• Question: What has been the best thing that has happeneed to you during the course of your research and why??

    Asked by vampireatdusk to Andrew, Ben, Heather, Louisa on 23 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Ben Still

      Ben Still answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Being able to call myself Dr Still! Passing my final PhD via exam and handing in my final thesis were probably the best moments of my career so far.

      But I have been so lucky to be part of an important international experiment and have had the opportunity to take a really important role. The traveling and meeting great scientists too. There are too many good moments and I’m A Scientist is ranking up there.

    • Photo: Louisa Chard

      Louisa Chard answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      I think that getting my PhD is one big highlight for me – 3 years of hard work and lots of research paid off. Also, when you manage to put together a piece of research and publish it in a good journal that is always a highlight as our journals are peer reviewed and manuscripts only get accepted if the work is relevent, novel and interesting so it makes you feel like things are worthwhile (keeps you going through the frustrating times when experiments don’t work!). Also, in this job, finishing making a virus and finding that it works in the lab is very rewarding as it takes a lot of work to get there and is the first step to clinical trials.

    • Photo: Heather McKee

      Heather McKee answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      A couple of years ago I worked in a clinic with morbidly obese people, helping them loose weight through psychological intervention, counselling, diet and exercise. Before I left one of my clients(who had been massively successful in weight loss during the programme) came up to me and said that i had given her back her life. That is what inspired me to persue being a scientist.
      If I only have the opportunity to help one more person in my career then it will be worth it!

    • Photo: Andrew McKinley

      Andrew McKinley answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Obtaining my PhD was the best thing that happened – there is no feeling quite like submitting yoru thesis – this 200 page book that you have to write, that dwells on your mind for 3 years (at least!), and when you finally hand it in there is a massive weight off your shoulders! I loved the experiments, but writing the thesis just seemed like an impossible hurdle, and to do it was just amazing!

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