Partner Spotlight will be running as a monthly series. We all want to get to know our brilliant community a little better and find out the things that make them tick in and out of work.

What is your role and how long have you worked at The Nursery?

I am a research assistant here at The Nursery and joined the team in September 2021. I am one of the first people to be part of a new rotation scheme, meaning I will get experience in all the teams at The Nursery. I’ve spent 4 months on the Qual team and 2 months on the B&C team, all that’s left is M&E.

What did your journey before working at The Nursery look like and what led you here?

During university I decided to do a research placement. I spent a year working in an MRI suit looking into people’s brains and creating new experiments. Once I had finished, I had a taste for research but knew I wanted to take what I had learned outside of academia.

After graduating I was on the job search immediately, managing to secure a temporary position as a technical assistant for an aerospace engineering company, a job I was completely unqualified for. Soon after, I got an interview for The Nursery, then another interview, then another… Until finally they proposed the rotation scheme to me, and I happily agreed. 

If you could switch your job with anyone else within The Nursery whose job would you want and why?

Emma McHarg – Being head of data science just sounds cool.

What is your proudest moment at The Nursery this year?

Volunteering to host the WGO and being called a legend for it.

What would you do (in your career) if you weren’t doing this?

Teacher – I love teaching and explaining things I care about to people.

Zoologist/Zookeeper – I love animals and want to feed them.

After getting a cat of my own, I have to say cats. Most of the time she hates me, and I love that.

Partner Spotlight: Get to know Dwayne May - Research Assistant 