UK

13
Sep
2023
Robyn Shuttleworth

Robyn Shuttleworth

Born in Melrose, Scotland • Birth year 1993 • Studied Mathematics at University of Dundee, Scotland • Highest Degree Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics • Lives in Redwood City, California • Occupation Scientist II, Altos Labs

I wasn’t very sure what I wanted to study at university when I was in high school, I just knew for sure that I wasn’t finished with education. I really loved mathematics and biology, so it turned into a battle of the sciences. I went to one university visit (the one I happened to attend!) and toured both departments. The head of the math department started his presentation with “…mathematics graduates earn on average 10% more than any other graduate”. This one statement sealed it for me, and I decided to pursue a degree in Applied Mathematics. My reasons for pursuing mathematics came from quite a shallow and impulsive place, but I’ve grown to learn that that’s okay and you can’t always choose what motivates you. Assuming studying mathematics meant I would be working with numbers for the rest of my life, I imagined myself being an accountant or an actuary and I decided to take courses in business and accountancy in my first few years at university. Whilst this was okay, it didn’t enthrall me the way I had hoped. Fortunately, towards the final year of my bachelor’s degree, I joined a team of scientists in developing genetically engineered detection strategies for cystic fibrosis patients (very different from the classes in accountancy I had previously envisioned being my future). I was excited by the ways I could contribute as a mathematician, and it brought me back to my love of biology. Soon after, in my final year of undergrad, I chose my honors project in glioblastoma modeling. I learned so much about tumor growth and treatment strategies, and I knew this was only the beginning of my journey in mathematical biology. So, when the opportunity arose to pursue a Ph.D. in cancer research, I pushed hard for funding, and one month after graduating, I started reading papers for my Ph.D. in multiscale modeling of cancer progression. I developed mathematical models to describe how tumor cells interact with their microenvironment and explored the mechanisms used to invade the surrounding tissue. Throughout my Ph.D. I attended lots of conferences which gave me plenty of opportunity to present my work and I made lots of great connections. Networking with other scientists was one of the best parts of my graduate studies and I still maintain many of these relationships today.

I was excited by the ways I could contribute as a mathematician, and it brought me back to my love of biology.

I found my Ph.D., for the most part, very enjoyable. I loved the challenges that came with researching a new area and the undeniable feeling of success when you got some exciting new results, or you finally managed to debug your code! Alongside this elation, I did find some of my time difficult, but I must admit that those grievances have been mostly forgotten and feel like a distant memory. It was so important to me to have a strong support system, and I cherished my evenings and weekends with family and friends. Taking time for myself and detaching from the research helped keep me sane and motivated throughout my studies.

After three and a half years in my Ph.D., I was ready to move onto the next stage of my career. I set my sights on finding a Postdoc position, with only two stipulations; it had to be in the field of mathematical biology, and it had to be outside of the UK (another example of my unconventional motivation). With this in mind, I found a position at the University of Saskatchewan in the field of Cryobiology. I loved learning new math modeling techniques to apply to cryopreservation processes and I found that I was able to use a lot of my previous knowledge in this field. Although this switch in fields presented me with the challenge of effectively starting over and requiring a ton of reading (and auditing undergrad biology classes!), it was extremely fulfilling to use math models to predict the optimal experimental conditions for successful cryopreservation.

Fast forward three years, and I found myself in a familiar position: loving what I currently do, but ready to explore a new field and further develop my knowledge and skills. I had always envisioned myself in academia, however, through a chance encounter on social media, I came into a position within industry in the field of cellular rejuvenation. I now build mathematical models of cellular reprogramming and rejuvenation processes to help us understand what makes us, and our cells, “healthy”.

I had always envisioned myself in academia, however, through a chance encounter on social media, I came into a position within industry in the field of cellular rejuvenation.

I’ve consistently changed fields throughout my career, and I have learned something different from each of them that I carry with me to the next. The opportunities I have had are some of the most worthwhile and rewarding roles and ones I have immensely enjoyed. Whether I am investigating how tumors grow, finding the optimal way to freeze and store an organ, or helping us age gracefully, I would not wish to be anywhere else but at this forefront of scientific discovery and advancement.

Posted by HMS in Stories
15
Feb
2023
Susan Whitehouse

Susan Whitehouse

Born in London, UK • Birth year 1971 · Studied Maths at University of Warwick in UK • Highest Degree MSc in Maths from Open University • Lives in Potters Bar, UK • Occupation Maths Education Consultant specialising in A-level Maths and Further Maths

I have loved maths since I was a very young child, and from as early as I can remember I always knew that it was the subject that I would pursue. Maths was my refuge from a world that often seemed confusing and difficult; within mathematics I knew that everything would make sense and obey the rules, even if I had not yet understood it!

(…) I struggled to adjust to studying maths at university. It felt very different, both in content and in teaching style, from the maths I had studied at school.

Despite never having had any doubts about my choice of degree, I struggled to adjust to studying maths at university. It felt very different, both in content and in teaching style, from the maths I had studied at school. Women were under-represented at undergraduate level, and even more so at postgraduate level and among the academic staff, and I did not immediately feel I had a place in this new environment. But, despite my doubts, I continued with my course and successfully completed my studies.

After my maths degree I was not sure what path to take, and I did a teacher training year mainly to buy myself some time. But, although I did not enjoy teaching the younger students much, I found that I loved teaching A-level maths and further maths. This was the stage of maths education that I had most enjoyed as a student, and I wanted to convey that enthusiasm to others. I joined the teaching profession as a specialist sixth form maths teacher.

I (…) found that being in the position of a student again made me a better teacher.

I spent 15 years teaching A-level maths and further maths in London sixth form colleges. I loved watching the “Eureka” moments, when a mathematical idea would fall into place for a student, and it was a great privilege to be able to help students access university, particularly when they were the first in their family to do so. I developed clear ideas about mathematical pedagogy and what I believe good maths teaching should look like.

During my second and third years of full-time teaching, I also completed a part-time Master’s degree in mathematics with the Open University. Although I was finding teaching mathematics very fulfilling, I missed the challenge of learning new mathematics for myself. Partly because of the way the course was structured and partly because of my own greater maturity, I enjoyed this course more than my undergraduate degree. I also found that being in the position of a student again made me a better teacher.

I feel incredibly lucky to have a career working in the subject that I love, and to have had the opportunity to convey that passion to others.

Whilst teaching, I designed a lot of resources to help me in my own teaching, and when I shared these more widely in the teaching community, they proved popular with other teachers too. I was also invited to deliver some professional development for other maths teachers. I realised that I could contribute to the mathematical development of more students by working with their teachers than I could ever do through my own classroom teaching.

I started to do less work with students and more with teachers, and eventually I left the classroom altogether to become a mathematics education consultant. I continue to design teaching resources for A-level maths and further maths lessons, and I have delivered professional development on a wide range of teaching courses, ranging from initial teacher training to courses for experienced teachers.

I feel incredibly lucky to have a career working in the subject that I love, and to have had the opportunity to convey that passion to others.

Posted by HMS in Stories
18
Jan
2023
Nicola Richmond

Nicola Richmond

Born in UK • Studied Mathematics and Computer Science in Edinburgh, UK • Highest Degree PhD in Algebra and Algebraic Geometry • Lives in London, UK • Occupation VP of AI

As a child, I enjoyed solving logic puzzles and spent a lot of time teaching myself BASIC on a Commodore VIC-20 that my dad had given to my brother for Christmas – my brother wasn’t remotely interested in the computer – I was obsessed by it!

My love for the problem-solving aspects of mathematics was solidified at school. I was lucky to have amazing mathematics teachers who made my learning journey both interesting and enriching. After regularly getting decent marks in school tests, I realised that I also had an aptitude for the subject and specialised early on by taking double mathematics A’ Levels.

(…) The inherent precision and rigour in mathematics helps keep my wandering mind constrained!

I went on to study mathematics as an undergraduate at Edinburgh. While there, I gravitated to pure mathematics – I love the logical nature of abstract mathematics and how concepts and rules can be linked together to develop new ideas and prove theorems – the inherent precision and rigour in mathematics helps keep my wandering mind constrained! I intended to pursue an academic career in mathematics, but with permanent academic positions in short supply, I settled on IT as a sensible Plan B and stayed on at Edinburgh to take an MSc in computer science. After that, I headed to Leeds to study for a PhD in representation theory of finite-dimensional algebras; and this was the end of my pure mathematics adventure – a career involving computing beckoned!

Looking back, there were several junctions along the road where I could have taken a different direction. The first was leaving my IT consultancy role to join Unilever on a two year contract. This introduced me to the world of chemoinformatics which I could link to mathematics by considering molecules as graphs of atoms connected by bonds. When my contract at Unilever came to an end, and with no sign of the recruitment freeze lifting, I decided to go to Sheffield as a post-doctoral researcher to work on developing a (commercialised) approach to facilitate computer-aided drug design.

Just over a decade was in the computational chemistry department, developing methods to find small molecules with medicinal properties.

Following the post-doc, I spent 18 years at GSK. Just over a decade was in the computational chemistry department, developing methods to find small molecules with medicinal properties. I then made an internal move to focus on bringing novel data analytics methods into GSK. This GSK chapter exposed me initially to the world of deep learning and its application to computer vision, and then later to new drug modalities, like antibodies, when I was responsible for a portfolio of digital, data and analytics projects.

The final four-year leg of my GSK journey I spent in the newly-formed AI/ML organisation. There, I learned the virtues of good engineering best practice and agile development, which was excellent preparation for my current role as VP of AI at BenevolentAI. I was also put in charge of building and leading the GSK.ai Fellowship Programme, which ignited a passion for developing, mentoring and nurturing junior staff members.

While I no longer have the opportunity to indulge in pure mathematics, mathematics is omnipresent in what I do.

Now at BenevolentAI, I focus on the company AI strategy and our centre of functional excellence in AI. While I no longer have the opportunity to indulge in pure mathematics, mathematics is omnipresent in what I do. I spend a lot of time reading the AI literature, which really combines probability theory, statistics, linear algebra, calculus and optimisation, and thinking about how we can leverage AI to accelerate drug discovery.

Young students often struggle to visualise how the study of mathematics may translate into practice. Many believe they’ll end up being a banker, an accountant or a mathematics teacher (which are of course worthwhile professions). I never really planned my career-journey, I did what felt right at the time, and I would never have imagined that I’d end up using my skill-set to find life-changing medicines for patients. So here’s my advice: we’re living in challenging economic times, so be flexible and responsive – seek out and embrace new opportunities that play to your strengths; and most importantly, follow your passion for mathematics – it can take you anywhere!

Posted by HMS in Stories
05
Oct
2022
Amanda Minter

Amanda Minter

Born in UK • Studied Mathematics at Lancaster University in Lancaster, UK • Highest Degree PhD in Infectious Disease Modelling • Lives in UK • Occupation Director of Equations of Disease C.I.C.

Growing up, universities were always a bit of a mystery to me, my parents didn’t go to university. But I was encouraged by my parents and schoolteachers that going to university would be the path for me. I thought that going to university and studying would help me change the world for the better. I enjoyed maths from a young age, it was a subject which came naturally to me. I found the lessons easy, but then at university, studying maths, I struggled.

Whether it was the format of lectures or the more abstract topics, the subject I loved didn’t come naturally anymore. I worried that I had reached my limit in my understanding of mathematics. After a few disappointing grades, I knew something would have to change if I was going to get a good degree. I had to do something different – I had to learn differently. 

I knew with enough time I could figure out most things – or know when it was taking me too long and I should ask for help!

I wasn’t used to having to put effort into learning maths, but now I would attend classes, then practice, read several books, find examples online, until I understood the concept. In those years at university, I learnt how to learn. And it paid off, not just at university, but further down the line as well.

I stayed at my university to do an MSc in Statistics. Although I loved group theory, I wanted to work on something more applied.  Following my MSc, I started a PhD in infectious disease modelling. Studying for a PhD was all about learning new things, and now I had learned how to learn. I knew with enough time I could figure out most things – or know when it was taking me too long and I should ask for help!

In universities I had been aware of being a first-generation university goer and of not having been to private school, and also of being White.

After my PhD, I stayed at university to do research applying mathematics to the problems of global health, but I found myself becoming disillusioned with academia. As a postdoctoral researcher I worked on some amazing mathematical problems and with some great scientists modelling infectious diseases. But I found myself reflecting on my place in global health research. In universities I had been aware of being a first-generation university goer and of not having been to private school, and also of being White. But I never really thought about what it meant to be White, British, and working in global health. 

My definition of success has changed a lot from starting at university and wanting to change the world with maths.

I was motivated to work in infectious disease modelling to use maths for good, but in my role as a postdoctoral researcher I felt I was not helping to support the decolonisation of global health. I decided to leave academia to set up the social enterprise I run now. I aim to create accessible training opportunities for learners in the Global South.

My definition of success has changed a lot from starting at university and wanting to change the world with maths. And to the aspiring mathematicians, the struggling ‘not a mathematicians’: know that the path to success is not linear, or even constant, but something which keeps changing the more you learn.

Posted by HMS in Stories
22
Jun
2022
Karrie Liu

Karrie Liu

Born in Hong Kong • Studied Mathematics at University of York, UK • Highest Degree MSc in Applied Mathematics • Lives in London, UK • Occupation Freelance Mathematician / Founder of an analytical advisory company

Growing up in two distinct family cultures (Chinese parents in Hong Kong and “adoptive” English parents in the UK), I noticed that girls weren’t often encouraged in the same way that boys were. Many Asian parents would prefer that their daughters marry and focus on family rather than pursuing studies in higher education. Due to this, I wish to be a role model to younger generations, especially girls, so that they may be inspired and have the courage to follow their dreams. My ultimate goal is to improve the world through maths, data science and technology. Hence, that is why I set up an analytical consultancy company called the analytical advisory company Hypatia Analytics Ltd in 2019, which allowed me to spend more time on different types of charity work.

My ultimate goal is to improve the world through maths, data science and technology.

Since graduating from university, I have been applying my skills to continuously show people how they can use mathematics in healthcare and life sciences. During my tenure at the National Health Service (NHS), I participated in several diversity and equality projects. The NHS lacks information on ethnicity and I noticed that researchers had to use the general label “South Asian Name programme” to gather more details. I headlined a project discovering whether extra details can improve the name-test accuracy and to carry out diagnostics tests using patients’ self-reported ethnicity as the standard compared to test results. The outcome has been widely adopted in the Bradford/Leicester council area, improving NHS data and enabling valuable insights for local health economics planning.

Since data science is a relatively new type of career, many people haven’t yet fully understood why it is needed and how to apply it in the real world. Education is the key for people who want to be specialized professionals, but they also need to make the field accessible to the general population. My role as a trustee at The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) allowed me to chair three national conferences to showcase how mathematics can be used with data science and helping others to get more help from the industry. 

My company [..] acts as an analytical advisor for charities providing statistical support for clean water programmes, using data science and technology to improve design and optimise resources needed to implement systems.

Skill-based volunteering is also very close to my heart; with my company Hypatia Analytics Ltd I have had the opportunity to voluntarily lead tech and maths projects engaging with the public and different charity organisations. Hypatia Analytics Ltd acts as an analytical advisor for charities providing statistical support for clean water programmes, using data science and technology to improve design and optimise resources needed to implement systems. The charity’s aim is for people’s lives to improve from having clean water close to their home. Hence, more children have time to attend school and the prevalence of illnesses is decreased.

In the summer of 2021, Hypatia Analytics Ltd in partnership with a charity promoting mathematics set up a Math & Data Summer programme called “Discover Data”. This program is a series of introductory workshops on how applied mathematics with real-world evidence can be used to address the world’s problems to students aged 14-17. However, the program  did not stop there, it had set up a monthly meeting to teach more, and we are now planning Summer 2022 face-to-face workshop.

I believe data and mathematics are at the heart of better decision-making and hope that people can benefit from it.

Posted by HMS in Stories
08
Jun
2022
Susan Okereke

Susan Okereke

Born in Liverpool, UK • Studied Mathematics and Business Studies at the University of Edinburgh, UK • Highest Degree Master’s in Teaching (MTeach) from the UCL Institute of Education, UK • Lives in London, UK • Occupation maths teacher, maths communicator and education consultant

I love teaching maths! I am a maths communicator and teacher and I passionately believe that numeracy is an essential basic skill that everyone should have – like reading and writing – and every student should leave school competent and confident in it. Sadly, I am aware this is not the case for many students in the UK and I am trying to use my expertise and experience to help improve this situation.

I began to understand the importance maths education plays in society and realised that maths teachers have a crucial role in making the world a fairer place

As a teacher, I have a keen interest in teaching and learning. I believe that teachers should be model learners, so a few years ago, I decided to do a Master’s in Teaching (MTeach) at the UCL Institute of Education. The Master’s looked at what is needed for ‘effective’ learning to take place, exploring the complex relationship between learner, teacher and their environment. It opened my eyes to how education can transform people’s lives, especially maths education. I began to understand the importance maths education plays in society and realised that maths teachers have a crucial role in making the world a fairer place, with recent data by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showing a direct relationship between wage distribution and numeracy skills.

My Master’s dissertation analysed the effectiveness of a targeted maths intervention on students’ attainment and reflected on the challenges secondary schools face when implementing interventions. Working on my dissertation clarified the fact that I want to use my expertise to bridge the gap between primary, secondary and further education maths learning, supporting all students to feel confident in maths, especially our most disadvantaged students. I believe the key to bridging this gap is to ensure all students have solid basic maths skills and a positive attitude to maths and this starts with good maths teaching.

Completing my Master’s ignited my interest in finding ways to present maths that are accessible and engaging for everyone, especially people who find it challenging. My work as a maths communicator is an extension of this mission.

Maths has a reputation for being boring, difficult and irrelevant to people’s lives and many people are intimidated by the subject because they believe ‘you are either right or wrong’ and that is all that matters. I’m on a mission to challenge this common misconception. Maths is so much more than the final correct answer, it is about seeing patterns, making connections and solving problems, which is an emotional and collaborative process and can be a lot of fun.

Completing my Master’s ignited my interest in finding ways to present maths that are accessible and engaging for everyone, especially people who find it challenging. My work as a maths communicator is an extension of this mission. Over the years I have been involved in a variety of amazing maths events and projects for students, teachers and the general public. Events that strive to bring maths to life for audiences by highlighting the weird and wonderful places maths can be found, which I share on my blog www.DoTheMathsThing.com. Also, the podcast Maths Appeal I co-host with TV personality and fellow maths teacher, Bobby Seagull, presents maths in an accessible way by including maths puzzles and interviews with maths champions from the worlds of tech, entertainment, comedy and education.

Engaging in this range of maths-based endeavours has made me realise I am on a lifelong learning journey with maths education and I hope to take my students, listeners and readers with me as I try to show that maths is everywhere and for everyone.

Posted by HMS in Stories
25
May
2022
Claudia Garetto

Claudia Garetto

Born in Asti, Italy • Studies Mathematics at Torino University, Italy • Highest Degree PhD in Mathematics • Lives in London, UK • Occupation Reader in Mathematics at Queen Mary University of London

My love for Mathematics started at an early age. I remember one day in scuola media (middle school in Italy) when my maths teacher sketched the graph of a function on the blackboard. She was explaining linear motion and I was blown away. I saw how maths relates to real life and how beautiful it is to explain maths, which is often considered a difficult topic, to others. I just wanted to be like her: a mathematician solving equations and sketching graphs on a blackboard, and this is exactly what I do now. It has been extremely important for me to see women do the job I am doing now. In Italy it is quite common for girls to study mathematics at university and to have women maths teachers in school: growing up I never thought that maths was a “boy” subject. Later, when I moved to Austria for my PhD studies and then to the UK for my first permanent academic position, I realised how lucky I had been.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) activities are becoming more and more important (I am the EDI lead in my school), so I hope the gender gap will become smaller and smaller in the future but there is still a long way to go…

In both of these countries, women are a minority in STEM and it is unfortunately still common to have almost no women professors in many maths departments. Consequently, it is still a struggle to motivate the best women maths students to take the academic route. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) activities are becoming more and more important (I am the EDI lead in my school), so I hope the gender gap will become smaller and smaller in the future but there is still a long way to go…

As an undergraduate at Torino University I loved Mathematical Analysis. I found the formalism of pure mathematics beautiful and reassuring and I got more and more attracted to the idea of proving my own theorem, of constructing my own mathematical theory. That’s how my original plan of becoming a maths secondary school teacher changed into becoming a researcher and to establish myself as an academic.

Every move has meant for me to grow as a mathematician but more importantly as a person. I have learnt to be resilient but also to be flexible, adaptable, and open-minded.

I apparently had a very straightforward career path: PhD, postdoc, permanent position. However, I changed countries twice. In 2002 I moved from Italy to Austria to conclude my PhD studies. After 8 years at Innsbruck University, I moved to Imperial College London as a Junior Research Fellow and in 2012 at Loughborough University as a Lecturer. I have recently moved to Queen Mary University of London where I am currently working on the analysis of hyperbolic equations and systems with multiplicities: an extremely fascinating area of mathematics. Every move has meant for me to grow as a mathematician but more importantly as a person. I have learnt to be resilient but also to be flexible, adaptable, and open-minded. These are in my opinion extremely important qualities in any social and work environment.

I often talk to girls of school age approaching the university world of mathematics. My only advice to them is to follow their passion. If you are passionate about maths nothing will stop you! It will not always be easy. Failure is normal but with your dedication and the support of the right people (colleagues, supervisor, mentor) you will overcome every obstacle.

Posted by HMS in Stories
11
May
2022
Evi Papadaki

Evi Papadaki

Born in Crete, Greece • Birth year 1992 • Studied Mathematics at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece • Highest Degree MSc in Mathematics and Its Applications at University of Crete in Greece • Lives in Norwich, UK • Occupation PhD researcher in Mathematics Education at the University of East Anglia, UK

Either by chance or by choice, I always found maths attractive. My mum is a maths teacher, her sisters, too. So, I was regularly in the middle of casual maths conversations growing up. I was observing my mum teaching sometimes, and I was reading her maths books when I was bored. One of the advantages I had as a child was seeing my mum preparing for her lessons and devoting herself to solving problems, struggling, spending time on them, discussing methods and solutions with her sisters. I never found maths easy, but I knew that dedicating time was part of what made it meaningful, and I was up for it.

I remember when I was about 9 years old, I told my dad that I wanted to become an astrophysicist. He was very excited trying to explain ‘the plan’ to me: I had to finish school and study physics, then I should do a masters and a PhD in Astrophysics. I was shocked by the amount of work that I had to do and that was the moment I decided to become a maths teacher. As naive as it sounds, I thought I was doing well at maths already so I could teach others (!).  Yet here I am, 20 years later and having realised the complexity of the work, doing a PhD trying to understand how a teacher can talk to her students about mathematics.

I felt like I always knew about the Pythagorean Theorem. Before I even knew how to read or write, I could quote it without knowing what that means. I learnt how to use it in secondary school. I learnt what it means in high school and a teacher told us that it has over 300 different proofs.

I started thinking about the possibility of studying for a PhD in Mathematics Education in my final year as an undergraduate. I found it fascinating how all the things I’ve learnt throughout the years connected with each other as a gigantic 3D jigsaw puzzle. For example, I felt like I always knew about the Pythagorean Theorem. Before I even knew how to read or write, I could quote it without knowing what that means. I learnt how to use it in secondary school. I learnt what it means in high school and a teacher told us that it has over 300 different proofs. I learnt a couple of the proofs at university. Finally, I learnt that it can be generalised with other shapes and in more dimensions from a video on YouTube.

For me mathematics was never just a subject in school. It was a process of discovery inside and outside of the classroom and I wanted to study if there was a way to spark the curiosity of my students beyond the boundaries of a curriculum or programme of study.

I met people who thought teaching mathematics is purely applied pedagogy and disregarded my mathematical abilities because of that. I met people that thought I was wasting my potential as a mathematician. […] None of them is true!

When I decided that I wanted to follow a career in Mathematics Education research, I had the full support of my family, my friends and my mentors. Nonetheless, I had to fight a few stereotypes on the way. I met people who thought teaching mathematics is purely applied pedagogy and disregarded my mathematical abilities because of that. I met people that thought I was wasting my potential as a mathematician. I also met people that assumed that I am doing a quantitative study as I must be good in statistics. None of them is true! I am doing a qualitative study of how a teacher can talk to her students about mathematics in ways that are not anticipated in a typical mathematics lesson. For my project, I need to unpack the mathematical meaning of the conversations that take place between teachers and students. So, I challenge what I know about mathematics almost every day and I have learnt a lot more than I ever thought I would. Moreover, I am working at the student services of my University helping students with their maths, so I have the chance to expand my horizons in the variety of applications of mathematics making my interest in teaching and learning mathematics in ways that could aid students in different aspects of their personal and professional life even greater.

Looking back, I am grateful that those comments didn’t bring me down.

Posted by HMS in Stories
27
Apr
2022
Rachel Thomas

Rachel Thomas

Born in Perth, Australia • Birth year 1974 • Studied Mathematics at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia • Highest Degree MSc (Research) in Pure Mathematics • Lives in London, UK • Occupation Editor of Plus magazine (http://plus.maths.org)

When I started university, I planned to be a physicist or astronomer – I can’t deny I was heavily influenced by a love of scifi! I had a great time working in a gravity wave lab one summer, but the experience also made me realise I didn’t have the patience or practical ingenuity to be an experimental scientist. I found the theory fascinating. But at the lab flanges wouldn’t seal properly and huge niobium bars couldn’t be cooled low enough – I wasn’t as fascinated by the practical experimental problem solving.

I then remembered my other film-influenced career plan of becoming an archaeologist and took courses in Australian archaeology and Greek art and architecture. I had a brilliant time but again, I realised I didn’t have the patience required for the field work and analysis. I spent weeks trying (and not really succeeding) to make sense of tray after tray of very small grubby objects that I had dug up. I loved the ideas behind both of these glamorous careers, but the actual nitty gritty doing of the work just didn’t excite me.

Academia wasn’t appealing to most of the women I had studied with.

In the meantime, I’d been doing maths all along and I loved it. Originally, I took maths because I needed it to study physics. Then I kept studying maths because it turned out to be really fun. I really liked the actual doing of the maths – playing with linear algebra, proving something in group theory – each new area we were taught was so exciting with new concepts and new language or giving familiar ideas an entirely new perspective.

I loved doing research in semigroup theory for my Master’s degree and often couldn’t wait to get back to the desk to move my work forward. Unfortunately though, I didn’t really feel part of the community of my maths department. With hindsight, I’m sure this was partly due to being one of just a few female students when I was at honours and then postgraduate level. Academia wasn’t appealing to most of the women I had studied with. When things didn’t work out with my supervisor I nearly dropped out and left academia to work as a consultant mathematician on projects in government and industry. But fortunately, my generous boss, a brilliant female professor from the department, and my good friends supported me to finish my Master’s dissertation.

(…) it was in this job, and during the writing of my Master’s dissertation, that I discovered how much I loved communicating mathematics.

My work as a consultant was varied, and despite rarely crossing paths with the maths I’d learnt at university my degree had prepared me to learn quickly and to discern the structure of a problem and how I could use available data to answer meaningful questions. My maths training also helped me to communicate with the clients and it was in this job, and during the writing of my Master’s dissertation, that I discovered how much I loved communicating mathematics.

When I moved to the UK, I knew I wanted to write about maths. I was lucky enough to get a job with the Millennium Mathematics Project (MMP), a maths and education outreach initiative based at the University of Cambridge, before I left Australia. I quickly moved into working on Plus magazine, the part of the MMP that enables anyone who is curious about maths and the world to see the maths behind current events and keeping up to date with current maths research.

To see maths so visibly making a difference in the world, and to witness the passion, creativity and dedication of the mathematicians involved has been amazing.

Twenty years later I still love working at Plus, every day learning about new maths and new applications and talking to the mathematicians who make it all happen. My brilliant co-editor of Plus, Marianne Freiberger, and I get to go on all sorts of amazing mathematical adventures. Our work has taken us around the world, we’ve spoken to brilliant mathematicians from academia and industry, we’ve written several popular science books, appeared on TV and radio and worked on documentary series for the Discovery Channel working with our colleagues at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology. And over the last two years we’ve been lucky enough to work with epidemiologists working on the mathematical front line of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to explain and communicate their work. To see maths so visibly making a difference in the world, and to witness the passion, creativity and dedication of the mathematicians involved has been amazing.

Things have changed a lot since I found myself as one of only a few female students at the end of my time at university.

Things have changed a lot since I found myself as one of only a few female students at the end of my time at university. Despite no longer being an academic mathematician, I feel firmly part of the maths community today.  And I’m very happy that nearly half the mathematicians and researchers Plus has collaborated with over the last year are women. A new community spirit seems to be rising in many mathematics departments, heavily influenced by the experience and hard work of the female researchers already there. I hope that these networks, and projects including Her Maths Story, are helping women in mathematics find the support and the supporters they need to follow their own maths stories.

Posted by HMS in Stories
22
Dec
2021
Dr Ems Lord

Dr Ems Lord

Born in El Adem, Libya • Studied Pure Mathematics at University of Lancaster, UK • Highest Degree PhD in Mathematics Education, University of Cambridge, UK • Lives in Lincolnshire, UK • Occupation Director of NRICH, University of Cambridge

My journey is a story of twists and turns. There never was a grand plan, just a love of maths to help steer the way.

I wasn’t the healthiest of children, I missed more school days than I ever managed to attend. It would have been easy to fall behind in my studies, but my headteacher had different ideas. Textbooks appeared in my home and my mum was roped in as my teacher. Perhaps rather frustratingly for her at times, my curiosity was never satisfied; I always wanted to try different ways of doing things. I loved playing games, but also inventing new maths games too! I’d even collect the numbered cardboard doors off my advent calendar to use in them in my latest creation.  Numbers had a special place in my life from a very early age.

Having decided that maths was the subject I wanted to study at university, the transition from school to university maths was not as straightforward as I hoped; coming from an all-girls school, it was a shock to find myself on a course dominated by boys. I’d never really associated maths as a ‘boys thing’ until that point. Maths had always been something I just enjoyed doing, but perhaps not everyone enjoyed the same opportunities as I had growing up.

Wednesday afternoons at University  were spent on the sports field or at a local teaching college. Although I love sport, my curiosity meant that I eventually tagged along with the teaching group one day – and never turned back! Our tutor challenged everyone to subtract two numbers and record our method – not exactly a tough challenge for soon-to-be maths graduates but I soon discovered that I was the only person in the room to use my chosen approach, and there were two or three other methods in general use around the room. When we were asked to explain our approaches, there was a discussion about ‘milk bottles on doorsteps’ which totally confused me. What did milk bottles have to do with subtraction?  Turns out that the ‘milk bottles’ were place value jottings. No wonder so many people complain that they find maths confusing!

[…] through the college session I realised that my ongoing love for investigating different approaches could be usefully applied to teaching. If someone was struggling or could not understand an approach, I could perhaps suggest another way which might work for them and explain it too.

At the time of that college visit, I was focusing on my thesis exploring the different ways mathematicians had proved the Pythagoras Theorem, and through the college session I realised that my ongoing love for investigating different approaches could be usefully applied to teaching. If someone was struggling or could not understand an approach, I could perhaps suggest another way which might work for them and explain it too (without referring to milk bottles). And, as a female mathematician, perhaps I could be a role model too. Suddenly all the pieces fell into place and I applied for teacher training.

[…] I quickly discovered that hardly any primary schools had a maths graduate on their staff and creativity was often being stifled by a lack of confidence and subject knowledge.

As a maths graduate, I opted for a secondary teacher programme which came with a generous grant for signing-up to teach a shortage subject. Tutors required trainees to spend their first fortnight in a primary school, I quickly discovered that hardly any primary schools had a maths graduate on their staff and creativity was often being stifled by a lack of confidence and subject knowledge. Even though it meant losing my ‘welcome’ grant, I switched to a primary course and I’ve never looked back. Primary teachers are incredibly hard-working individuals who need to cover a wide range of subjects and inspire their charges all day, every day. They are amazing people. I soon found myself leading maths in my school and supporting the teaching of maths in other schools nearby by sharing useful resources. At that time, I became an advocate for the types of maths resources designed by NRICH which challenge and engage young learners.

After joining my local authority’s maths team, I helped to set up schools’ maths competitions and lead parental engagement events – opportunities for families to enjoy problem-solving and rethink commonly-held negative views about maths. By volunteering to lead maths masterclasses introducing some of my favourite undergraduate classes such as topology and networks, I hoped I could also act as a role model for younger female students. Ever curious, I began reading more widely about maths education and signed up for my Masters and later my PhD at Cambridge (where I investigated different approaches to calculation, of course!). Today, my love of maths means that I get to work in one of the world’s finest maths departments at the University of Cambridge, helping to support school teachers to inspire future mathematicians and researching ways to increase diversity in my chosen subject as the Director of NRICH – a project which had inspired my classroom teaching. It’s such a privilege working with the NRICH team, and we’ve got exciting plans for the future. Watch this space!

Posted by HMS in Stories
08
Dec
2021
Maha Kaouri

Maha Kaouri

From El-Khiam, Lebanon • Birth year 1994 • Studied Financial Mathematics at the University of Kent, UK  • Highest Degree PhD in Mathematics from the University of Reading, UK • Lives in Cambridge, UK • Occupation Scientific Knowledge Exchange Coordinator in the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences and part-time as a Study Skills Tutor (STEM) in the University of Cambridge Disability Resource Centre, and Associate Lecturer at the School of Mathematics and Statistics, The Open University

As a part of the Newton Gateway to Mathematics team at the Isaac Newton Institute (INI), I get to be involved in many important projects that bridge the gap between the mathematical sciences and the real world. A particularly exciting part of my job is that I get to work with the V-KEMS partners to develop study groups, where industry stakeholders pose problems to a group of mathematicians who then go on to work on these for a few days. The atmosphere at the INI is something really special and unique – it’s a place that brings together people from across the world to solve all kinds of maths problems, be it in person, or virtually. 

My role at the INI isn’t research-based, nor does it have any form of student interaction, but I find this works perfectly well with my part-time commitments supporting students with disabilities and learning difficulties at the same university, and with working as an Associate Lecturer at The Open University. I love the flexibility that working in academia gives you. 

My PhD journey was a struggle, but isn’t everyone’s? From being told by a professor that I can’t do a Maths PhD (…) to dealing with the uncertainty along the way that my research wasn’t good enough to warrant a PhD. It was until the viva, when I was acknowledged for the quality of my research (…).

My maths journey starts in 2010, when I began my A-levels. During GCSE, I struggled to get a B and so it was my family who pushed me to take Maths at A-level to open up opportunities. Surprisingly, I happened to excel in and enjoy it, so I focused most of my energy on Maths and got an A! I decided to continue into university with the subject that I was doing best at and that paid off as some of my favourite memories come from my time at the University of Kent. Studying Financial Mathematics meant that I was exposed not only to Maths, but also Statistics, Actuarial Science and Operations Research, which is something that broadened my knowledge of the potential applications of maths. 

My PhD journey was a struggle, but isn’t everyone’s? From being told by a professor that I can’t do a Maths PhD because I studied Financial Maths and that even if I did a Maths Masters, it still wouldn’t be possible, to dealing with the uncertainty along the way that my research wasn’t good enough to warrant a PhD. It was until the viva, when I was acknowledged for the quality of my research, that I got some certainty in my abilities. In fact, I’m in the process of collating my second paper from my PhD research on optimisation methods for data assimilation. I do know that my challenges are nothing compared to others who have battled through illnesses and losing loved ones, especially so during the pandemic. So, I consider myself amongst luckiest who only had to deal with personal challenges. I have had a lot of support along the way, but I still felt the need to avoid the dreaded ‘how’s the PhD going?’ question for years out of the fear that I will not make it. I think the way that I got through it is by building up confidence in my work and persevering even though I felt that the outcome might not be what I was hoping for and working towards. 

I guess the unique part of my maths journey is the fact that I am navigating my beliefs in an academic environment.

I guess the unique part of my maths journey is the fact that I am navigating my beliefs in an academic environment. As a Muslim, I need to pray at certain times during the day, so when I go to conferences, I would arrange my travel in such a way that allows me to do so, and I would take time out during lunch – when everyone else is networking – to pray. I would also need to ensure that my dietary requirements are met. In the UK, it’s been very easy to do so both during my studies and now. I am really grateful that when I mentioned that I needed to start praying in the office because the sunset is sooner, my colleagues offered me their offices! They have been really keen to make sure that I’m completely comfortable, which is something that I greatly appreciate. That wasn’t necessarily the case when I travelled abroad – I even visited a university which had removed their once purpose-built prayer room. But overall, it’s not been too much of a struggle wherever I’ve been. 

I think as a woman in maths, the main thing that I’ve noticed is that there are many more men than women participating in conferences and workshops that I’ve been to. I know that this is something that the INI are actively tackling, which is great to see and be a part of. The advice that I would give to a woman who is looking to pursue a career in mathematics is to persevere. There are going to be points where you’re told, either directly or indirectly, that you’re not good enough and that you don’t belong here, and it may come from people that you don’t expect it to, but if you know that it’s your ultimate goal to stay in academia, or to simply complete a PhD then I’d say just keep going with it and stay strong as only good things come through hard work and perseverance. 

Posted by HMS in Stories
14
Jul
2021
Natasha Karp

Natasha Karp

Born in United Kingdom • Birth year 1974 • Studied Biochemistry at Warwick University in United Kingdom • Highest Degree PhD in Chemistry from University of London • Lives in Cambridge, United Kingdom • Occupation Director Biostatistics at AstraZeneca

I really struggled at school in the early years, particularly with reading and writing; but then when I was around 12, it started to make sense. I was formally diagnosed as being dyslexic when I went to university, I guess when I was 12  things clicked into place as I found my strategies to get round my dyslexia. Those early years of struggling and being in bottom sets has left me with feelings of doubt but also a drive to prove people wrong. At 16, I selected mathematics with statistics, biology and chemistry as my specialist subjects and got the highest grades possible. I really enjoyed statistics and mathematics, and used to do extra work for fun. However, it was taught as a theoretical subject and I had no sense of what you could do with it. I also had no role models; I am the only person in my family to graduate from university. If you were a clever woman, you became a teacher or a doctor. Being a doctor didn’t appeal, so teaching became the ambition and I decided to study biochemistry with a year in industry at Warwick University and graduated with a first-class degree.

After I conducted some experiments, I felt the mathematical techniques used to make decisions were poor. Consequently, I started studying statistics (…).

I really enjoyed my year in industry, where I learnt the fundamentals of research, but after years of conditioning that my path was to be a teacher, I then trained as a secondary school teacher. After a couple of years teaching, I realised that I didn’t feel satisfied intellectually. I was working hard but didn’t feel I was growing. I decided to return to science and was offered a role back with the industrial placement company who sponsored me to complete a PhD in partnership with Imperial College, London. Unfortunately, the company folded but I just managed to complete my PhD. My confidence as a scientist felt low, I felt I had snuck in my PhD and I decided to work in academia to prove myself and joined the Cambridge Centre for Proteomics as a post-doc. I was very lucky and given a lot of freedom. After I conducted some experiments, I felt the mathematical techniques used to make decisions were poor. Consequently, I started studying statistics and writing papers exploring experimental design and data analysis for proteomic experiments. I was flying high and had 12 publications but then my first son was born and he was very poorly and I had to prioritise the family. I found a part-time job as a biostatistician with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute supporting in vivo research. It felt like I was starting again but I could meet my family needs and keep working. Over time, my son got better. The new environment gave me new opportunities; for example, I spent some time with database experts who helped me learn to code. I started publishing again in data analysis and experimental design for in vivo research. There wasn’t permanent funding in academia for this type of role so I applied to AstraZeneca, who had just relocated to Cambridge, as a statistician.  

I feel my dyslexia is a strength, as it helps me see the bigger picture, connect ideas and be a better manager.

What am I doing now? I now lead a team of statisticians for AstraZeneca supporting preclinical research. I still work part-time (80%) to meet my family commitments. The work is very varied and we have the opportunity to make a big impact. We jump into projects, assist the scientists, enable their research and then jump to the next project. I find it surreal that I, a self-taught statistician, lead these amazing statisticians. I feel my dyslexia is a strength as it helps me see the bigger picture, connect ideas and be a better manager. As a dyslexic woman who has an unusual career path I bring diversity to the leadership element of my role. I also give lectures around the world on my research topics of interest and get the opportunity to work outside of AstraZeneca on working groups exploring topics such as sex bias or reproducibility. I love my job. It is applied statistics having impact.

As an individual with imposter syndrome, you have to recognise your voice of doubt but not let it control you.

My career path has had many twists and turns. That is real life. There are benefits, I have more experience to draw upon. I feel my journey shows there isn’t one path that is right for you. You should be open to opportunities and change. Change is positive. You do have to be prepared to take risks. As an individual with imposter syndrome, you have to recognise your voice of doubt but not let it control you. From the perspective of maths, data is everywhere, being good with data is such a strength. You don’t have to be a theoretical expert to add value and have impact. Enjoy your journey but don’t expect to know exactly where you are going and keep growing and challenging yourself.

Posted by HMS in Stories