Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn

About Jennifer Rohn

Scientist, novelist, rock chick

In which nature imitates science

Posted on 24 December 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

On the walk from my house to Russia Dock Woodlands, you have to pass by a particular hedgerow. Like all good hedgerows, it’s thick and impenetrable and rustling with unseen bird life. And it produces lots of bright-red berries, which … Continue reading →

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In which I drop in

Posted on 19 December 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

I’m now roughly two-thirds of the way through my maternity leave, and feeling surprisingly good. After nearly three months with my new son, I’m finally under control: he is starting to sleep well at night, and I have mastered all … Continue reading →

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In which I narrowly avoid oblivion

Posted on 11 December 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

Even at moments of the most extreme duress, it is difficult for me to stop thinking like a scientist. A few days after the birth of my son some twelve weeks ago, things were just starting to normalize for Richard … Continue reading →

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In which UK science funding faces a sudden new peril

Posted on 25 November 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

A spokesperson for Vladimir Putin recently mocked the United Kingdom for being a “small island” to which no one paid any heed. He is clearly not familiar with the UK’s impressive scientific reputation on the world stage: with just 1% … Continue reading →

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In which I step out

Posted on 4 November 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

Six weeks into the big experiment, and I’m surfacing for a brief update. There is nothing I can say about new motherhood that has not been rehashed a million times, so on the topic of sleepless nights, lunching frantically on … Continue reading →

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In which we make a move

Posted on 10 September 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

There’s a lot of change going on in my life right now, all at once. In addition to giving birth sometime in the next fortnight and needing to finish up a major piece of work-related writing before that, my lab … Continue reading →

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In which I find ‘it’

Posted on 15 August 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

When I pictured my ‘adult’ life in academic science, it never looked anything like what it actually turned out to be. Trained as we are through the ranks, the neophyte scientist is constantly exposed to her bright future stretching ahead … Continue reading →

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In which a picture’s worth a thousand words – in any language

Posted on 11 July 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

Sometimes random consecutive events jibe in unexpectedly harmonious ways. When I returned to the lab from a well-earned holiday in Italy yesterday, the first thing I did was have a chat with one of our new summer students, a bright … Continue reading →

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In which we reach the brink – chemists add their voices

Posted on 6 June 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

As 26 June draws nigh, I’m starting to get a little nervous about the outcome of the UK Treasury’s decision on the 2015-2016 budget, which will decide how much public spending will be allocated to the science budget. Science is … Continue reading →

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In which the data get an outing

Posted on 31 May 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

For the past few weeks I’ve been traveling the globe at back-to-back conferences – hence the silence here. The conference universe has its own natural laws, and time flows differently as its strict routines overwrite all of your own normal … Continue reading →

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