Profile
Maddy Carter
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About Me:
I live in Edinburgh with my boyfriend (who is also a science researcher).
I’m a cell biologist working in a biotechnology company in a beautiful university campus just outside the city centre – the same place where Dolly the sheep was made!
I love to go hillwalking, from my desk you see the Pentland Hills, and enjoy other sports like swimming and cycling outside of work.
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My pronouns are:
She/Her
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My Work:
My work involves coming up with the best ways to grow cells from animals like pig, cow and sheep in the lab. These cells will go on to be made into burgers and meat products as an alternative protein to normal farmed meat.
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Science is always about problem solving. In my company, the problem we are trying to solve is: how can we make an alternative meat protein that is sustainable, and doesn’t harm animals, in order to feed the world’s growing population?
We are working with animal stem cells to work out how to grow them cheaply and on a large scale, and able to taste good!
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My Typical Day:
I try and cycle into work (if the weather is nice!) and get in around 9am. I’ll plan my day including what lab work needs to be done and check my calendar.
I’ll spend a few hours in the lab checking my cells – feeding them, collecting data like cell counts or setting up new experiments.
We usually have lunch together in my team in the cafe or outside, if the weather is good.
Sometimes I have meetings with my team to discuss progress and experimental data or problems which have come up that we want to solve.
Then, I will do some data analysis and put my results into powerpoint or excel for others to see, and I leave the office around 5pm.
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Education:
I went to a grammar school in north London and did my GCSEs and A-levels there – I was interested in a broad range of subjects and studied languages, art and sciences.
Then, I went to Edinburgh University for my undergraduate degree in biology – again I kept my options broad, studying courses in Ecology, Animal Biology, Biotechnology and Genetics.
I took a break from university and worked for a few years before deciding to do a postgrad degree.
Then, I did my PhD at Newcastle University in a research lab.
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Qualifications:
9 GCSEs – along with the compulsory Maths, English and Sciences my free choices were History, German, Russian and Art
5 AS levels – Maths, Physics. Biology, Art and Russian
3 A2 levels – Maths, Physics and Russian
BSc from Edinburgh Uni in Biological Sciences (Genetics)
PhD from Newcastle Uni in Stem Cells and Medical Research
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Work History:
My first job was part time in a pharmacy shop after school and at weekends.
I worked in a few cafes and pubs during university to make some extra money in the summer.
After graduating from uni I worked in a lab analysing data from pre-clinical trials – testing new life-saving drugs on animals before they go onto doing trials with human patients.
During the pandemic I worked remotely as a science journal editor, checking articles were good to publish before they were sent to reviewers.
I also worked as a research technician in a university lab before starting my Phd.
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Current Job:
Research scientist (biologist) working with animal stem cells
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
loves growing cells
What did you want to be after you left school?
Someone who goes to tropical jungles to collect data (ecologist)
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yeah! For chatting too much...
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Diving Instructor or national park ranger
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Haim
What's your favourite food?
Noodles and dumplings
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
more time! and a faster bike
Tell us a joke.
Why did the biologist break up with the physicist? They had no chemistry
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