British Science Week: City Girls in Science –Eva Wilshere and Ella Levin
In this article we meet Brighton Girl’s Eva and Ella to discuss their journeys into science and what it means to them.
At City Girl, we are committed to showcasing and developing opportunities for our community, in this case, through highlighting the amazing work our members do in science. We are using British Science Week to focus on the scientific talents hidden among us to discover some of the stories behind the careers/outreach activities our ladies have in this field.
Everyone’s journey into and opinion of science is different, but we want to encourage discussion and networking with like-minded members. So, we’ve asked a few City Girls to share their stories and bring women in science to the forefront.
MEET THE GIRLS
My name is Eva and I have always had a passionate interest in science, especially chemistry. I wish I had studied it further in an educational context but instead I studied media, which in a way, covers all subjects! I have been on many shows with Latest TV (our local Brighton channel) discussing psychology, sociology and mental health. I am currently co-writing a science program for Latest TV which I shall also be presenting. I hope to help inform people in an accessible way.
Eva presenting on Latest TV.
Hi, my name is Ella. My interest in science began with murmurations of starlings. That’s all I would look at as a child, I desperately wanted to know how and why they circulated. However, my gran had diabetes and a heart condition, so she showed me as a 5-year-old how to take blood. I believe that spending time with my grandparents (and their keen interest in teaching me) is where my passion for both science and medicine began and since then I have completed a degree in Biomedical Science.
Ella and Eva are currently co-writing a science program for Latest TV, which Eva will present. You can check out more from this channel on YouTube.
WHAT DOES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF YOUR ROLE LOOK LIKE?
Eva: “I do a lot of writing of articles and scripts, but to set myself up for the day I have a little routine: wake 7am, then 10 minutes of yoga stretches followed by freshly squeezed orange juice and vitamins. Then when I sit down to write I have a green tea and my SAD lamp on and I’m all ready for the day.”
Ella: “At present, mostly research and online courses, currently including Big Data, Genomics and Medicine + Immunology.”
Ella is inspired by Rosalind Franklin who found the molecular chemical structure of DNA.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WANTING TO GET INTO SCIENCE/YOUR ROLE?
Eva: “Be constantly curious about the world around you. Science can help us understand what we can't, as long as we are open to learning and researching the subjects we are interested in.”
Ella: “Be a pioneer, do something you’d love to see occur in real form. Empower yourself using creativity and science combined. No contributions are too small.”
Flossie Wong-Staal inspires Eva. Flossie used science to map HIV genes which then led to a test being developed, showing you can make a huge difference to people’s lives.
WHAT EMPOWERS YOU AS A WOMAN IN SCIENCE?
Eva: “The ability to communicate theories and ideas to the masses and aim to have a balanced perspective on the world around us. My balance of emotional and rational thought help me see both sides of the issue.”
Ella: “It seems to be one of the least sexist areas to study and if you can prove your hypothesis you are taken seriously, regardless of any other factors.”
To Ella, science represents the future and she hopes to participate in field and conservation work to help protect the planet.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST SCIENCE FACT?
Eva: “You can get love in a bottle. C8H11NO2 + C10H12N2O + C43H66N12O12S2 or in other words Dopamine + Serotonin + Oxytocin = LOVE. I think the fact that we can categorise and understand human emotions through scientific research is fascinating and can be used to help a lot of people.”
Ella: “I love Krebs Cycle (a series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy through the oxidation of acetate into carbon dioxide). Once you hear the Krebs cycle song you’ll always remember how living things generate electricity.”
Physics Girl, the YouTuber who makes a living explaining science, is a source of career inspiration for Eva.
If you would like to discover more science in your everyday life, Ella recommends reading Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks, detailing how fundamental music is to life and the functioning of our brain. Eva recommends Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, discussing how our species came to dominate the planet today.
We hope that you have enjoyed learning a little more about some of our City Girls in science!
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Written by Ella Levin, Eva Wilshere and Charlotte Bird