Amy Rankine is a PhD candidate in the Institute of Astronomy and a member of Clare Hall. Here, she tells us about being the first in her family to go to university, why she decided to pursue an academic career, and how the brightest things in the universe affect the formation of galaxies. 

Dr Stephanie Höhn is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and a member of Trinity Hall. Here, she tells us about her unusual path to an academic career, the advantages of being a biologist in a mathematics department, and how an organism that can turn itself inside out might one day help us prevent certain birth defects.

Vidhi is a PhD candidate at the Cavendish Laboratory, a Turing Scholar, and a member of Christ’s College. Here, she tells us about growing up in Madras, her research in machine learning and leaving the world of finance for academia.

Professor Marian Holness leads a research group in the Department of Earth Sciences, and studies the processes which occur during the melting and solidification of rocks. Here, she tells us how time spent in quiet activities like running, knitting and even breastfeeding have helped to trigger new insights in her research. 

Stepheni Uh is a PhD candidate in the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Here, she tells us about her research studying the cognitive effects of growing up in poverty, the gap between science and policy, and falling asleep in an MRI machine.

Emma Glennon is a PhD candidate in the Department of Veterinary Medicine and a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Here, she tells us about her research on infectious disease and how they emerge, the importance of interdisciplinary work, and learning how to catch bats.

Dr Helen Williams is a Reader in Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences and a Fellow of Jesus College. Here, she tells us about using rocks as pieces of forensic evidence, what it's like hundreds of kilometres below the Earth's surface, and why Cambridge brings out the best in her. 

Dr Alexis Braun is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Genetics. Here, she tells us about the importance of mentors, how her research might aid in conservation efforts, and how growing up in a First Nations community in Canada spurred her interest in biology. 

Sheen Gurrib is a PhD candidate in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, where she is researching ways to improve chronic lower back pain. Here, she tells us about working with refugees to help them get into Cambridge, the importance of collaboration, and why her research has involved searching through butcher shops.