Research Associate

“I originally wanted to work in environmental science, but I grew to enjoy studying plants, microbes and the environment, and the complex interactions between them. Statistics supports all scientific research so I felt it was important to develop statistical skills.

“After graduating with a BSc, I worked at Watercare Laboratory Services as a sample reception support technician. When I returned to University to undertake a PGDipSci and MSc, I continued to work at Watercare Laboratory Services as a laboratory technician in the analytical chemistry lab.

“After graduating with my PGDipSci and MSc, I started as a research associate at Plant and Food Research within the host microbe interaction team and the epidemiology disease management team. My job is to design and carry out experiments to better understand the fungi and bacteria that cause disease in apples and kiwifruit. Most of my work is focused on the genetic interactions between the microorganisms and the plants.

“Most of my day is spent designing and carrying out experiments to address biological questions. Statistics supports the way I conduct and analyse experiments. It’s also really important to be able to read and understand the statistics in research literature.”