Interviews with Scientists: Olivia Grant
Olivia Grant is a PhD candidate in Dr. Radu Zabet’s lab at the University of Essex. She is also a visiting student at Queen Mary University of London, and her research focus is on epigenetics. She is passionate about science communication and co-hosts a science podcast called The Genomics Lab.
Olivia graduated in 2019 with a first in BSc in Biomedical sciences from the University of Essex, and in her third year she completed a dissertation project performing a bioinformatics analysis on TF binding in human genome, which initiated her interest for the use of computational methods for studying biological systems. Her current research interests focus on epigenetics, mainly DNA methylation, and trying to understand how the environment influences our epigenome.
We spoke to Olivia to find out more about her current research, her podcast, her passion for science communication, and more.
Thanks for speaking with us, Olivia! Firstly, please do tell us a bit more about your current research...
My research interests focus on epigenetics, mainly DNA methylation. My primary interest is trying to understand how the environment influences our epigenome. The association of the environment with health has been widely recognised and there is well-documented evidence inferring a link between air pollution exposure and a global increase in mortality and morbidity. Air pollution is the largest environmental risk factor and affects all regions, socioeconomic groups and age groups. However, the molecular mechanisms by which this association occurs is yet to be delineated and will be crucial to furthering our understanding of how exposure to air pollution modulates health and wellbeing, and will consequently help to build preventative policies.
Alongside my primary research interest, I am also passionate about investigating other areas in DNA methylation research, including:
- investigating how people may differ in their response to their environment
- other factors which may affect DNA methylation patterns
- methodological advances in DNA methylation analysis
What is it about your field of research that gets you most excited?
As an identical twin, I think epigenetics is the most fascinating field in Biology. The great thing about it, is that it can overlap with almost every other field in Biology, epigenetics is everywhere. What you eat, your environment, ageing, exercise, even when you sleep. I think there is so much potential in epigenetic research from explaining differences between identical twins to curing disease, and I think that is amazing.
You co-host a Genomics podcast - tell us how that came about.
Since starting my PhD, I have realised that as a PhD researcher, you are expected to have so much knowledge regarding a small area of your field. I felt that this was sometimes limiting me, in the sense that I was only ever reading papers and articles about epigenetics. Especially with the increase in preprint services, keeping up with the literature is becoming increasingly difficult. I believe that the future of research is interdisciplinary, and therefore I was very keen to meet other researchers within genomics and speak to them about their experiences and their research. The podcast acts for me almost as an alternative to trying to find time to read about research outside of epigenetics. Instead, it gives me a chance to speak directly with the authors of these papers and ask all of the questions I usually have while reading a research article. We really encourage our guests to introduce the basics of their research topics before we start discussing the novel and complex findings of their research. We do this in order to make research in genomics more accessible and understandable for early career researchers or those outside of the field of genomics.
Why is science communication so important to you?
Well, I am a true believer in the quote: ‘If you don’t communicate the science, you may as well never have done it’. I have done a talk on this and also a podcast episode with other PhD students. However, it is so important to me because it allows us as scientists to have the opportunity to reach audiences we are unlikely to reach through our academic articles. It also allows us the chance to connect with other researchers who also are unlikely to read our research articles. I think making science accessible is key to raising more awareness and gaining more interest in our research fields. I think this is especially important in times like these, when misconceptions about scientists are so prominent and there is a real misunderstanding about what we do as scientists. Bridging the gap between scientists and ‘the general public’ is vital for improving public trust in scientists.
How could life scientists use social media more effectively to promote their research?
My main piece of advice is to personalise your accounts, show you and show what you do on a day-to-day basis. I think a lot of people are hesitant to use social media for science communication because they worry about having nothing to post. The important thing to remember is that sharing your paper is not enough, and the most effective thing you can do is share the JOURNEY to writing that paper. Build your community, take them on your journey and educate them along the way.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
Each Monday morning I plan my week thoroughly. Most days at the moment are quite similar as I am currently working from home and have been since February 2020. I will normally start around 9.30am and work until 6pm. My days consist of meetings with my supervisors, attending departmental seminars and external events. Further, I am a bioinformatician PhD student, so I spend a lot of time coding and producing figures while analysing data. Reading literature takes up a large portion of my week too, but each day is different and is a combination of all of these different aspects of work. Usually around 6pm, I’ll finish for the day and make dinner, go for a walk or go to work!
Once a week I'll post a 'day in the life' video on my Instagram channel showcasing that day in my life.
Did you always want to be a scientist when you were younger?
I think I have always been interested in science, but never really imagined I was ‘good enough’ to be a scientist. I was always interested in doing medicine and being a medical doctor, and at one point even wanted to be a lawyer. During school I just kind of realised I was doing well in my science classes and therefore I just grew to love it. It was not until I completed my final year project during my BSc in Dr. Radu Zabet’s lab using bioinformatics that I really found my love for genomics and bioinformatics work. From there, I’ve never looked back and I couldn’t imagine not working in science.
What advice would you give to someone at the beginning of their science career?
You do not grow when you’re comfortable - push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things. Even if at the start you are not particularly enjoying something, always give 110% to it because you never know what kind of doors it could open for you. I say this, because when I first began my final year project in Bioinformatics I really disliked bioinformatics and didn’t think I was capable of doing it. However, as I always do, I really put my all into it and tried my best to enjoy it and two years later I am now doing a PhD in this area and absolutely love what I do!
What's the most important lesson you have learned in your career so far?
Research is 90% failure and 10% success. As a PhD researcher, it’s so important to remember that you are doing something novel, something no one has ever done before. So, you will have failures and ups and downs. It is just a part of research and I wish someone had told me this when I entered research because I spent a long time beating myself up in my first year about my failures. Now I just accept and understand that it's just part of the process, and with each failure I learn from my mistakes, which ultimately gets me closer to the end goal.
What has been the proudest moment in your career so far?
My proudest moment was simply getting accepted on to my PhD. I often don’t feel that I am the typical PhD student, I don’t have exceptional grades and wasn’t necessarily the best-behaved student in school. However, I am very passionate about what I do, and I give 110% to everything I do in life as an adult, so I was proud of myself to get to this stage of education.
Outside of work and research, what do you enjoy doing most?
I really enjoy working on my blog and my Instagram account, making infographics, and talking to other researchers. I guess that's all a bit work-related, so outside of that I enjoy working out and spending time with my friends and family. My main passion is travelling, I absolutely love being able to explore other cities and countries.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing life scientists today?
A personal one that comes to mind is the worry about job prospects within academia. I think the job market is overly competitive and that can be a very daunting prospect, especially for early career researchers.
If you weren't a scientist, what do you think you would be doing?
If I wasn’t a scientist, I think I would like to be a solicitor like my older brother, or run my own business (but I wouldn’t know what in, which is probably why I’m not doing that!).
Which scientists working today do you admire most, and why?
I am inspired by many scientists within my field each day. However, three come to mind in particular. Firstly, Nessa Carey, the author of two amazing books - Epigenetics Revolution and Junk DNA. I think she is an amazing science communicator and I admire her for that. Secondly, my two supervisors, Dr Radu Zabet and Professor Leo Schalkwyk; they both push me out of my comfort zone and are extremely supportive supervisors who inspire me daily to do my best and think outside of the box.
And finally, what's your favourite science quote?
"It is through science that we prove, but intuition that we discover." – Henri Poincare
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Thank you so much for a fantastic interview, Olivia! We wish you all the best with your continued research.
Don't forget to check out The Genomics Lab podcast, and you can connect with Olivia via the social media channels below:
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