Profile
Jemma Kerns
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About Me:
I live in Lancashire with my husband and son. I always start my working day with a mocha, and another chocolate intake at 3pm! I’m a wife, Mum, daughter, sister, auntie, friend, scientist, and kick-boxer!
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My pronouns are:
she/her
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My Work:
I’m a senior lecturer at Lancaster Medical School. In my research I shine lasers at samples to find out about what they are made of, particularly bones. My time is split between doing my own research, teaching and supporting others to do research as I’m also director of research.
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Read more
I’m driven by a motivation to want to make thing better and improve health. I think health is the most important thing and I strive to understand how we age and how we can better measure and detect diseases earlier. My favourite tool is Raman spectroscopy, I love to literally shine a laser at something and find out what is it made of. Whether that is bone, ivory, hair, nails, etc. We can learn from it all. Most importantly I love working with people, and thinking things through and supporting others to do great research.
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My Typical Day:
Sorry to be cliche but I don’t have many typical days, so I’ll describe a Weds as they tend to similar and fun. I start my working day with my lab group meeting at 10 am (coffees, and often snacks all round), a great way to start the day discussing all the exciting experimental results, things that have gone well or not, and what to do next. Then I’ll often have meetings with colleagues, and my boss to think about research across the department. I answer a lot of emails, provide feedback to post-graduate students on their work, and go home at 5.45pm.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
Adverts/mini video clips on radio/spotify etc for a range of scientists jobs to break stereotypes and share information about real jobs.
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Education:
Greenbank High School in Southport, Merseyside
King George V College, Southport
Lancaster University (BSc and PhD)
I found it very useful to have a different experiences at different places and was glad my school didn’t have a sixth form. I stayed local to the North West, which was great for family and friends. I always chose subjects I liked at each point, but mixed it up a bit too, hence the German along with the STEM subjects for Alevel.
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Qualifications:
10.5 GCSEs
3 Alevels in Maths, Chemistry and Biolog
AS in German and Advanced Maths
BSc Natural Sciences (2:1) Hons 2007
PhD Biological Sciences, 2010
Fellow of the Higher Education academy (Advance HE)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Senior Spectroscopist with the Society for Applied Spectroscopy
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Work History:
After my PhD I worked as a post-doctoral research associate at UCL from Oct 2010- March 2014. I then started my lectureship at Lancaster Medical School on 1st April 2014, and promoted to senior lecturer in August 2018.
I loved my experience of living and working in London, but ultimately knew I wanted to be back in the North. Having been away I appreciated it more, but also enjoyed the experience of being away. I’ve had lots of chances to travel in my career, and went where the conferences took me, including Barcelona, New York and San Francisco. These are still options now but there was no travel during the pandemic etc, and some still offer online options, which good for considering sustainability.
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Current Job:
Senior lecturer and director of research, Lancaster Medical School
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Employer:
Lancaster University
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
chocolate loving spectroscopist
What did you want to be after you left school?
Teacher
Were you ever in trouble at school?
No
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Chocolatier
Who is your favourite singer or band?
P!nk
What's your favourite food?
Chocolate
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