Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn

About Jennifer Rohn

Scientist, novelist, rock chick

In which we keep below decks – for now

Posted on May 31, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

Everyone I know in academia is hanging by a thread. The profession has always been fraught, but in the past few years I’ve sensed an edge of desperation in many of my colleagues, especially those who heavily teach. We have … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Research, Staring into the abyss, Teaching, The profession of science | Leave a comment

In which no scientist is an island – but that’s what we signed up for

Posted on May 16, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

I’ve washed up on the shores of another weekend, almost limp after two weeks of protracted stress. Throughout this, my unsettled, cortisol-fuelled moods have mirrored the erratic nature of the recent weather: violent cloudbursts, hailstorms, rainbows, periods of brilliant sunshine … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Research, Scientific papers, Scientific thinking, Teaching, The profession of science, Work/life balance | 2 Comments

In which the road forks and the future splinters

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s that time of year when prospective undergraduates are considering their various offers to study at university. As the Admissions Tutor for a large BSc programme, I’ve been spending a lot of time fielding hundreds of queries by email. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Careers, Nostalgia, Research, The profession of science, Women in science | Comments Off on In which the road forks and the future splinters

In which I come home

Posted on April 26, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been caught in the flurry of the early-spring conference season, crisscrossing continents to take part in that most ritualistic of scientific pastimes: networking, giving talks, sliding through poster sessions, drinking bad coffee from steel … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Domestic bliss, Gardening, Joshua, Nostalgia, Research, The ageing process, The profession of science, Work/life balance | Comments Off on In which I come home

In which sadness serves a purpose

Posted on April 5, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s one of those weekend afternoons when the garden is almost too beautiful. Too much. I sit here under a blanket on a deck chair in the blustery wind, trying to write, but all the songbirds have forgotten I’m here … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Nostalgia, Staring into the abyss, The ageing process, Writing | 1 Comment

In which we tell a story: on metaphors in science and life

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

There is such a stark divide between those who understand scientific complexity and those who urgently need or want to. The onus falls on the former to translate their messages in a comprehensible way. Perhaps it’s a radical claim, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Research, Scientific papers, Students, Teaching, Writing | 1 Comment

In which we build the perfect scientist

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

They say it takes a village to raise a child. But I’ve been wondering recently what it takes to raise an independent scientist. Specifically, I’m thinking of the “valley of death” between a postdoc and a well-functioning group leader with … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Careers, Domestic bliss, Nostalgia, Research, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science, Work/life balance | Comments Off on In which we build the perfect scientist

In which we’ve lost the scientific argument

Posted on March 7, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

Today in the United States, researchers are marching in Washington DC and across the country in a Stand Up for Science National Day of Action. Their problems are admittedly a lot heavier than ours here in the UK, although a … Continue reading →

Posted in Nostalgia, Policy, Politics, Science is Vital, Science talking, Students, Teaching | 1 Comment

In which I ponder: could scientific angst beat nuclear war in a fair fight?

Posted on March 1, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

When you are a scientist, your daily concerns revolve around mundane issues, so mundane that most normal people would struggle to recognise them as urgent: primarily funding woes, like I wrote about last week. But also publications, teaching, the dozen … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science | Comments Off on In which I ponder: could scientific angst beat nuclear war in a fair fight?

In which we watch and wait

Posted on February 22, 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

Precarity is the one constant of academic science. Themes of instability thread themselves through everything we do: experiments that inexplicably cannot be repeated. Once-sound theories that fall into pieces as a result. Job contracts that end after only a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Careers, Research, science funding, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science | Comments Off on In which we watch and wait