The British Society for Immunology (BSI) supports scientists who study the immune system as well as ensuring everyone benefits from the knowledge we have about immunology.

I work to engage with the public to spark interest in and strengthen understanding of immunology. This involves developing and delivering all public engagement activities like attending science festivals and events to meet with the public, supporting BSI members’ involvement in this area, helping them to develop their ideas about ways to interact with the public about their research, as well creating materials and resources suitable for all.

The current focus of my work is developing activities and resources to engage with the public about COVID-19 immunology and vaccines, making sure that the expert scientific voice is heard and reaches a diverse audience.

As a student I was interested in science and chose Biology, Chemistry and Maths for my A Levels and went to university to study Biomedical Science at King’s College London. I really enjoyed the diversity of my undergraduate and learning about lots of new and different topics, including immunology, endocrinology, cell biology, and even psychology!

I was fortunate to secure a placement year between my second and third years of study and worked in a laboratory at the National Institute for Medical Research. It was during this year of independently performing lab experiments and writing up my project that I developed my interest in research and decided to pursue a PhD.

I took a gap year after my undergrad and travelled, returning to the UK ready for 3-4 years of a postgraduate course. I was awarded a studentship at the Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL to study retinal stem cells, and I was excited!

However, during the second year of my PhD, my enthusiasm for laboratory research dwindled and I came to realise that academia wasn’t for me and found working in a lab lonely and frustrating.

It was through my PhD though that I came across public engagement in research and discovered the world of science communication and thrived on talking to people about science rather than doing the science! I undertook specialist training at UCL and won funding to deliver my own public engagement project and I loved it!

My background in Biomedical Science gave me the scientific understanding and knowledge while the new skills I picked up during my PhD gave me the practical and transferable skills to pursue a career in public engagement, which is my true passion.

You can find out more about the British Society for Immunology here.