Dr Fran Day is a theoretical physicist, a research fellow at Peterhouse, and a science comedian. Here, she tells us about her lifelong love of physics, her work on dark matter and particles called axions, and the high that comes with making a roomful of people laugh. 

Shagita Gounden is a systems engineer working on the world’s largest radio telescope, an Executive MBA candidate at Cambridge Judge Business School, and a member of St Edmund’s College. Here, she tells us about being part of a massive global science project, the benefits of working with an international team, and how it makes her hopeful as a South African.

Professor Laura Itzhaki is a group leader in the Department of Pharmacology and a Fellow of Newnham College. Here, she tells us about forming her own spin-out company, pitching to investors and her research on the 'workhorses' of the cell. 

Agnieszka Słowik is a PhD candidate in the Department of Computer Science and Technology, where she is a member of the artificial intelligence research group. Here, she tells us about neural networks and how they communicate with each other, the importance of supportive supervisors, and how to be a supportive team member.

Anna Chaplin is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychiatry who studies the association between depression and cardiovascular health in young people. Here, she tells us about teaching herself to code, her department’s support of students, and putting your mental health first. 

Angela Harper is a PhD candidate at the Cavendish Laboratory, a member of Churchill College, and a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Here, she tells us about her work in renewable energy, setting up a Girls in STEM programme while she was an undergraduate in North Carolina, and the importance of role models when pursuing a career in STEM. 

Flora Donald is a PhD candidate who splits her time between the Department of Plant Sciences and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Here, she tells us about growing up in a family of gardeners, her research on conserving the native UK juniper, and her love of the Scottish Highlands. 

Sophia Cooke is a PhD candidate in the Department of Zoology, and a member of King's College. Here, she tells us about splitting her time between Cambridge and Galápagos, why working in the David Attenborough Building is so special, and how a little room in Norfolk with no wifi helped build her confidence as a researcher.  

Dr Jenny Zhang is a group leader and BBSRC David Phillips Fellow in the Department of Chemistry, where she is re-wiring photosynthesis to generate renewable fuels. Here, she tells us about why she switched from cancer research to sustainability, how her Fellowship programme is helping her develop leadership skills, and why eggs in her childhood home would regularly go missing.

Fiona Llewellyn Beard is a PhD candidate in the Department of Earth Sciences, where she studies salt marshes and how they store huge amounts of carbon. Here, she tells us about how a childhood love of mud pies led to her current research, her love of the outdoors, and how everything in the environment is interconnected.