Month: May 2019

By Emily Vohralik

After moving halfway across the world from the US to Australia for her PhD, Jenny has found herself immersed in the world of mathematical psychology. She didn’t expect to be living in Sydney coding all day long, but she loves it! Her research aims to understand how time pressure and interruptions affect decisions made by doctors. When she’s not sitting at her computer, Jenny will often be found outdoors soaking up the Aussie sun on a run or bushwalk.

Do you know how many times you’re interrupted during the day? Especially when you’re working on a particularly important task?

I’m sure we all have too many interruptions to count (including almost everything on our phones, friendly chats with colleagues, coffee trips, snack breaks…), but usually we manage to get back on task. The time that it takes for us to pick up where we left off after an interruption is called the resumption time. This is one of the factors Jenny looks at in her work as a mathematical psychology researcher. This small field of research (that I’d never heard of before!) involves using maths modelling to understand mechanisms behind the brain’s processes, such as decision-making.

Now imagine you’ve become very unwell and had to go to the emergency room at a hospital. The doctors are there to help you, but if they’re interrupted during their job, what will be the consequences for you as the patient? It’s normal for emergency doctors to work in this high-pressured environment while dealing with distractions. Jenny’s PhD project is focused on medical decision-making. Currently she is working on multiple experiments to understand the effects of time pressure and interruptions on decision-making in general. Then she hopes to apply this to real-life medical situations, taking advantage of the wealth of data from hospitals and ambulance services that are out there waiting to be analysed.

Something surprising about her research is that Jenny spends most of her days sitting at the computer coding in R, Python, or JavaScript (coding languages). This isn’t where Jenny pictured herself 5 years ago when she didn’t even know how to code! The coding is used to design computer-based experiments from scratch, then Jenny brings in undergrad uni students to do the tests on the computer. Then there’s more coding to analyse the data and make some pretty graphs showing exciting new results.

Jenny’s science journey began in the US, where she completed a Bachelor of Psychology at the University of Maryland. It was during her second-year experiences working in research labs with cool technologies that Jenny became fascinated with the brain and memory and knew she wanted to pursue a career in research. After her undergraduate degree, Jenny moved to upstate New York where she completed a master’s degree in Experimental Psychology. The research topic was on memory, and this is when she was thrown in the deep end to learn coding from scratch. Jenny said it was a steep learning curve, but after coding almost every day for a year she was finally proficient in these computer-based languages. While completing her master’s, she came across an application at UNSW looking for a PhD student interested in medical decision-making. With a background in memory research and interest in medicine, Jenny said when she heard about this opportunity she knew she had to apply or would regret it for the rest of her life. She said moving to Australia was one of the best decisions she’s made, and that she “looooves Australia”!

When she’s not coding at the computer, Jenny enjoys being outside and goes running along the Coogee-Bondi coastal track almost every weekend to de-stress and refocus. She also spends a lot of time facetiming her family over in the US, especially since her brother and his wife have recently had a baby.

Back in New York during her master’s degree, Jenny was part of WiSE – Women in Science and Engineering. Naturally, here in Sydney she became a UNSW Champion for Women in Maths and Science because she was seeking out another great program to connect her with inspirational female scientists and to promote the value of science to the community through outreach.

Follow Jenny on Twitter (@jfsloane)

Follow Emily on Twitter (@EVohralik)

By Dr Poppy Watson

After finishing her PhD and doing research in medicinal chemistry, Dr Ruth Thomas decided to use her passion and experience in a more education-oriented way. As a technical officer in the teaching laboratories in the School of Chemistry, she gets the opportunity to work with students and educational staff – ensuring that they have everything they need, and that safety is being maintained. Ruth is a keen cook (originally from India), and would love to stay within the field of Chemistry – developing her own leadership skills and guiding future students.

1. So, what is your role at UNSW?

I am a technical officer in the teaching laboratories in the School of Chemistry. I work closely on the preparation notes for the various undergraduate labs by ordering the appropriate chemicals and equipment required, preparing the required solutions, and coordinating with staff with regard to the various lab experiments. I interact daily with students and educators, giving them technical advice and help as needed. I also maintain a chemical inventory database and am responsible for regularly updating the safety folder for the lab. This involves writing and reviewing risk assessments, preparation notes and safe working procedures for various instruments in the teaching labs.

2. What does your day-to-day life at work look like?

In my current job, workload is tight and hectic during terms because students come in to use the teaching laboratories for their practical. So, a typical working day during the term really depends on the scheduled labs in the School. In the organic chemistry lab, for example, I ensure that all solutions are ready for the students to use, the necessary equipment are in place, the required instruments are functioning well, and the lab is tidy and ready to go for the students. Since the same labs do not run through the day, there is usual a fast turnover where the lab needs to be re-organized differently for the next course to run. I also ensure that the lab is safe for the students to work in by making sure that risk assessments are in place for the experiments. My work also involves checking inventory of chemicals and glassware, so that they can be replenished as stock runs low. I also need to look ahead to upcoming terms so that appropriate material and equipment can be ordered and kept ready for use.

3. How did you become a technical officer? Did you always want to work in science?

I always had a passion for science in high school and took mathematics with science for my higher secondary schooling in India. I completed a bachelors in Pharmacy and a masters in biological sciences as a dual degree integrated program. During this time, I developed a strong interest in the field of medicinal chemistry and research in general. I had a burning desire to do a doctoral program, which brought me to UNSW as a PhD student. My research focused on designing new strategies for the synthesis of novel chemical structures which may have anti-cancer properties. After the completion of my doctoral program, I continued to work in the same research group on novel indoles as antibacterial agents for about two years. I loved doing research but one drawback is the lack of funding opportunities and I wanted to find a more stable career path. As a technical officer in the School of Chemistry, I am able to use the knowledge and skills I have gained over the years in the teaching laboratories. I wish to continue to stay in the field and gain more experience in the areas of management and leadership.

4. What are some of the drawbacks about the field that you work in?

I work in the laboratory environment most of the time and hence, come into contact with chemicals of different categories such as toxic, flammable, corrosive and carcinogenic chemicals. This does pose a risk to one’s health in some ways despite taking all precautionary measures while handling chemicals. Also, as a woman in STEM, I feel underrepresented and think that we need to be encouraging the current generation to pursue studies in STEM.

5. When you are not working, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I usually enjoy going out for walks in the park or near the waterfront, enjoying nature. I love cooking and like to try new recipes in the kitchen. When I am fed up of my own cooking, I like to go out and try a different cuisine other than Indian for a change. I used to do cross-stitch in my leisure in the past. Nowadays, I am usually running behind my active 21-month-old baby girl playing peekaboo, singing rhymes with her, solving animal puzzles and playing with building blocks.

6. Why did you join the UNSW Science and Maths Women Champions?

The Women in Maths and Science Champions Program is a good platform for me to be engaging with other women in the field of science. The program helps me focus on my career path and work towards being a more confident leader – having a positive impact on the science community. Having been part of the UNSW community since starting my PhD, I feel very privileged to have had many enormous opportunities. By working on my personal and professional development, I will be able to guide future students in their career paths and help them to contribute to social engagement, global impact, and leadership activities that add value to UNSW Science.

Follow Poppy on Twitter (@Pop_Watson)