Women at Imperial Week 2024

I’m Emilie, a final year PhD student in speech and audio processing.

I work on speech enhancement from audio – that is, how can we eliminate background noise and preserve speech in loud environments like restaurants. More specifically, I am looking at how we could exploit every microphone in a room, like those in your phone or earphones, to create a network and tackle this problem. A big application would be to use this for hearing aids users who often struggle to follow conversation in restaurants. Instead, their devices could connect directly to their friends and use this to have a relaxed conversation. 

What do you enjoy most about being a PhD researcher? I really enjoy the initial stages of working on a project: trying to understand the problem, coming up with creative solutions, brainstorming with the lab… It’s also great to get to learn about other people’s research, and I try to go to as many seminars as I can. 

What do you think are the main challenges are facing PhD or students right now, and any for women students in particular? 
There are quite a few to pick from… on a technical front, I think the current infatuation with AI is pushing a lot of students towards result-driven research and away from the scientific method. This often puts us in competition with companies when we don’t have access (nor should we) to the same resources. University should be about cultivating intellectual curiosity, and we forget that too often! 

On a more social front, there is a growing level of precarity in academia in general and for PhD students in particular. Many people rely on alternative sources of income to complement their stipend, or don’t have a stipend at all. This puts students in very vulnerable positions, and as often with these things women and minorities are more at risk. The department and college have systems in place to help us, the challenge we face is to keep raising these issues and not fall into apathy! 

What are your biggest hobbies/passions when you’re not busy researching?
I enjoy cooking – a very practical hobby, everybody’s got to eat – and in particular I like playing around with fermentation. It started with making sourdough bread (obviously, during lockdown), but I’ve stuck with it and have quite a few stories of things exploding and repainting my kitchen. Otherwise, if you ever see me in the lab, I’m most likely procrastinating by playing Geoguessr. 

I'm Anastasiia and I'm a PhD student. The main area of my research interest is information and coding theory. My research aims to improve existing coding approaches for information transmission using machine learning.

Current information transmission schemes that you would find in Wi-Fi or mobile broadband, involve stages of encoding/decoding and modulation/demodulation. Within current transmission standards, all of these stages can be optimised using recent advances in machine learning techniques, which helps to improve transmission reliability and decrease the transmission delay.

What inspired you to pursue a PhD at Imperial?

I’ve been doing research in coding theory since the second year of my Bachelor’s degree in Moscow, so I was studying this topic for at least four years before starting my PhD at Imperial. I was thinking about a PhD as it was the only way to continue my work, but the experience of the PhD students I met before demotivated me.

Then I discovered Professor Deniz Gunduz‘s Lab and spoke with him. I was so impressed by his results and his research approach that I decided to apply only to Imperial and wait for the decision as I had zero interest in doing PhD somewhere else! Luckily, I got my place.

What advice would you give to women considering pursuing a STEM degree? 

The biggest problem I had as a woman in STEM was a culture of questioning of my abilities to do research in such a technical field. I used to hear phrases like "This problem requires a man brain" or "Oh, probably some man helped you to solve this", but for me these phrases never influenced my view on the world.

I never questioned my own abilities to do research or solve hard tasks based on the fact that I'm a woman, and I always expected equal treatment with my male colleagues. If I didn't get it, I was surprised, but I considered it as an outlier rather than the rule.

So, my biggest advice is to be confident in yourself and be open to this world rather than take some others’ opinion of you as a ground truth. 

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?  

In five years, I see myself doing the work I like the most – research, but also, I hope I'll figure out how to be properly paid for this. 

What are your biggest hobbies or passions when you’re not busy researching?  

I love bouldering and spending time with my 3-year old daughter.

My name's Fatemeh, and I am a PhD student in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. My research is focused on developing system services tailored for 100% renewable energy power systems.

There are many challenges caused by the transition from a conventional synchronous generator-based grid to a renewables-based grid, for example, unlike conventional power plants, renewable energy sources generation, such as wind and solar, depend on weather conditions and are more distributed. My goal is to provide a framework to facilitate a secure transition.

I joined EEE in March 2023, having received both my bachelor's and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Isfahan University of Technology in Iran. I then worked on collaborative projects with Isfahan Electricity Distribution Company and Iran Grid Management Company. 

What inspired you to take on this degree, and why at Imperial? 

My master’s studies provided me with an opportunity to engage in research. Through this experience, I became sure that my craving for research, to become an active contributor in my field instead of being a passive person, was not a temporary wish, and I was willing to put my energy into producing knowledge in the field I am passionate about. Therefore, I decided to take a PhD as the next step toward reaching my goal. The high quality of the graduate programs, the renowned professors, and the international environment of Imperial College London drew me to this university. 

What do you enjoy most about being a PhD researcher?

Doing my PhD I have the privilege of identifying problems and dedicating time to solving them. This experience sharpens my critical thinking, problem-solving, and time-management skills. Also, there are more opportunities for collaboration and networking with fellow researchers, which broadens my knowledge and strengthens my teamwork skills. So, I think the thing I enjoy the most about being a PhD researcher is the person I will become!

Who is a STEM role model for you?

Marie Curie. I read her biography while I was in elementary school, and her determination, work ethic, and passion for science have continued to inspire me. 

What has been your proudest student achievement to date?

I believe my proudest achievement is embarking on the journey I am passionate about and continuously finding joy in it.   

What advice would you give to women considering pursuing a STEM degree? 

While it may sound cliché, I echo Nike's iconic slogan – "Just Do It" (TM). I acknowledge that in some cases it is harder for women to manage the demands of a PhD, for example while raising a young family. In these cases, I suggest talking to their supervisor or colleagues and explaining their situation. Sharing personal circumstances can promote understanding, as everyone has their own story, often unknown until it is voiced. Always remember everyone has their unique journey and approach. So, embrace your aspirations, seek support when needed, and trust in your abilities.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? 

In the next five years, my goal is to evolve into an active contributor within my field. However, I am currently enjoying the uncertainty of not knowing whether I will eventually be drawn to academia or industry.  

When you’re not busy researching..?

I find joy in the simple pleasures like walking in the park, spending time with friends, reading books, listening to music and doing some sports. In an alternative timeline, if I was not studying engineering, I’d still be studying — psychology or philosophy. 

I'm Bhavya,  a third-year MEng student on the Electronic and Information Engineering (EIE) degree course.

What do you enjoy most about studying EIE at Imperial?

Every industry is going to be tech-driven, if it isn't already implementing digital transformation, and EIE provides the skillset and knowledge to understand and be a part of driving that change.

Imperial has a real focus on teaching industry relevant topics, and the cross-departmental degree structure of EIE enables me to get the best of both worlds - the software side as well as getting to be more hands-on with hardware.

The fact that everyone you meet is so friendly and always willing to help is a fantastic thing and makes the course that much more collaborative, interactive, and enjoyable. 

Who is a STEM role model for you?

Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, holding bachelor degrees in Physics, Chemistry and Maths. A role-model for the large-scale impact she's delivered in her work, from accelerating growth of the PepsiCo brand to embedding sustainability at the heart of operations — creating 100% renewably powered facilities in the US; her initiative of 'Performance with a Purpose', with such successful implementation, is incredibly inspiring.  

What does being an engineer mean to you?  

Being an engineer is all about having a mindset for creating solutions to problems, which extends from theoretical academic work to practical group projects.  A project I’ve particularly enjoyed has been with Engineers Without Borders, working with ten students across the engineering faculty for the C40 Students Reinventing Cities competition, to create innovative, zero-carbon urban solutions for a C40 city, with my focus on expanding renewable energy provision. We were fortunate enough to win our category — New Orleans — and present our proposals to the city’s Mayor.     

What do you think is people's biggest misconception of life as an Imperial engineering student? 

That you’ll have no time for social activities — from experience, I’d say this is not true. Whilst it is tricky to manage the balance during peak coursework and exam season, there’s so many extracurricular opportunities and societies to get involved in during your time at Imperial. I'd highly encourage joining a society you like — out of the 300+ — and making the time for it is also feasible, even if you do engineering at Imperial! 

What are your biggest hobbies/passions when you’re not busy studying?  

A creative at heart, I love to dance, be it with friends or on stage, and enjoy creating choreographies fusing different styles. As Dance Director in the Indian Society I oversaw all the dance sections of the largest cultural show at Imperial, after being a choreographer in 1st year. I really enjoyed this as it enabled me to connect with other dancers at Imperial and have a great time performing and managing a stage show.  

I've had a few roles with the Robotics Academy and WSET, promoting robotics in local primary schools and volunteering in sessions held to introduce children to robotics, and as President of Imperial Consulting Group — creating project opportunities with real-world clients for students looking to enter consulting.

I’m Greta, and I’m a first year PhD student in the Neural Reckoning lab. My research focuses on investigating information processing and uncertainty reduction in early sensory pathways using computational approaches and machine learning.

I joined the EEE Department in October 2023, though I completed an MRes Neurotechnology degree in the Bioengineering Department a year prior. Before that, I studied Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh.   

Tell us more about your research

Humans possess the remarkable ability to extract and correctly identify stimuli in noisy environments despite the many factors that severely limit the capacity for information transmission in the brain. For instance, we can easily follow a conversation with a friend at a noisy party, surrounded by other simultaneously ongoing conversations and sounds.

To achieve this feat with limited resources, it is believed that the brain must be able to pick out and discard irrelevant information. The aim of my research is to investigate how the brain solves this problem using machine learning and the information bottleneck principle.  
 
What inspired you to take on this degree, and why at Imperial?  

I always knew I was interested in research, and the experience from my Master’s degree reinforced that feeling. So doing a PhD just felt like the natural next step. I originally chose Imperial because I found that my supervisor’s research interests aligned closely with mine, and I re-applied because I enjoyed my research topic immensely.   

What do you enjoy most about being a PhD researcher?  Working with other like-minded people who are passionate about their research, and the freedom to delve into the topics that I am most interested in.   
 
Who is a STEM role model for you?  I have two: my bachelor’s thesis supervisor, Dr Nathalie Rochefort, and my current (and Master’s) supervisor, Dr Dan Goodman. Their passion for their respective areas of research helped shape and drive my own interest in the field of sensory information processing.  
 
What advice would you give to women considering pursuing a PhD / or STEM first degree?  Go for it. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience. 
  
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?  Most likely in academia, continuing work on my research.   

And finally... what are your biggest hobbies or passions when you’re not busy researching? In my free time, I study languages, read, and write fiction. Had I not studied science/engineering, I would’ve probably ended up studying linguistics.  

My name's Johanna and I’m a third year Electronic and Information Engineering undergraduate student. 

What inspired you to take on this degree, and why at Imperial? 

I’ve always loved maths and the sciences and wanted to combine them in a practical way. I chose Imperial because it’s a prestigious university and I wanted to be challenged. 

Who is a STEM role model for you? 

My grandfather is my STEM role model because he wanted to become an engineer but had to become a farmer. He later sold the farm and became a maths teacher!

What advice would you give to women considering pursuing a STEM degree? 

I would say just try it out. If you’re unsure if you would fit in or find it too challenging, then there’s only one way to test that theory. 

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

In five years I see myself working for a software company, in a field that I love, and enjoying the consistency of a 9-5 work routine. Another possibility would be to take a second masters degree in another country. 

What are your biggest hobbies/passions when you’re not busy studying?

My hobbies mainly include running, reading and knitting. In an alternative universe, I probably would be in design engineering.