Women in Science
Messages for others thinking about a career in science
Video clip: Leanne believes that people should do what they are passionate about. They may want to try more than one area of research before choosing a subject but it is important to be inspired.
Do what you’re passionate about, that would be my only message. I think you should never, I’ve always maintained the philosophy if I’m not enjoying it, and it becomes a burden I’m not going to do it. So if you’re starting out and you can find what you’re passionate about then you’re always going to stay through the thick and thin and there’s going to be thick and thin. And there are going to be times where I think you feel like you are battling harder than necessary but it is worth it. I think it can be, it can be a very rewarding career. And I like the idea that particularly if you are in research and you get to work with people, I like the idea of meeting different people and you can also inform them about what you do and what’s important and educate them. And to me I think it’s worth persisting but I would say find out what really inspires you, and that makes it easier to get through. That would be my message. Because I hear some people after their DPhil saying, ‘Oh I don’t know if I want to say in science.’ And I think it’s such a shame, they’ve done all this work, but actually it’s just because they think they haven’t, when you start talking to them they haven’t quite found, that it hasn’t quite been the area that they thought it would be. But there’s no harm in going and trying a different area and then seeing if that’s what works. You can change as many times as you like, you always end up working out what you want to do.