Profile
Jess Davies
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About Me:
I live with my partner near Oxford. I love reading, dancing, travelling, meeting up with friends, going for long walks with my crazy dog, and I am also learning how to speak spanish. My favourite foods are humous, mango, and fresh bread (probably not together, although that is an interesting idea…).
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I LOVE BIOLOGY!!!
I have a spaniel called Mora who is incredibly cute and absolutely nuts.
I am LGBTQ+.
I am a Buddhist.
I have suffered with anxiety since I was a teenager, and I have always determined not to let it stop me!
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My pronouns are:
She/her/they
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My Work:
I work for a company that makes devices to study DNA anywhere: from the rainforest, to the arctic, research lab, hospital, and even to space! The technology was used a lot in the COVID pandemic too to understand the virus and how it spread.
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I work at Oxford Nanopore Technologies – this is a company that makes devices to look at your DNA (sometimes called the genetic code, genome, or instruction manual to make a living being). In my job I get to communicate research that has been done by scientists that use our devices – I communicate this by writing blogs and articles, preparing presentations, and deciding on scientists to speak at events.
I also look at data that shows who is using our technology and what for – this helps the company to decide what sort of people are likely to be most interested in this technology.
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My Typical Day:
I start work at 9am – I work at home, or I go into the office one or two days a week (my workplace is very flexible). My days are very varied, but I usually have a few meetings throughout the day. I have lunch (and another dog walk!) about 1pm, then work through until about 5.30pm.
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I try and wake up early enough to take the dog for a walk or run – and to wake myself up! I generally start work at 9am; sometimes I have to start a bit earlier – as people from throughout the world work for the company, we might have online meetings early in the morning if I have colleagues in China or Japan I need to talk to, for example.
My days are very varied, but I usually have a few meetings throughout the day. These could be meetings to check in with my team and see how they are doing and if they need help with their work (I have two other people on my team). In general, in meetings we usually talk about what we need to do, how to do it, who is going to do those things, and when by.
Other than meetings, I read research articles (articles that are written by scientists when they have completed a research project, which explains what they did, how, and what they found), and I create presentations, write blogs, or invite scientists to speak at our events to share their work. I coordinate a lot of stuff – which means I do a lot of organising and helping things to happen!
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Education:
I moved primary schools when I was 9 as my family moved house to Chippenham (in Wiltshire).
My secondary school was Hardenhuish secondary school in Chippenham. I did A-levels there too. I knew I wanted to go to University to either study science and become a scientist, or learn much more about languages and culture (either spanish or french).
In A-levels I realised I DEFINITELY wanted to do biology, so I went to study this at Warwick University. I realised I DEFINITELY wanted to do a PhD (this is getting a qualification after your first university degree, and involves doing your own research on a particular topic – for me, that was genetics of multiple sclerosis – and writing up a looooong essay about it). I was lucky to get to do the PhD at Cambridge.
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Qualifications:
GCSEs, A levels (Biology, Psychology, RE), and AS level French
(I just chose what I was most interested in!)
Biology degree at Warwick University.
PhD at University of Cambridge.
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Work History:
After doing a PhD, which I needed to work as a scientist, I started my first science job at the University of Oxford. I researched multiple sclerosis genetics – similar to what I had studied for my PhD. At the time I thought I wanted to continue forever being a scientist (this means that, over time, you then start your own research group and become a Professor). But I struggled in this job because it felt quite isolating and I wasn’t happy. So I decided I wanted to do something in science but that involved working more with other people. I found a job advertised at Oxford Nanopore and so applied and got it! That was in 2018, and I have been there since :).
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Current Job:
Scientific Communications & Publications Manager.
Over the last 5 years at the company my role has progressed and changed, but it has always focused a lot on reading, understanding, explaining, and writing about science.
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Employer:
Oxford Nanopore Technologies (nanoporetech.com).
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My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
A scientist!!
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes, for being cheeky when I was younger
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
If money didn't matter, volunteering for charities
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Emo music
What's your favourite food?
Hummous, mango, chocolate, bread - not together
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To be happy, for others to be happy, for everyone to respect each other as individuals
Tell us a joke.
I am rubbish at jokes so I will spare you the embarrassment
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