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Celebrating our love of Science this British Science Week

11 March 2022

To mark British Science Week (11 – 20 March 2022) we caught up with some of our academics to discover what inspired them to go into a scientific field, and why they love the world of science.

Tim Blackburn, Professor of Invasion Biology, Division of Biosciences

Tim_British Science Week
“I’ve always been passionate about nature, and especially birds. Being a scientist means I get paid to spend all day trying to work out how the natural world works – or small bits of it at least – and to pass on my passion to new generations of students. What a great position to be in!"

Dr Stephanie Koch, Senior Research Fellow, Division of Biosciences

Stephanie Koch_British Science Week
“I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in science. I was interested in many fields and had eventually decided to study the neuroscience of addiction. But then I attended a lecture about pain and development by Professor Maria Fitzgerald and that was that; I shifted my career towards understanding pain circuits, and then to movement. I love that my job is to discover and that I get to meet brilliant colleagues to share ideas with. My advice to anyone wanting to go into science is to follow your passion and what excites you. That’s what will keep you going.”

Dr Kenneth Man, Lecturer in Pharmacoepidemiology and Medication Safety, School of Pharmacy

Kenneth_British Science Week
“I had asthma as a child and used to visit my paediatrician frequently. During my visits, I asked many questions, things like “Why do I cough so frequently?”, “Why have I stopped sneezing after taking these pills?

I was lucky to have a paediatrician to answer my questions, not only scientifically but also in a way that a five-year-old kid could understand.

The story behind these answers is from science, but science doesn’t just give us factual knowledge; it gives us the tools we need to keep answering questions throughout our life. Science is the portal for me to understand problem occurs in human body and look for a solution. It consists of tools like logic and sense for us to build up solutions for problems.

There is truth, just sometimes the truth is difficult for us to see. But the joy that I have during the process to unlock the mystery in our life is what brings me to science."


Ijeoma Uchegbu, Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience, School of Pharmacy

Ijeoma_British Science Week
“Science is so unpredictable; you truly never know what you may find each time you design and conduct a study. What this means is that science is never ever boring.  There is something interesting happening all the time. As an academic scientist, I also love the fact that I have so much autonomy in my job; I can think about a direction of enquiry one evening and start to pursue it in the morning in the laboratory. Another important aspect of being a scientist is discovering something no one else has discovered before. That is the best feeling in the world.”

To read the full series for British Science Week follow our Instagram accounts @ucllifesciences and @uclschoolofpharmacy