Latest posts

Chairing: Not as Easy as it Looks

Posted on 25 November 2015 by Athene Donald

If you are setting out on your career, how do you acquire leadership skills? If you think you’re a born leader how can you check it out or improve? As part of the commemorations around the 50th anniversary death of Sir Winston Churchill (Churchill2015) various organisations have been considering different aspects of leadership. The Moller Centre at Continue reading →

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What Does Equality Mean?

Posted on 19 November 2015 by Athene Donald

­­As the additions to my last post indicate, the University of York has backtracked on celebrating International Men’s Day – a celebration that would have taken place today. So now one part of the university is annoyed that anyone ever considered celebrating the day and, by virtue of what was written in the original statement, apparently trivialisi Continue reading →

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In which we are funded: urinary infection in people with multiple sclerosis

Posted on 18 November 2015 by Jennifer Rohn
MSclip

The big announcement!

I wanted to thank the good folks at the Multiple Sclerosis Society for awarding me an Innovation Grant. With Government funding for research dwindling, life scientists rely increasingly on charities to help us answer the important questions that lead to cures.

Continue reading →
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In which I embrace the literature

Posted on 17 November 2015 by Jennifer Rohn
Work from home

Work from home

I think I’ve earned a five-minute break.

I’ve been working hard to ready myself ahead of a big interview for a significant funding scheme. I’m being subjected to a series of mock interviews, and I’ve been reading as much as possible in my field for the past few months, mostly on evenings and weekends and on th Continue reading →

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On fungus

Posted on 15 November 2015 by rpg

As a cell biologist, yeasts spelt doom for crucial experiments. And as a gardener/amateur brewer, mildew and mould and other nasties can really ruin my roses/vines/beer.

But there’s something about fungus, especially that not of the common or garden toadstool or mushroom variety, that, as a keen photographer of the world around me, is fascin Continue reading →

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Supporting Men, Supporting Women: We Need to do Both

Posted on 15 November 2015 by Athene Donald

I am not infrequently challenged about why I worry so much about women in academia when young men are being disadvantaged. This is seen to be particularly true in school exam results but also if one looks at the numbers of men entering certain university courses (Veterinary Sciences, Psychology, English…). Woman’s Hour ran a story on this very issu Continue reading →

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Some words when one is speechless

Posted on 15 November 2015 by Heather

The current use of “no words” in its semaphoric online sense seems to date back to five or ten years ago. To you, there may seem to be a great difference between five and ten years ago. To me, two days ago brought me fourteen years into the past, and all of us towards another future. From this perspective, there are no words to describe Continue reading →

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Too many jobs, not enough quiet: In which I am spread too thin

Posted on 12 November 2015 by Jennifer Rohn
My group office, in a rare quiet moment

My group office, in a rare quiet moment

To be in academia is to multitask.

As a principal investigator in a big university, it is becoming increasingly apparent that investigation is not my principal role. Yes, I run a lab (which is in turn defined by multitasks: supervising researchers; writing papers and grants; taking part in departmental activ Continue reading →

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Choosing your Path, Seizing Opportunities

Posted on 11 November 2015 by Athene Donald

I gave a talk today with this title at the Institute of Physics’ Careers Day ‘Taking Control of Your Career as a Female Physicist’. What I said is relevant to anyone setting out regardless of gender and, I suspect, regardless of discipline. They are, I believe, home truths from which most of us can benefit. Although women (and other minorities) may Continue reading →

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Eradicating Gender Stereotyping: How can Athena Swan Awards Help?

Posted on 6 November 2015 by Athene Donald

There is nothing like seeing gender stereotyping through reverse eyes to highlight its stupidity. Women are used to intrusive, inappropriate questions about their looks and dress, even in professional situations (see this recent story about Russian astronauts for an example); they are used to being judged by criteria quite different from men, be it Continue reading →

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