Amelia Drew is a PhD candidate in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. Here, she tells us about dark matter, being the only scientist in the family, and how to avoid feeling isolated during a PhD.
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.
Dr Cohl Furey is a Walter Grant Scott Fellow in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and a member of Trinity Hall. Here, she tells us about the elegance of mathematical physics, which 'gets better and better the further you go.'
Dr Anna-Maria Pappa is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and holds the Oppenheimer Research Fellowship and Maudslay-Butler Research Fellowship from Pembroke College. Her research is focused on the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
Verity Allan is a graduate of Cambridge, Oxford, and The Open University. She is a PhD candidate at the Cavendish Laboratory and works as a project manager and programmer on the software for the Square Kilometre Array, the world's largest radio telescope.
Dr Cecilia Brassett is the University Clinical Anatomist and a Fellow of Magdalene College. Here, she tells us about teaching anatomy, which has been taking place at Cambridge for more than 300 years.
Fiona Iddon is a PhD student in the Department of Earth Sciences, where she studies volcanoes. Here, she tells us about making science accessible, being the first in her family to go to university, and working at the place where the horn of Africa is splitting away from the rest of the continent.
Dr Anita Faul is a Teaching Associate at the Cavendish Laboratory and a Fellow of Selwyn College, where she specialises in algorithms. Here, she tells us about what it's like to teach at Cambridge and whether we can trust the answers that computers give us.
© 2025 University of Cambridge