What did you study at A-level (or equivalent) and why did you select those subjects?
Chemistry, Physics, Biology
What degree/PhD did you study?
BSc Hons in Chemistry with Oceanography and PhD in Marine Biogeochemistry.
What inspired you to choose and study your degree subject?
As a child, I was adamant I was going to be a veterinary surgeon. I came to an Open Day at Liverpool and loved the city and the people as much as the course. Flicking through the Liverpool prospectus, I came across a course called Chemistry with Oceanography and became fascinated. I had always loved all science subjects, and here was a degree that would let me continue learning about pretty much everything. On results day, when I heard I had been successfully accepted into Vet School in Liverpool, I decided I had changed my mind. Much to the bemusement of my family and teachers, I switched from Vets to Oceanography that day and have never looked back.
What key skills did you learn at university?
My degree allowed me to develop my critical thinking and communication skills, including writing and presenting. I also developed practical skills in the laboratory and in the field, and IT skills using software such as Matlab. These, along with the ability to handle large datasets, and the confidence to receive and interpret feedback to continuously improve my work, have proven invaluable in my career.
What jobs have you had during your career?
Many! During my degree, in addition to summer work at a café and working Open Days for the University, I worked as an intern at the National Oceanography Centre for 1 year. At the end of my degree, I was fortunate to be hired to work on board a research cruise for 3 weeks. I then worked on a short project funded by Metrohm UK and a UK utility company to develop an automated system for the detection of arsenic in drinking water. This led me to the start of my PhD (2012). During my PhD, I had various teaching and consultancy roles, including running a lecture series for the Continuing Education department, and measuring chromium speciation in river samples for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. I then worked at the University of British Columbia in Canada on a 2month project, before commencing a postdoc at Universite de Bretagne in France early 2017. After a year in France, I won two fellowships to continue my work there. I was then hired as a Lecturer at the University of Liverpool, starting my position a few weeks before the first covid-19 lockdown.
What is your current job and what do you enjoy about it?
I am now a Senior Lecturer in the Ocean Sciences group, and most of all, I love how varied my job is. I enjoy the teaching, writing, lab work, conferences, outreach, advisory boards… but my favourite part has to be the fieldwork. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work in such amazing environments and on research vessels all over the world.
Do you have an area of expertise / research?
My area of expertise is metal speciation – particularly for iron and copper. I am interested in the various forms of these metals in aquatic systems, especially how organic complexes can impact their behaviour, stability and bioavailability.
What has been your most exciting project or career role?
In all honesty, the answer to this would change every few months depending on what I am working on at the time!
What are your top tips for working in your industry/sector?
Have a to do list and when you find yourself procrastinating on a large/long term task, take a break and complete a small ‘quick win’ task instead. It is so simple, yet so effective.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
It’s not possible to excel at every single task that we have to do, and that’s OK.
Any advice you’d like to share?
The point of the first draft is not to get it right, but get it written.
Why are you passionate about your subject / career / STEM?
The world is a fascinating place, and the best parts of my job are the moments of child-like joy and excitement in discovering something new. I want everyone to be able to experience the same joy in discovery, no matter what it is that interests them.
Hannah's research has been published in the Biological Sciences Review. Read the Marine Biology compilation.
Find out more about Hannah and her work here.