Women and Non-Binary Individuals in Physics

As an introduction, what is your area of expertise?

I work in new materials for future technologies- optoelectronic, electronic, spintronic and quantum technologies. We are particularly interested in how we can use these molecules to tell us information about their environments. If we can make them really sensitive, they could be used for new types of magnetic imaging systems for brain scanning. My interest in molecules started from the physics department at Imperial, thinking about how we can use molecular (“organic”) semiconductors for solar panels. These molecules have very attractive properties for quantum technologies as well. Molecules have accessible quantum states (e.g. electronic or spin levels), that can be manipulated to create superpositions using optical or electrical pulses. They are also inherently reproducible, scalable and operate at room temperature, which is good for engineering quantum technologies ready for the real world. Imperial has great strengths in molecular semiconductors for optoelectronics, and the development of quantum sensors, so we’re in a great place to explore molecular quantum.

Can you describe your path into Physics?

I went to art school for a year at Chelsea and then I did History of Art in Italy. Then I started doing physics at Imperial. I started on a 3-year course but then I had no idea what I wanted to do when I finished, so I swapped to a 4-year course, where I ended up doing a project on materials on solar panels for my MSci project. Both of my parents were medical doctors, so I had no idea that a PhD in physics was a thing, but I realised during my MSci that I really love working with a team of people working together on a scientific challenge. Everyone had a different background, and different ideas, but were working towards the same problem. Everyone was so clever, curious and passionate, so I decided to stay for a PhD at Imperial. But being passionate all the time is tiring, and when my best friends graduated, I realised that doing a PhD can be quite lonely and hard. That’s when I started doing so much outreach!

Academia can be quite tough, there’s a lot of rejection, and you have to develop a thick skin. My viva was two fantastic chemistry Professors, both of whom made me want to stay in research. I thought, ‘this is the best job in the world!’, so I applied to work with both of them. I ended working in the Department of Chemistry at Imperial, looking at how chirality of molecules influences light. It was an amazing mix of physicists, chemists and engineers that made us able to do new technological things that we couldn’t before. In your academic career there will be people who teach you that are so great and supportive and inspiring and they don’t just open the door, they invite you to come in. I like collecting examples of good practice. I have been around people who make me think differently scientifically, in academic discovery, research culture and teaching culture, which is good for everyone in the system.

Can you tell us a bit about your experience as a woman in Physics? Both the good and the bad.

My PhD group was basically entirely men; and sometimes that feeling of being so outnumbered was a bit uncomfortable. I guess it’s the same as at undergrad: sometimes you feel like you have to try twice as hard to be taken seriously. I couldn’t just be okay; I had to be great to justify my place there. There is a massive external pressure that you just kind of internalise. And then in your PhD you have do it more, because it’s not just your classmates but the academic system underestimating you, so you start to over deliver to make sure they don’t do that anymore. When you start doing outreach or being outspoken on diversity, that’s what people start to know you for. I was told I would have to work twice as hard to convince people I was a “proper scientist” and get a fellowship. I think there is an old-fashioned opinion in academia that you can’t do a bunch of different things well, because if you were really good, you’d just do one thing. But doing a lot of different things makes you better, you see the world differently, you find new opportunities. Having different hobbies like being creative makes you better scientifically.

As a woman in physics you can be invited to speak at a conference, then look at the website and realise it’s just a wall of men….and it dawns on you that you have probably just been invited to speak because they were criticised for just inviting men. Sometimes it’s good to call things out, but I have learned that if you go to people with constructive solutions rather than a list of problems and criticisms they are more responsive to change.

Do you have any advice for girls in physics?

To find the thing that you love to research and ask questions about. Use that to guide and motivate your study. Physics can be challenging, but it’s challenging in a really satisfying way because when you find something difficult then you put loads of work in and you finally get it, it feels so great. I would also say to find a group of people that you can discuss your experiences with, the challenges are common and many of us experience them, and there’s so much strength gained from sharing information. And, to know when to take time to check out and focus on yourself a bit.

What are your hobbies outside of university?

I like running and I really love politics. One thing I find interesting at the moment is how to explain complicated topics to different audiences. In the past year we have developed quantum courses for civil servants. We want to see the quantum technologies developed in our labs bringing benefits to society. That means we need the government, industry and investors to get excited too. The intersection of science, policy and advocacy is fascinating. It’s important to keep aware of politics (even though it’s really depressing sometimes!)…and to encourage young people to vote – because we’ll need a pro-science government to protect the planet and people that we love.