Role: Final year PhD student at Imperial
Subject area: Space physics
Nationality: British
I’m a final year PhD student at Imperial from the UK. I started my PhD in space physics in 2017 and have recently submitted my thesis.
Education
GCSE (or equivalent): 14 GCSEs including Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology
A-level (or equivalent): A-levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, and General Studies
Degrees
• MSci in Physics, Imperial College London
• PhD on the evolution of coronal mass ejections (ongoing)
Detail about Emma
My research
My PhD research is on the evolution of coronal mass ejections – large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun. They are the main cause of severe space weather on Earth, so I study them to help improve prediction/modelling for future mitigation of their adverse effects.
My inspiration
I was inspired by reading space books when I was very little.
Who is your STEM hero?
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the astrophysicist known for the discovery of radio pulsars. Her career is a huge inspiration to other female physicists – perhaps even more so because she was overlooked for the Nobel Prize awarded for the discovery.
Most significant discovery/invention?
The compass.
Career options after study
I’ve just started a post-doctoral research position, but there are plenty of other options both in space (spacecraft instrument engineer, spacecraft operations) or outside of academia (data scientist, teacher, science communicator etc).
My hobbies
I can’t stop propagating plants – I no longer buy plants, I just steal cuttings from my friends.
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