International Women’s Day 2018

Hannah Lennon is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Manchester. As a statistician, she develops and applies statistical models to health and medical data to uncover patterns in diseases, for example identifying the associations between obesity and cancer.

1. Had you always wanted to pursue a career in this field?

I have always enjoyed maths but at one point I wanted to study to become doctor.

2. What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I get to research medical sciences while doing maths and statistics. I most enjoy that I am constantly learning and becoming involved in very different health-related projects. One of the best parts of working in science is the excitement of finding something new, reproducible and real, and that what you do may contribute to our understanding of health and disease.

3. What advice or inspiration would you give to young women who are thinking about a career in STEM?

One of the most important things is to decide what you want to do. Focus on applying for roles that you are interested in, not the roles that most students with similar backgrounds go for. Oh and go for it!

Sarah Fox is a Patient and Public Engagement and Involvement Officer at the Health eResearch Centre (HeRC) in Manchester, part of The Farr Institute for Health Informatics. She acts as a bridge between the centre’s researchers, patients and members of the public.

1. Had you always wanted to pursue a career in this field?

Until last year I spent most my time huddled in a cramped lab with no windows working as a systems neuroscientist – researching how our brains process the sensation of touch. But I’ve always come to life when talking to people about science, what it is and why it’s so important, so moving into engagement and involvement felt like a natural side step.

2. What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I get to be a fly on the wall, listening and learning about a huge range of research projects. It’s absolutely fascinating to learn about such diverse and important work, then to help distil the essence of these projects into something anyone can connect with. I also love working with such fascinating people, you can’t underestimate the insight and depth patients and members of the public bring to this field– when partnerships are managed correctly the output can be amazing.

3. What advice or inspiration would you give to young women who are thinking about a career in STEM?

It’s not just for someone else! If you have a spark and you enjoy STEM take the leap and give it a try. I can’t lie, it’s hard work but also immensely rewarding and it can lead you down a huge range of exciting career paths.