{"id":178,"date":"2023-05-22T10:28:26","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T09:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/lgbtq-brains\/?p=178"},"modified":"2023-05-23T09:36:52","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T08:36:52","slug":"interview-with-sophie-brook-being-lgbtq-is-an-aspect-that-moulds-me-but-its-also-not-the-only-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/lgbtq-brains\/2023\/05\/22\/interview-with-sophie-brook-being-lgbtq-is-an-aspect-that-moulds-me-but-its-also-not-the-only-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Sophie Brook: “Being LGBTQ+ is an aspect that moulds me, but it\u2019s also not the only thing.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sophie\u2019s UCL thesis involves part-time experience as<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0a Research Intern in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial, Division of Neurology. She is currently training to become a Speech and Language Therapist.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Tell me a bit about yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m Chinese and grew up a village in North Yorkshire. I also happen to be adopted, if that made the first sentence any clearer! My thesis with UCL currently has me gaining experience as a research intern within the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial, focusing on data from stroke survivors with speech deficits (a condition known as aphasia). When I\u2019m not there, I\u2019m studying for an MSc in Speech and Language Sciences at UCL hoping to become a speech and language therapist. In my down time, I enjoy painting, going to the cinema, playing piano (and my new obsession, Neko Atsume! )<\/p>\n

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How did your journey into science look like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have to say, it was very unexpected. Whenever someone said \u201cscience\u201d or \u201cmaths\u201d, I\u2019d get a knot in my stomach \u2013 I always used to joke that the Asian stereotypes don\u2019t apply to me. Growing up, I was an artsy kid, and was always encouraged to explore that side of myself, so science was never really part of the picture. After my A-levels, I joined the University of Arts London for my undergraduate degree to study fine art at Central Saint Martins. But I quickly realised it wasn\u2019t for me. So, in my second year, I switched to advertising\u00a0 at London College of Communication, where I met my best friend and creative partner. He was the copywriter, while I was the art director, and we spent a lot of time job hunting together! Unfortunately for us job hunting was nearly impossible. So I switched to working as a learning support assistant at a primary school \u2014 and I loved it! Around that time, I arranged to meet with an old school friend who is a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT); we spoke in my garden, talked SLT things and reminisced about primary school. I warmed to the idea after that chat. Not long after, I searched for MSc programmes, and here I am! My journey into science currently consists of 4-hour neuroanatomy lectures, dense with Latin, and watching YouTube videos of people\u2019s throats. And now, Imperial has exposed me to yet more<\/em> science<\/em>. I\u2019m talking lab meetings, databases, running analyses, and writing about \u201ccerebrovascular attacks\u201d. By the end of the 2023 I will be a certified speech and language therapist! At the same time, I know I couldn\u2019t have gotten here if it wasn\u2019t for the support from my lovely personal tutors, clinical tutors, tutorial group tutors, practice educators, and my hilariously resilient friends (\u201csaranghae <3\u201d).<\/p>\n

Below you can find some of the wonderful art that Sophie has been working on recently.<\/strong><\/p>\n