When did you begin working at the Crick?
I have held a joint appointment with one of the Crick legacy institutions (LRI) since 2006. In fact I started at the LRI (since 1990) and took on the KCL joint position, so a somewhat reversed engagement. You may be aware that a few years later Adrian Hayday took an LRI joint appointment having started at KCL. So we are rather the grandfathers of the more fluid relationship that has developed with the emergent Crick.
What was the aim of you working there – e.g. sabbatical, research collaboration?
My motivation in joining up LRI to KCL was to enable me to work closer with the medical community. Direct engagement through cohabitation seemed like a good plan.
What is an average day like for you at the Crick?
Right now it is distance working to make sure I am not a headcount that reduces occupancy. So a lot of zooming around and this is true for Crick and KCL activities. For the latter I direct the CRUK KHP Centre at King’s which is largely administrative and strategic. If I were to summarise almost any day it is cycles of online meetings to discuss data, ideas, strategy and actions, interspersed with committees and occasional seminars/chalk talks.
What is one thing you will take away from your time there?
I am not going away as such.
What is your favourite and least favourite aspect?
Generally the toing-and-froing between sites has been hard work at times (I have spent most of the last 15 years commuting between sites daily). However working from home in an all too static environment during COVID has made me realise that my cycle rides across town have been also one of the best aspects of the joint appointment and then of course there has been the science!
What would you say to someone thinking of applying for a staff attachment at the Crick?
Do it! This is a home from home sabbatical in an inspirational research environment.