About Jenny
By day: cell biologist at UCL. By night: novelist, broadcaster, science writer, sci-lit-art pundit, blogger and Editor of LabLit.com. I blog about my life in science, not the facts and figures.
Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn
In which I drift
Today as I walked to the lab from Belsize Park underground station, fallen cobnuts crunched under my shoes, and an obstacle course of shiny brown conkers scattered free from their deflated prickly cases. In the spent edges of Storm Helene, … Continue reading
Posted in Academia, The profession of science, Work/life balance
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In which we enjoy: unique recycled goods from Upside-Down
I rarely engage in product endorsement, but I’d like to tell you about a company I’m just crazy about. (They aren’t giving me any money or discounts to write this review.) Upside-Down is a Romanian company which recycles urban materials, … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
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In which I plug: Cat Zero! (Punchline: it’s a great holiday read)
Are you heading off for some well-needed rest? Then do considering packing a copy of Cat Zero, my latest lab lit novel – in which a feminist virologist joins forces with a sexist mathematician to solve a cat plague that … Continue reading
In which I preserve
I often think about how ancient survival strategies are probably still encoded somewhere deep in our chromosomes, cryptic and dormant but with the potential to be roused by the faintest of stimuli. For me, recent unrest in the world has … Continue reading
Posted in Domestic bliss, Gardening, Joshua, Staring into the abyss, The ageing process, Work/life balance
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In which Cat Zero arrives on the scene; plus some other literary shenanigans
It’s nearly showtime: my third lab lit novel Cat Zero is about to be published! After a several-month delay due to issues of US distribution, I am pleased to confirm an official publication date of Tuesday 5 June! Yes, that’s … Continue reading
In which a new Doctor is born
No, not that Doctor. (Besides, I’m not sure any graduate student would care to regenerate and repeat the experience for all eternity!) My first PhD candidate, Harry Horsley, recently had his viva. Here he is, about an hour before the … Continue reading
Posted in Academia, Careers, Students, The profession of science
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In which science imitates life, number 365: zones of death in public transport
I was waiting for the bus this past weekend, ridiculously early to get my son to his swimming lesson across town. Or so I thought. We waited, and waited, and Joshua jumped up and down anxiously, looking adorable with his … Continue reading
Posted in Joshua, Scientific thinking, Silliness
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In which age is no impediment to scientific discourse
Joshua has had quite a few vaccinations in his four-and-a-half years – the usual routine inoculations for standard childhood illnesses and a couple (chicken pox and meningitis B) that are not on the NHS menu. The last time I took … Continue reading
Posted in Domestic bliss, Joshua, Students, Teaching
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In which I get the blues (a tale of miracle surgery)
I have a good excuse for not writing for a while: eye surgery in the new year, which made reading or writing of any kind difficult. Only now am I starting to get back to my old literary self. I … Continue reading
Posted in The ageing process
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In which we look back at top 2017(ish) lab lit fiction
As the old year dribbles to a close under heavy grey skies and relentless rain here in southeast England, just a quick note to point you towards a recent interview of me on US National Public Radio, chatting to host … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit
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