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October
2004
 Job
Title and General Description
Research Scientist, Microbiologist
I work in a lab that focuses on pathogenomics. We study how
pathogens and hosts interact on a genomic level. I spend my
time doing some bench work in the lab but mostly, I manage
results that others in the lab have produced and keep up with
new information.
What specific skills and qualities are
needed to do your job?
I need to have an understanding of the specific characteristics
of various pathogenic bacteria. The research group that I
am a part of look to me for advice when designing studies
that involve a specific pathogen. You have to be able to take
disappointments well. There can be long periods when you are
trying to optimize an experimental procedure and during these
periods there will be times when nothing works. A really valuable
personality trait is to understand that your value as a person
is in who you are, not in what you do. This has enabled me
to survive the difficult times.
What do you like most about your work?
I love the excitement I feel when I discover something new
about the way a bacterium interacts within a host, whether
human or animal. There is still so much for us to discover
about the ways they circumvent our host defenses.
What don't you like about your job?
I can be impatient when I have spent a number of weeks/months
and still don't have any answers to a specific question. You
have to learn patience as a scientist.
Where do you see your career going from
here?
I am becoming more involved in a leadership role. It's inevitable
that I will get less and less time at the bench and more time
mentoring and supervising junior members of the research team.
What is the range in salary that comes
with your job?
$65,000-80,000 for industry and around $50,000 in an academic
position. When did you know you wanted to work in sciences?
During my first experience in a laboratory. I had to perform
my first Western Blot and was so excited waiting for the result
that I couldn't sleep all night. Somehow, a light goes on
for me when I'm looking at the result of an experiment.
What is your educational background?
I have a BSc in Applied Biology and a Ph.D in the molecular
genetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent
of tuberculosis. I was raised in England and did my undergraduate
degree in the University of Hertfordshire. My post-graduate
studies were carried out in the National Institute for Medical
Research in London England which is a government-run research
institute. The degree was awarded by University College, London.
What was your favorite course(s) and why?
Genetics, and Energetics and Metabolism, both from my BSc.
Understanding how genes are regulated continues to fascinate
me. From bacterial genes to human genes the mechanisms involved
in turning genes on or off or into tumbling cascades of up
to 25 genes is for me a whole universe of information. As
for energetics and metabolism, processes such as photosynthesis
or the Krebs cycle are so beautifully orchestrated that I
just loved studying them as an undergrad.
What other hobbies and interests do you
have?
I am a mountain biker, skier and hiker.
Do you have any advice for young people
thinking about getting into your line of work?
Network, Network and Network. You have to be prepared to talk
to people. Find the best in the field you are interested in
and talk to them. There is nothing scientists like more than
an opportunity to talk about their work. View All Scientists
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