Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn

About Jennifer Rohn

Scientist, novelist, rock chick

In which the truth is out there

Posted on 19 May 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Crop circles are so last century. In our lab, HeLa cell circles are all the rage: The tissue culture incubator is currently plagued – not with aliens, but a random vibration or resonance that causes our cells to sporadically seed … Continue reading →

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In which I ponder the power of perspective

Posted on 11 May 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Whenever you stick your head above the parapet and express a strong opinion in a high-profile venue, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll receive a large number of emails in response. Most of the follow-up I receive tends to be from … Continue reading →

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In which I confront a domestic mystery

Posted on 2 May 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Some late nights in the lab, that vending machine chocolate bar just can’t fill the snack hole that only a truly grueling experiment can induce. You need something hot, salty and preferably dripping with fat. It’s no surprise, then, that … Continue reading →

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In which I set my sights

Posted on 13 April 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Even the darkest tunnels tend to have lights at the end of them. In the past fortnight, not only have I submitted my big screen paper – the culmination of four years of work – to a very reputable cell … Continue reading →

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In which I look ahead

Posted on 29 March 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Wishing something will not make it real. But its opposite is a very powerful force: if you decide something is out of your reach, it’s never going to happen. I am not ascribing some New-Age prophecy or supernatural barrier here: … Continue reading →

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In which we rev up again

Posted on 18 March 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s been a long, cold winter. Science Is Vital has been in hibernation, but now we’re back. After half a year since the government’s Autumn Spending Review, the implications of the science budget’s cash freeze are starting to kick in. … Continue reading →

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In which I go native

Posted on 16 March 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

We scientists are an itinerant bunch, wafting from job to job, city to city and – frequently – country to country, in search of that elusive permanent position. Because of that, our sense of ‘home’ – a place where we … Continue reading →

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In which I lose my temper

Posted on 14 March 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Late last year I blogged about the new health and safety rule handed down on high from the research council that funds our institute: all staff must wear safety glasses at all times while in the laboratory – regardless of … Continue reading →

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In which I assert my right of interpretation

Posted on 9 March 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

In doing research for my previous World View piece for Nature about the lack of female science pundits, I came across the notion that women might be discouraged from expressing their views in public in part because they didn’t want … Continue reading →

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In which I do my bit

Posted on 1 March 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

For me, one of the highlights of Science Online 2011 was meeting @HistoryGeek – Holly Tucker, an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University who teaches French and the history of medicine, and whose upcoming book Blood Work, a tale of murder … Continue reading →

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