Profile
Karen Adler
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About Me:
I live in Leicester! I am a microbiologist, 🧫 just about to finish my PhD and get the title of Dr.👩🏻🎓, which is very exciting! I love to read, watch documentaries, cook, and listen to music.
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I grew up in Boston, in the USA. I started by going to uni to study maths, because I thought I was good at it and would have fun. By the time I finished, though, I was very exhausted from all the maths, and decided to study biology instead!
I came to the UK 3 years ago, straight to Leicester. I have travelled a little but look forward to more in the future!
My favourite books to read are science fiction and history. I like watching shows about science and history too! I’ve learned so much about history and archaeology since I’ve come to the UK, there is so much here!
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My pronouns are:
She/Her
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My Work:
I am a microbiologist, that means I study things that need a microscope to see. Specificially, I research bacteria (these are organisms that cause infections) and how to kill them!
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Some bacteria are really strong and aggressive, and they can cause infections that can be very hard to cure. These germs are known as Superbugs. The antibiotics we would get from our GP would normally work on regular infections, but these super-strong Superbugs can protect themselves from the antibiotics, so they don’t work!!!
If a person gets a Superbug infection, sometimes it means they will die because the infection gets worse and worse and worse, and there is nothing doctors can do to stop it.
In my research, I am experimenting with a way to kill these Superbugs for good! I use good viruses, sort of like Covid or the flu, but instead they make the Superbugs so sick that they die! These good viruses can ONLY infect bacteria, and we are using them like an antibiotic.
In around 2 years or so, we hope to start treating people with this new medicine through the NHS!
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My Typical Day:
A typical day for me looks like this:
I wake up, have a coffee, and walk to the university where my lab is. I live about 15 minutes’ walk so it’s pretty close.
Around 9am, When I get to the lab, I leave my coat and backpack in my office, and go to the lab. Because I work with Superbugs, I don’t want them near my things!!! I have to wear a labcoat and gloves, and sometimes extra things like safety glasses, a mask, or special thick gloves, to keep me protected.
I do experiments most of the day, and usually for lunch everyone in the lab goes together to the lunch room where we heat up the food we brought from home or maybe make a cup of tea in our kitchen.
In the afternoon, if I don’t still have experiments to do, I usually look at results and write any reports on my work that need to be sent to other people I work with outside the lab (people from other universities, the NHS, and even sometimes companies come and work with me). I go home around 5pm, and have a nice quiet evening at home.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
Oh boy! If I won the prize money, I think I would use it to organise talks where scientists come and just tell people about our work in pubs/cafes, we already have Pint of Science which is very fun but it is only once a year and £500 could probably be enough to set up another few days!
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Education:
I went to school in the nearby school in my town outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
When I finished school, I went to uni at Harvard University and studied maths.
I then spent 5 years in the army, fixing computers.
After that, I went back to uni but in Jerusalem at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and studied biomedical science (this is a fancy way to say “biology but only humans”), and then I did a 2-year research degree (called a Master’s degree, where you learn how to do proper research) in microbiology.
I now am finishing my PhD, a doctoral degree which will give me the title of Dr., which is where you learn how to be an independent researcher without the guidance of others!
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Qualifications:
I did SATs in the USA, but it has been long enough that they changed the exams and my scores don’t mean anything anymore….!
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Work History:
I’ve worked in allllll kinds of things.
I started as tech support (the people who are called when computers don’t work) when I was at Harvard.
Then in the army I first was the technician who fixed computers, then the lead technician who managed the other technicians, then I moved to a different place and was sent to the high-tech company that made the computers I fixed, to help them make the new model.
When I went back to uni, I worked as customer support for a company that sells things for biological research, and then started working in a lab as an assistant to a researcher.
Eventually, I got a job doing some research for a doctor in infectious disease, testing the bacteria from his patients.
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Current Job:
My current job is the research as part of my PhD. When I finish completely, I plan to join the NHS and work as a Clinical Scientist and use my knowledge about infections to help doctors care for patients.
(The NHS also has training programmes you can do to become this, you don’t need to do alllllll the studying I did!)
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Employer:
Currently, the University of Leicester, but hopefully soon the NHS!
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
I Kill Infections!
What did you want to be after you left school?
A doctor
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Never!
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I'd still like to be a doctor, but in infectious diseases, so I still work on curing people with infections.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Pink Floyd
What's your favourite food?
Beef Stew
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
A bigger flat (I live in one room and it is TINY), an extra weekend day in the middle of the week, and to be able to fly!
Tell us a joke.
Children are kind, but German children are kinder!
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