Dr Emma Yhnell
Cardiff University, School of Biosciences
Neuroscience
How did you get to your current position?
At school I had a real love for science. I was incredibly fortunate to have fantastic teachers who supported and challenged me during my A-Levels and ignited my passion even further. When it came to apply for University places,I was sure that I wanted to study science, but choosing which course and which scientific angle I found really tricky.There were so many options!In the end because I had enjoyed both Biology and Chemistry at A-Level I plumped for a fairly safe bet of combining the two and studying Biochemistry. I looked around lots of Universities but the one I felt most welcomeat was Cardiff.
In 2009 I started my Biochemistry undergraduate degree. After three fantastic years, a detour into studying cancer biology and a summer project looking at the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification alongside manyotherfantastic experiences, I graduated in 2012. I loved studying and the next logical step for me was further study. Realistically, I knew that I couldn’t afford the cost of a Master’s degree, so I started applying for PhD programmes. After a lot of rejections, I was finally successful and secured a place in the Brain Repair Group investigating Huntington’s disease. As my academic career progressed, time seemed to speed up and before I knew it I was writing up my PhD thesis. Something which I had realised during my PhD wasthat I could use my skills to educate, encourage and inspire others to think about science. I grew my experience in science communication, public engagement and public and patient involvement in science.
The end of my PhD was a particularly challenging time for me. I was coming to the end of my PhD but in the gap in between submitting my thesis and having my viva or end exam seemed to go on forever and I felt like I hadn’t achieved anything!I was desperately applying for funding to continue my research but I wasn’t having much success! Eventually,a charity believed in me and I was able to translate my research into the clinic to work with patients and families impacted by Huntington’s disease. I then secured funding from the Welsh Government through Health and Care Research Wales to undertake a prestigious three-year fellowship to continuemy research. I was so grateful that a huge organisation believed in my research and my ideas. There was also a strong element of public engagement inmy fellowship. I was able to visit schools, speak at festivals and write articles which made science accessible to diverse audiences. At the end of my fellowship I was able to secure my first lecturing position.
I started my current role as a Lecturer in the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University in September 2019. Shortly after joining the School, by position was made permanent which really was a turning point for me. In my opinion, fixed term contracts are far too common in academia and for me personally, they had really taken their toll. I am really happy in my current role, it is sometimes challenging, it can seem overwhelming but I am incredibly fortunate to have the most phenomenally supportive colleagues, and that makes all of the difference.
Who inspired you to a career in research in STEM?
It was initially my school teachers who inspired me to undertake a degree in science. Once I was at University and during my PhD it was my supervisor Professor Stephen Dunnett who inspired me to continue my research career. Steve was passionate about science, but most importantly he was
supportive and allowed me to make mistakes, to test out new experiments without being overly concerned if they were to fail and to be guided by doing what I enjoyed. My parents also inspired me to pursue my career and they continue to inspire me to this day. They are supportive, always willing to help and they still don’t understand where my interest in science came from!
What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?
At the moment I teach undergraduate students across the School of Biosciences. I am continually fascinated by the questions that they ask. I’m not afraid to admit when I don’t know the answer and some of the questions that students ask are absolutely awesome!
Another thing that I love about my work is that every day is different. Some days I will be teaching all day, other days I will meet tutees and help them with their studies, providing pastoral support or career guidance. I might be chairing meetings, researching information for a lecture or writing an article. Through my public engagement work, I might give radio interviews, deliver public talks or blog on my website. There is an incredible amount of variety in my role and that is great as it brings new challenges and opportunities.
If you could change one thing in the scientific culture right now, what would it be?
I would change how horribly competitive academia and the scientific culture is, so that kindness, collaboration and diversity are truly valued and appreciated. All too often science is rewarded on an individual basis, which can create a competitive and toxic culture. Science also has a problem with diversity, for far too long science has been dominated by white men and this is bad for absolutely everyone. We need positive action so that the scientific community can become more diverse and if this works effectively, I believe that the scientific culture will undoubtedly improve for the better.
Can you share more about yourself, what do you do outside your research, eg hobbies/other?
I love my job, but sometimes it can be overwhelming, so I think it is absolutely vital to protect time for yourself so that you are more than ‘just a scientist.’It is really important that we are viewed as people, yes we are scientists, but we are people as well. The trouble with research is that you could literally work 24/7, 365 days a year and that is not healthy. If I come back to my work having had a break,I feel refreshed and I can sometimes see things from a different perspective and that can be invaluable. Outside of my work I’ve recently taken up yoga, I love to bake (and eat!) and I spend a lot of time with my two rescue cats, Peter and Peggy.