Profile

In the past I have done a lot of different jobs, before landing on my current safety role. I did my undergraduate degree in genetics and archaeology, back in Australia, focussing mostly on medical genetics. I then moved to the UK to complete a masters in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. During this time I did a lot of lab demonstrating for undergrad classes and tutored high school students in science and maths.

When I finished my masters I started working at the university as a lab tech, working on the practical classes. I then became a lab manager, running some medical research labs and am now the Safety officer for the entire department.

In my free time, I have been rowing since high school. Being on the river at sunrise is my happy place, it’s always so peaceful and calming, although I enjoy a good race to get the blood pumping, too. I’ve also been coaching since I started my undergrad; I really enjoy passing on my passion and knowledge of the sport to new people and watching them fall in love with it too.

When I have a chance to relax, I hang out with friends and watch the latest TV releases. I love going to live comedy gigs and really want to find a local D&D group or join a choir.

There are many laws and regulations about health and safety in research, education and work environments and it is my responsiblity to ensure everyone in my department understands how these affect their work and are following them. This includes reading a lot of updates, passing these on to the relevant people and making sure they have all the necessary risk assessments and training in place to stay safe while conducting their research.

I normally get up about 5.30am and head to the river to coach one of the local college rowing crews. We spend a couple of hours on the water and then I head to work for 9am (I try to squeeze some food in on the journey). I start the morning checking my emails and then run an induction for a new student joining the department before heading up to one of the labs to update their chemical inventory. I have some lunch and then do a walk around of the department to check everyone in the labs are wearing the correct PPE (labcoat/gloves/safety goggles) and following all the other safety requirements. I end the day checking the order dashboard, and complete any outstanding purchases that need doing. After work, I normally head to the gym for an erg (the land rowing machine) or go back to the river for a row. the days I don’t have training, I go to a friend’s house to catch up and watch some TV. I get home about 8pm, make some dinner and head to bed.