What’s next for you in this area?
I enjoy being involved in education and research, so something under that umbrella.
What do you see as the strengths of our Faculty? What makes us distinctive?
As the Wellcome PhD Programmes Manager, who works with many faculties, I see the thesis progression monitoring committee structure as a strength in FoLSM. I think it supports students and supervisors in a helpful way.
Briefly, tell us about your background and career up to this point?
I’m originally from the States, but I moved to Exeter, England in 1993. After completing A levels part-time while working at Debenhams, I then worked at a biotech company for two years so that I could study Medical Biochemistry at Glasgow University as a home student. After that, I went straight to my PhD, investigating telomeres in keratinocytes, at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research (Glasgow, UK). I spent six months at QMUL in London before a two-year post-doc in Boston at Harvard Institutes for Medicine with Dr James Rheinwald (the guy who figured out how to grow cells in culture during the 1970s).
I returned to London in 2010 and spent the next six years at home with my daughter (an 8p hero), learning all about physio/occupational/speech and language therapies to support her development. When she started school, I was hired as King’s first Wellcome PhD Programmes Manager in 2015. I have been in this role for 10 years now and I am still thoroughly enjoying it 😊.
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
When you are very tired, call it a day. If you carry on you will make mistakes and be overtired tomorrow, much less productive and in a low mood. Recognise and respect your limits.
Do you have any current projects that you’d like to tell us about?
Having taught my daughter how to read (against the odds), I am keen to develop a programme/app that makes this easier and more fun for children and adults with learning disabilities. I just need to find the time…
What are you most looking forward to in the next academic year?
As the Wellcome PhD Programmes are no longer recruiting students, we enter a different phase and I am looking forward to organising lots of aspects (e.g. SharePoints, finance) and getting things prepared in advance of the end of the awards.
What is your favourite thing about working at King’s?
I have found King’s a very supportive work environment and that helps me be at my best and deliver in my role. The email from King’s at the start of Covid-19 lockdowns telling us to prioritise our health and families was fantastic leadership – I don’t know how I could have continued working without that acknowledgement of circumstances and acceptance.
QUICK-FIRE:
Favourite season: Autumn - I love wearing jumpers, the cool weather and the rain and wind.
Favourite book: My favourite read in the last year was Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman.
Most-used emoji: 😊
The quality you value most in others: Kindness