• Question: Who was your inspiration. And when did you decide to be a scientist and why did you become a scientist?

    Asked by Clodagh to Mako, Claire, Liad, Ruth, Ryan on 17 Jun 2015. This question was also asked by Minty25, 925thuc34, 504thuc43, 812thuc23, 683thuc23, 563thuc23, Not so einstein, amy, Kitcat, Dr.Bantalope, FRIZZFRIZZ, 854thuc36, 440thuc23, 584thuc23, Noo Noo, lh, 123thuc26, #pawgli the beast, velociraptor, jeff, Legendary Marcin, 976thuc33.
    • Photo: Ruth Elderfield

      Ruth Elderfield answered on 17 Jun 2015:

      I’ve been inspired by lots of people.
      My Mum, she has always worked very hard and encouraged me to learn at school and go to university as she never got the chance to go.
      My biology teacher Ms. Howes, she freely admitted when she didn’t know the answers to our questions right then (we asked a lot of questions), but she would always write the questions down, then, in the next lesson she would have the answers – well unless the question was one we really should find out the answer for ourselves- she didn’t approve of lazy. I think she inspired me to study biology.

      The post-doc Judith Taylor, who helped me with my first lab project. When I have a particularly challenging student now, I remember Judith and her calm patience with me and it inspires me try to be as helpful and kind as she was. I don’t always manage it.
      I think doing this lab project really made me want to do research.

      My current boss Prof Wendy Barclay, she understands so much and freely shares her ideas and encouragement, she inspires me to want to be a better scientist. I’m still trying.

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