By Charuni Pathmeswaran

Sam is a chemist with a special interest in drug development. She is also a teaching fellow in chemistry with a passion for science communication. When not doing her PhD, Sam enjoys learning about behavioural science of animals, which helps her understand her puppy better ?

Can you briefly explain your current research?

I look at peptides, which are strings of amino acids. They are good drug candidates as they occur naturally, and they’re simpler forms of proteins which are a key to a lot of interactions that cause diseases. My unique application is to see how we can manipulate certain drug-like peptides by using fluorine, to see if we can make them into new drugs.

What drew you to this field?

In high school, my favourite subjects were maths and sciences. When I started my undergrad, I wanted to do more chemistry and physics. I was so intrigued to learn the fundamental mechanics that go on with atoms. Once you see how science works and how it’s underpinning so much in your world, it’s hard to stop seeing it that way. I’ve always wanted to make an impact. That’s how the medicine side came into the picture for me.

What excites you most about your work? 

I like furthering the science of my little project. I also like challenging myself with new skills. My honours research was on pharmacology which is much more cell-based and drug testing based. My PhD is in chemistry which is more on synthesis. Building new skills helps me change the way I view things.

What do you find most challenging about the work you do and how do you tackle it? 

Research, in general, can be monotonous at times. I try to slot in a few energizing tasks between the repetitive tasks, and I find this to be quite helpful.

What does a typical day look like for you? 

I work in a synthetic lab. There’s a fume cupboard in which we leave all the hazardous chemicals. You have a bench where you have your lab book. I try to do one experiment a day. I come in the morning and purify the compound and then set up my experiment in the afternoon.

What are your interests outside of science?

I spend most of my free time walking or playing with my puppy. I also like training her. I’ve been listening to podcasts that discuss the behavioral science of animals and I find it so interesting. I also enjoy going on bush walks and cooking.

Words of advice for young women interested in pursuing a career in STEM? 

Don’t be narrow-minded in how science is going to work for you. You don’t have to end up working in a lab to be defined as a woman in STEM. You can work for a science-based company. Or even for a non-science-based company and apply the rational thinking that scientists do. Try and find someone whom you can aspire to be like. Use them to prove to yourself that you can be a woman in STEM. If your interest doesn’t match up perfectly with an existing job position, it could be the perfect opportunity to fill that niche!

What are you most proud of in your career so far? 

I really like that during my undergrad and even in my PhD, I have had the opportunity to engage in other things such as teaching or professional development programmes. I’m proud that despite being a student for a long time, I’m also gaining different skills which will make me more employable.

What would you like to see change in the future for women in STEM? 

Women still aren’t given the opportunity to equally prioritize family and career. It’s still viewed as a dichotomy where you must pick either one or the other and if you try to do both, you are judged for it. That has to change. I would also like to see more women in higher-up positions.

Post-PhD plans?

Very flexible at the moment. I’m preparing my portfolio and developing a diverse set of skills from my PhD. At least for a while, I would like a break from my research. And luckily chemistry can be a practical skill. My options and interests include working in quality assurance, or in drug therapy. I would also love to be a science communicator.

WFH tips?

I’m still working on my WFH productivity. I struggle with distractions when I’m at home. I’m overzealous about recording what I do. It helps me take stock of whether I was productive on a given day. I start the day with a to-do list, consisting of tasks of different priorities. I also find it useful to break up big tasks into smaller, manageable tasks.

Follow Sam on Twitter

Fatima is a 2^nd year PhD student at School of Optometry & Vision Science, UNSW and proud women champion. Her research focuses on developing methods to understand the structure and function of oil producing glands that prevent eyes from getting dry. Her research work will not only help clinicians and researchers but also industry in developing newer therapeutic targets for dry eyes. Fatima is an amazing success story following her dreams from Pakistan to UNSW Australia and beyond!

For as long as she can remember, Fatima has been fascinated with vision. It started with drawing and art and interpreting the world around her. Encouraged by her father, Fatima started studying optometry, and began to understand how the world is perceived by each individual. Fatima soon realised her passion for optometry, finishing her Bachelors degree in 2016 closely followed by a Masters degree in 2018 from a renowned university in Pakistan.

Currently, under supervision of Scientia Prof Fiona Stapleton, Prof Eric Papas and Dr Jacqueline Tan, Fatima is developing methods to understand the structure and function of Meibomian Glands – the oil producing glands in the eyelids that secrete oils to prevent eyes from getting dry. If these meibomian glands do not produce enough oils, it can lead to dry eye disease. More than 50% of Australian population is suffering from dry eye disease and many of which go undiagnosed. Fatima’s research involves establishing clinically useful methods that will having better understanding of the form and shape of these glands which will ultimately help researchers, clinicians and industry in developing new therapeutics targets as well as early detection of dry eye disease.

Fatima did not end up in Prof. Fiona Stapleton’s lab by accident. Prof. Stapleton was her role model throughout her undergraduate studies, and Fatima closely followed her work which inspired her to pursue research. Fatima decided to move from Pakistan to UNSW for her PhD so that she could work with Prof. Stapleton. To date, she has published 12 peer-reviewed publications, achieved 18 awards and two patents and proud mentee at IMNIS (Industry Mentor Networking in STEM) 2021.

However, Fatima’s journey so far has not been without its challenges. Coming from a country where women are not encouraged or expected to work independently was a challenge. Fatima’s parents had only daughters, and relatives suggested not to spend money on their girls education. Luckily, Fatima’s parents were very supportive and encouraged them to not only get educated, but pursue careers in STEM.

“We are blessed to have such amazing parents that provided us each and every opportunity to live our dreams. My father used to travel with me in peripheral areas to organise eye camps for marginalised people, he helped me in establishing my own practice in Pakistan and also drove me to attend meetings with professionals in STEM.”

It is not easy following a passion, especially if it is not common due to location, demographic or other factors. Fatima has some great words of advice for anyone considering a career in STEM.

“Two things! First, it’s important for any young person starting their career in STEM to realize that persistence is the biggest key to success. There will come a time where the technical challenges might be too overwhelming, or your proposed solution to a problem is not producing the anticipated results, despite your best efforts. These are all positive things, not negative! It means that you have chosen to work on a challenging problem, you are pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, and all you need is to persist and put more thought into it.

Second is to not be afraid to get uncomfortable. Often times, you may find opportunities that you think you can’t do, but the truth is that you really can. It’s okay to feel uncomfortable and try things you’ve never done before, because you never know, it might turn out that you actually like it.”

Aside from conducting her PhD, Fatima also loves travelling and has been enjoying the sites of Sydney. Despite COVID-19, Fatima has explored the coasts and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Fatima is an amazing and inspiring addition to the UNSW women in maths and science champions program. She has shared her journey with students at North Sydney Girls high school on careers day, and discussed STEM careers with Indigenous students in a Nura Gili youth leadership workshop. I look forward to following the achievements of Fatima as she continues being a STEM professional and role model for younger scientists!