Kirsten Hogg

"I was quite surprised when I first saw my quiz results, but after reading the descriptions of each of my personality types I think they describe me pretty well!I am a 'developer'; developers are creative and problem solvers. A large part of my work is finding solutions to overcome problems, such as how to make a specific molecule in the best way. Developers are also interested in making the world around them better - this is definitely one of the things which drives me in my work as we are trying to develop new medicines and treatments to improve people's lives.I am also a 'quality controller' - trustworthy and curious. These are definitely great qualities for a researcher. I need to be curious about my work but also trustworthy, I am wholly responsible for my part of the project and for reporting my results accurately and correctly. I think my personality is also suited to my last trait as a 'trainer'. Trainers are understanding and passionate about sharing knowledge. Something I really enjoy is talking to other people about science and sharing what I know. I probably did more of when I was studying for my PhD. Since I have only been in my current role for a few years, I am usually still the one doing all the learning just now!"

"I work as a synthetic/medicinal chemist in early stage drug discovery. In my company we try to develop new medicines using a structure-based approach. This means we start with a very small molecule (a 'hit') and gradually add different bits onto the compound in order to make it a better drug. My work involves designing the molecules which we want to make and then physically making them in the lab. The compounds I synthesise are then tested by my colleagues in biology to see if the are having the desired effect. After this I look at the results and make improvements. The ultimate goal is to get our medicines into the clinic and to patients. As you can imagine this is a big motivator! We work on a range of disease areas but at the moment the project I am working on is targeting cancer.I enjoy the fact that my role is both practical and intellectually stimulating - I get to think lots but am not stuck at a desk all day. Getting to come up with ideas, test them in the lab and see if they have worked is a really satisfying aspect of what I do. It's so rewarding when your hard work results in an active compound. My working hours are also very flexible which I think is definitely a bonus."

"At school I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do next but I was interested in both science and geography so I applied to study environmental chemistry at the University of Glasgow. After a year or two I realised I preferred organic chemistry (we got to study a mix of subjects in the first 2 years) so I decided to pursue a straight chemistry degree instead. In the 4th year of my degree I spent a year in industry, working for a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland. I had an absolutely amazing year there, learning loads of new skills, making friends from all over Europe and experiencing living abroad. It also really opened my eyes to the type of jobs available in the pharmaceutical sector. After 5 years I graduated with an MSci in Chemistry.After graduating I decided to apply for PhDs in organic chemistry, and was offered a position at the University of Cambridge. I never thought I would end up studying at Cambridge, but luckily I had some fantastic mentors who encouraged me to apply. During my PhD I was working in the lab on a new way to make chemical bonds between carbon and nitrogen. My PhD took 3.5 years and after graduating I decided to move to industry and took up my current role at Vernalis. "

"In my spare time I love going for walks or bike rides in the countryside. When I lived in Scotland I enjoyed hillwalking but unfortunately where I live in Cambridgeshire, there aren't any hills to climb! I also play netball once a week and play badminton on Monday evenings with some work colleagues. My absolute favourite sport is skiing, again I love being in the mountains, and so I try to fit in a ski trip to the Alps every year. I'm also a keen baker (and eater)!"

"My typical day is split between the lab and the office, although sometimes I will spend all day in one or the other location. Usually I'll arrive to work and sit at my computer for 15-20 minutes and reply to emails, plan my work for the day etc. Then I'll go next door to the lab and check on how my experiments are doing. My day in the lab will involve isolating, purifying and analysing the compounds which I have made, setting up new experiments, or submitting compounds to be tested in biological assays. I also often need to spend time in the lab troubleshooting if a reaction hasn't worked as planned - this is where my problem solving skills come in very handy.Throughout the day I might have some meetings with colleagues or collaborators from other companies to check on how a project is progressing. I will also spend some time in the office. This could be designing new potential compounds and planning synthetic routes to make them, or analysing data from biological assays. "

"At school I took Highers in Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Geography and English and Advanced Highers (Scottish A-level equivalent) in Chemistry, Maths and Geography.I have a first-class MSci in Chemistry from the University of Glasgow and a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Cambridge."