Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn

About Jennifer Rohn

Scientist, novelist, rock chick

In which we venture out

Posted on 25 May 2020 by Jennifer Rohn

We are poised on the edge. As the world teeters between spring and summer, cloaked in lush green and bursting into flower, there is a sense that our pandemic lockdown is coming to an end. Not all at once, of … Continue reading →

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In which we lock down

Posted on 13 April 2020 by Jennifer Rohn

Pandemic existence: reaping what we’ve sownThere is nothing I can write about life on lockdown that has not already been written. Doing so risks the scorn of the likes of Times journalist Matthew Parris, who on Saturday opined: I’m encountering … Continue reading →

Posted in Domestic bliss, Gardening, staring into the abyss, The profession of science, work-life balance | Comments Off on In which we lock down

In which we home-school science: introducing #HomeSci, a social media experiment

Posted on 20 March 2020 by Jennifer Rohn

Joshua channeling his inner boffin at dress-up time From this coming Monday in the United Kingdom, all schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that many parents will be working from home and looking after their children … Continue reading →

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In which the pandemic unfolds: a postcard from The Big One?

Posted on 15 March 2020 by Jennifer Rohn

Epidemics are works in progress. At any given moment in time, you can’t know how they will end. They are a curve on a graph of ultimately unknown trajectory; when you are just a dot on a growing curve, you … Continue reading →

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In which my mother stands behind me, and I mother in turn

Posted on 26 December 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

The winter always belonged to my mother and me. We both loved the late autumn, when the last of the leaves plastered the pavements in a smear of color, and our breath fogged the morning air. November also usually brought … Continue reading →

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In which I defend the birds-eye view

Posted on 26 November 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

Lovely massive tree. But what about that small boy in the corner?Is science about obsessing over one tiny daub of paint? Or is it about standing back and appreciating the entire picture?

Posted in academia, Research, Scientific method, Scientific thinking | Comments Off on In which I defend the birds-eye view

In which darkness comes knocking

Posted on 14 October 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s quite telling that the back end of this blog site is full of recent drafts, abandoned a few lines in. I have ideas, and most evenings, the time, to dash something off. But something, recently, is sapping my creative … Continue reading →

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In which I realize I am part of a select sci/art group

Posted on 13 August 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

Me talking about the antimicrobial resistance crisis back in 2015 I haven’t written here for a gazillion years – life is just too full-on. But I found out an amusing fact that I wanted to share. I’m not sure how … Continue reading →

Posted in Lablit, Nostalgia | Comments Off on In which I realize I am part of a select sci/art group

In which I assess

Posted on 21 May 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

There’s plenty more where that came from It’s that time of year – piles of booklets appearing on my desk faster than I can clear them out. Baffling handwriting, detailed rubrics, Excel spreadsheets, moderation sessions, similarity scores, pens of many … Continue reading →

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In which I run aground

Posted on 18 April 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s been a long winter, and the past academic term seemed to stretch on forever, a blur of stress and deadlines punctuated by good news and bad. My lab got another paper accepted, and my outline-stage grant was shortlisted. But … Continue reading →

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