There are many inspirational female scientists absolutely smashing it in scicomm, and Naomi is definitely one of them. Even through chatting to Naomi online it is clear that she has a great sense of humour and a bubbly and bouncy energy to her (if you don’t watch her Instagram stories, you’re missing out). I was super excited to chat to Naomi, and get to know more about her PhD research and life as a science communicator in Sydney, Australia.
My research can be broadly broken up into four different categories:
1. Isolating stem cells from fat and characterising their proteome
2. Investigating the potential of differentiating these cells into neurons
3. Utilising these cells to model multiple sclerosis
4. Creating digital media content for the multiple sclerosis community
I have always been interested in stem cells because they have the potential to repair and even replace damaged cells. The hope that they provide is immense and it definitely sparked my interest. However I realised that hope is often exploited, and this was one of the large factors behind me pursuing a career as a science communicator and combining that with my PhD.
Have you had any pivotal experiences throughout your research study that have been a major learning curve?
I was fortunate enough to undertake multiple undergraduate research projects that gave me my first real taste of research. I assisted Emma Dawson’s PhD project for an entire year, and nearly everything we tried, failed. I am so grateful for this experience as I quickly learnt that failure is just a part of science, and in order to succeed you need perseverance. This really helped me through honours and my PhD.
You have an impressive CV of science communication activities - what inspired you to get involved in #scicomm, and how do you find the right balance alongside your research?
If I am completely honest with you I’m still trying to find the right balance. What I can say is that science communication has had an incredibly positive impact on my life. Through engaging with the online science community, I have found a network of people who are supportive and encouraging. Being an active science communicator also keeps my motivation levels up and it really helps me get through those tough days, weeks, or even months of failure that come with scientific research.
Science communication has become such an integral part of my life, and I fell in love with it because it doesn’t have the same competitive nature that you find in research and academia. There is also enormous value in science communication, particularly due to the lack of scientific literacy. When asked if the earliest humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs, 41% of Americans answered this as being true, 27% of Australians also answered the same. We desperately need more science communicators.
For International Women’s Day, you assembled quite the girl gang of female scientists, and created a powerful video as a reminder that women can be scientists too! What motivated you to make this?
I have been told that I am too girly, too sweet, too giggly, and that this takes away from my authority and expertise. It frustrates me that as a society we still do not understand that being feminine and intelligent are not mutually exclusive. Making this video was a chance to combat this and show off our diverse range of female scientists.
Finally, where do you see yourself in the future (post-PhD)?
I want to pursue a career in academia while simultaneously pursuing my career as a science communicator. There are many aspects of academia that are heavily flawed, particularly the competitive nature, the lack of training for mentors, and the lack of support for students. I am fully aware that the system will either break me, or I will break the system, and I am really hoping for the latter.
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