareness on the global issue of substandard and falsified anti-infective medicines particularly antimalarials and antibiotics which causes several deaths annually globally. If you’re interested in getting involved, further information is available here. We have a lot planned for the coming year and really would like to get interested parties from the School as well as wider King’s involved!
What do you do with your time outside academia?
I have a podcast called Monday Science and a social enterprise called STEAM:ED Collective which keep me quite busy. I started running last summer, I am not fast but I enjoy it and I also play netball.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
The summer!
What is something positive that happened to you in 2020?
Workwise, passing my probation.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
A tough question. I am proud of all that I have achieved to date.