Todays PhDetails is with Jordan Bestwick who is currently doing his PhD at the University of Leicester. Although Jordan is broadly fascinated by the diversity of life he has a specific interest in the amazing diversity seen in extinct species and how these species once interacted with one another. He did an undergraduate degree with an integrated masters in zoology at the University of Leeds before moving to Leicester to start his PhD. Jordan is also interested in science communication and outreach and believes that it is important that scientists keep the public informed an engaged with the research we all do - you can follow his work at @JordanBestwick1. I hope you enjoy our first paleo PhDetails!
Well let's start off talking about unscientific stuff, what's your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
Oh very good question. Although a lot of his work has come out post 1980 I would have to say Meat Loaf. Bat Out of Hell is one of my favourite albums (Bat Out of Hell II from 1993 is my number 1)
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
I’m a big glam rock fan so I will say the band Poison.
Favourite movie?
The Lion King. I’m pretty sure I can recite the entire film word for word.
Where do you study and who is/are your supervisor(s)?
The University of Leicester. I have four supervisors in total. My supervisors at Leicester are Dr. David Unwin and Prof. Mark Purnell. My other supervisors are Prof. Richard Butler at the University of Birmingham and Dr. Don Henderson at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Canada.
What year of your PhD are you in?
Just coming to the end of my third year…which isn’t scary at all…
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
The NERC CENTA doctoral training partnership for 3.5 years.
Do you have any publications – if so where?
I currently have three publications. I have one from my PhD in Biological reviews, and I have one in Geological Curator from an independent project I did in the summer between my undergraduate and PhD. I am also co-author on a paper in Journal of Biogeography. I am currently writing up several more papers for my PhD which I aim to be published within the next year.
Did you do a masters - was it about?
I did an integrated masters degree in zoology (MBiol, Bsc) at the University of Leeds. I did this rather than a standalone masters because I couldn’t afford the tuition fees whereas the final year of an integrated degree is covered by the Student Loans Company. My final year consisted of an independent project in which I spent four days a week for six months in my supervisor’s laboratory. My project looked at Venturia wasps which reproduce by laying eggs inside the caterpillars of Plodia moths. The wasp eggs hatch and slowly eat the caterpillar from the inside-out (it sounds pretty gruesome but I think it is amazing). As part of the project I investigated whether the relationships between these two species at different temperatures to mimic the effects of climate change. I found that more consistent, higher temperatures made it more likely for the caterpillar’s immune response to kill wasp eggs before they hatched. As Plodia moths are a common pest in the mills and granaries of many third world countries, this research shows that pest species may become more prevalent with future climate change.
Do you do fieldwork? What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
My project is museum and laboratory-based, so although I don’t actually dig for fossils myself I still get to go to museums all over the world to sample specimens. I’ve been to some amazing places and met lots of really nice people but if I had to choose one it would be my trip to Drumheller in Alberta, Canada. Drumheller is nicknamed the “dinosaur capital of the world” and was somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. The Royal Tyrrell Museum is perhaps the best museum I’ve ever been to, both for the quality of the collections, exhibits and the people who run them.
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
I applied for PhDs towards the end of my final undergraduate year as I knew I wanted to stay in academia. I was looking for projects not just for topics or techniques that interested but also with possible funding as I had no possible means of self-funding. Unfortunately, these projects are also more competitive to acquire. I applied for four competitively-funded projects in vertebrate palaeontology and got interviews for three. For some of the interviews this meant some very early starts to arrive on time! I was able to secure the project which I am now doing at Leicester at the first time of asking. I believe doing the integrated masters degree and doing an independent palaeontology summer internship between my third and fourth years put me in good stead.
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during field/labwork – did it work?
When on a multi-museum trip to China I lost my scale bar which I use when photographing fossils. I had to haphazardly draw a new a one using the back of my notebook. As the photos were for my own records it suited its purpose fine.
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
When looking for projects don’t just look for a topic that interests you (which is nevertheless important) but pay particular attention to the technique or techniques that you will be using for the project. Demonstrating that you can effectively use multi-disciplinary techniques to tackle research questions will put you in good stead when applying for jobs in academia, industry etc.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
This is a “how long is a piece of string?” type question due to the huge variation in projects and people. My supervisor knows I wish to pursue a career in academia and has held numerous discussions with me about what I have done/can do to make that desire a reality. Plus he still has a boy-ish enthusiasm for his research which is extremely contagious.
How often do you meet with your supervisor(s)?
I often say my project feels like I have two first supervisors as Dave is my “pterosaur expert” and Mark is my “microwear expert.” I try to see each one at least once every 2-3 weeks, even if its for a half hour at a time, to go through what I have done since last time and to make sure I am not leading myself on a tangent.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
How long is a piece of string? – Part II. For me my supervisors are extremely busy (which can’t be helped) and so we do our best to make sure that I have sufficient guidance during their busier periods.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
Investigating the diets of pterosaurs, extinct flying reptiles which lived from 210–66 million years ago, by comparing the microscopic scratches on their teeth (known as microwear) with those of modern crocodiles and monitor lizards.
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
Last December I was a joint winner for Best Talk at the Palaeontological Association Annual Meeting. This was a huge surprise for me as there were so many fantastic talks at that meeting.
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
I wouldn’t say I have an academic idol although I occasionally get a little star-struck when I meet academics in person who I watched in documentaries when I was a teenager. I would rather say my idols are other PhD students and post-docs who are a couple of years above me as they are achieving their life-goals, which is something I aspire to.
Do you have a favourite paper?
No.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
The 2014 Palaeontological Association Annual Meeting in Leeds will always be special to me because not only was it the first conference I ever attended but due to the location I was also an undergraduate volunteer. This allowed to see for the first time how conferences worked both from an attendee and organiser viewpoint.
What hours do you typically work?
This is where I have to make an admission and say that throughout my PhD I have had problems with maintaining a work-life balance, including very recently. It has been a case of thinking “because I could be doing something, therefore should I be doing something?” which of course is unhealthy and will just lead to burn-out and potentially even falling out of love with the subject. However my supervisors have been incredibly supportive of me whenever I have been close to burn out and helped me accept there is more to life than the PhD and it is ok to have breaks, holidays and outside interests. I tend to arrive at uni around 8.30am but I don’t get properly started until 9.00am as I preoccupy myself with making my morning cup of tea, catching up on social media etc. I usually stay until 5.30pm and then do nothing work related in the evenings.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
This again goes back to maintaining a good work-life balance, but often I have failed more than I have succeeded. This is something I am now having more success with however thanks to the much needed support of friends, family and colleagues. I try and go to the gym once or twice a week as it really helps take my mind off my project for a while. I try and read fiction when possible as it really helps with escapism. I also go for an informal curry club with my friends most Thursdays, so that is always something to look forward to in the week.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
Instant feedback on paper drafts. Would make the writing process much more streamlined and take the pressure off my supervisors!
What would be your dream job?
A three part job in palaeontology, equally split between research, teaching and outreach.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully doing a fellowship, possibly in the UK or Canada.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
Encouraging.
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
Adding more fossils from hunting trips to my collection.
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
Surfstand as it allows me to get roughness data from my specimen teeth which I then analyse.
Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?
As mentioned above I would say the closest thing to idols I have are the PhD students and post-docs who are a couple of years above me as they are achieving their life-goals.
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
In an ideal world, somewhere with lots of dinosaur fossils to dig up.
Do you have a favourite organism – what is it and why – is it different from your study organism(s)?
My favourite organisms would have to crocodilians (crocodilians, alligators, caimans and gharials). I like they are often perceived as “monsters” due to their size and scaliness but in actual fact are extremely sophisticated and well-adapted predators. Being able to include crocodilians in my research is pretty much a dream come true, I’ve collected data from crocodiles whose skulls alone were nearly a metre long!
How do you avoid procrastinating?
Trying not to do a particular task for too long (i.e. 2–3 hours most) because it can become a bit mundane and then I’m more likely to get distracted. For example if I am really bored after a morning of writing I go collect data from the microscope in the afternoon. I think my biggest source of procrastination is Twitter.
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
When doing a PhD it is easy to get consumed by the vastness of it all and forget about the bigger picture. I’ve always wanted to do palaeontology and so I just need to remember that 10 year-old Jordan would have loved to be researching pterosaurs and so I shouldn’t waste the opportunity.
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience e.g. social seminars/group meetings?
The Leicester palaeo-research group hosts informal weekly meetings where people take it in turns each week to give progress updates and discuss questions around their latest research. This is a really good thing to attend because it allows you see what other people are doing and stops you feeling trapped in your own PhD-bubble. Also no lab group would be complete without a trip to the pub afterward! Also during my PhD I was co-chair for the organisation and hosting of Progressive Palaeontology, a conference for palaeontology research students, in 2017. I have also turned part of my PhD research into novel outreach activities which myself and other PhD students at Leicester have taken to several science events such as the Yorkshire Fossil Festival. Doing these events has vastly helped increased my skill set (conference organisation, science communication etc.), but were also extremely rewarding and in their own way helped give me breaks away from the PhD itself, despite still being palaeontology related.
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