#20 Shauni McGregor

This weeks PhDetails is with Shauni McGregor, a plant scientist who studies at the University of Sheffield. Shauni is currently in the first year of her PhD after doing her undergrad and a masters at Durham University. Shauni is interested in cell wall biology and investigates stomata - microscopic pores found on most land plants which faciliate plant gas exchange. She hopes that in the future a better understanding of the cellular components which are involved in stomatal functioning could result in mutant plants which use water and photosynthesise more efficiently! Shauni is a keen science communicator and you can find her on twitter @shauni_mcgregor. Enjoy!

Let’s start off talking about completely unscientific stuff. What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?

I’m a bit of a classical music nerd so pre 1980 gives me A LOT of music to go at. It’s probably a tie between Debussy and Ella Fitzgerald.

Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?

Again, really hard to pick. Everything Everything is a band that I always end up going back to.

Favourite movie?

Argh! That is so difficult! Probably Hidden Figures at the moment.

Where do you study and who is/are your supervisor(s)?

I’m at the University of Sheffield My main supervisor is Prof. Andrew Fleming in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences. I’m also co-supervised by Prof. Julie Gray in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.

What year of your PhD are you in?

I’m just coming up to the end of my first year (so still full of hope and optimism and all that jazz).

Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?

I’m funded by BBSRC as part of the White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership in Mechanistic Biology. My funding lasts for four years but that also includes a three-month placement that has to be in something unrelated to my PhD.

Do you have any publications – if so where?

None yet.

Did you do a masters – what was it about?

Yes – I did my Masters by research at Durham University and was supervised by Dr Peter Etchells. I got offered it off the back of the work I did in my third year project and was lucky enough to get some funding for it from N8 Agrifood. I was looking at the genes involved in the development of plant vascular tissue, specifically those influenced by PXY signalling. Basically, I was looking to see if changing the expression of certain genes led to changes in the way plant veins develop. It was a pretty intense year as there was so much to get done in just one short year but I’m so glad I did it. I feel like it gave me a really good grounding in research basics for my PhD.

Do you do fieldwork? What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?

Nope, I’m a pure lab rat. I did do a field course in my undergrad at the Millport Field Studies Centre on the Isle of Cumbrae in Scotland and that was pretty fun.

How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?

I’m one of those weird people who only ever applied for one PhD. To be honest, I started applying before I’d really decided whether I wanted to do a PhD or not. It was only a few months into my Masters degree and I thought I’d get a better feel for if I wanted to a PhD if I just went through the application process. I applied to this one in Sheffield because I thought the project looked interesting but also because I felt like it was one that I was really qualified to do – I was already doing a lot of the techniques they were looking for in my Masters. When I went for my interview, I got on really well with the people I met, my supervisors and my future lab colleagues. The project seemed interesting but that wasn’t really the priority for me – I can get excited about pretty much anything if I want to. I really got the impression that Sheffield would be a nice place to work and that I would be happy there so when I was offered the PhD I went for it.

What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during field/labwork – did it work?

I have to do a lot of paraffin embedding (putting bits of leaf in wax) and I use those little aluminium pie dishes to set the wax in. It’s not really that bodged but it does make me look a bit mad while I’m carrying my little wax pies around the department. 

What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?

Obviously I don’t have a huge amount of experience with the PhD application process seeing as I only applied for one but I’d probably say don’t be afraid to do a bit of schmoozing. Don’t just fill out the application – email possible supervisors first and ask questions about the project. Think about what skills you can bring to the project and make sure you get that across to the PI.

How often do you meet with your supervisors?

So I have an ‘official’ meeting scheduled in once a month where I usually give a quick rundown of everything that I’ve done in the last month and we make a plan for what the next steps should be. That being said, both of my supervisors’ lab groups have lab meetings once a week and my supervisors also both have an open door policy so if I need some help right away I can usually pop by their office for a chat. 

What supervisor traits are important to you?

I think it’s probably that balance between being there to give advice and guidance when you need it but also giving you the space to figure things out on your own. During my masters my supervisor was pretty hands on which was great for me when I was just starting out in research. Now I don’t meet with my supervisors as frequently as I did back then but I think that’s probably better for where I am now.  It gives me a bit more freedom to decide which direction my project’s going to in and it forces me to be a bit more independent which will probably make me a better researcher in the long run.

What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?

For me, the supervisor that I would find hardest to work with is the one that expects your PhD to be your entire life. You definitely hear stories about supervisors that expect their students to be working in the lab all the time and somehow function without any holidays. I just don’t think I could work in that kind of environment.

In one sentence what is your PhD about?

I’m looking at the composition of the stomatal cell wall and its effect on how stomata open and close.

What has been your academic highlight of the last year?

The last couple of weeks have been pretty good – I’ve finally got some data that’s thrown up an interesting lead for me to follow and I’ve got some exciting experiments planned for the coming months. I did a presentation to our lab group a few weeks ago and I got some really positive feedback for that as well. There’s always an emphasis in academia on the ‘big’ achievements (publishing, presenting at conferences etc.) but I think it’s important to appreciate the little things too, especially when you’re just starting out like me!

Which academic idol/scientist have you met?

Nobody really springs to mind but I did go to New Scientist Live a couple of years ago and although I didn’t get to meet anyone specific there were some great speakers there. Jim Al Khalili was a particularly good speaker as was Gina Rippon who researches gender biases in neuroscience. (I also got a rather stalker-y photo of Tim Peak!). It was a really great event and I’d highly recommend a visit to anyone interested in SciComm.

Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?

Again, no one really springs to mind but there’s definitely quite a long list of scientists/science communicators that I’d quite fancy a chat with: Hannah Fry, Sophie Scott, James Wong, Giles Yeo, Chris and Xand van Tulleken… (I’m a bit of a SciComm nerd, can you tell?!)

Do you have a favourite paper?

Not really. I do love anything that’s won an Ig Nobel prize though (e.g. this paper about how dogs align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field when the wee/poo)

What has been your favourite conference so far – why?

I’ve only been to a couple so far but this year I went to the Plant Environmental Physiology Group Early Career Symposium and I think that was a really good one to go to in my first year. It was pretty small which gave me a chance to get to know a whole group of people working on similar things at similar points in their careers.

What hours do you typically work?

I’m one of those lucky people who actually suits 9-5 working pretty well. I tend to be my most productive in the morning so I like to get going early and then have a proper evening for myself. Sometimes I’ll have to stay a bit later or pop in over the weekend depending on what protocol I’m doing or what the plants are up to but I try and keep that to a minimum. I figure if I can’t keep a decent work-life balance in my first year there’s no hope for the rest of my PhD!

How do you avoid procrastinating?

Usually I end up procrastinating when my brain is too tired to focus on what I’m supposed to be doing. For those moments, I have a list of jobs that I can do when my brain has turned to complete mush – this includes things like watering my plants, washing out plant pots or scrolling through my RSS feed for new papers that look interesting. That way, when I’m tired and I don’t have the attention span to keep working properly, I can pop on a podcast and switch to something that requires basically zero brain power but is actually vaguely productive.

What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?

At the end of the day, I just really love what I’m doing (although I do forget this a lot during the weeks/months when nothing is working). I’m literally GETTING PAID to learn stuff and I love learning stuff! Yes, I have ups and downs, everybody does (I’m already mentally preparing myself for the second year blues) but I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to work on potentially brand new science and I think it’s important to remember that.

What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?

I’m a bit of a SciComm nerd so I really enjoy organising and helping out various outreach and public engagement things. I’ve been volunteering with the Sheffield branch of the British Science Association since I arrived in Sheffield last year and it’s been a great way to do all things SciComm without having to think about my PhD project at the same time. There can be quite a lot to do just before an event which can make a bit tricky to fit around the PhD but as I keep most of my evenings free I normally fit it in then. I’ll block it out in my calendar just like I would for lab work and when I get home I’ll grab myself a cup of tea and get going on what needs to be done (emails, making and ordering resources etc.).

As much as I love being busy it’s really important to have some down time too (otherwise I end up a trembling weepy mess). I’ve just got back into reading for fun this year and I’m loving it. I also attempt to garden despite having absolutely no outdoor space (I’m currently growing chillies on my windowsill so it can be done!).

If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?

Well I’ve just been sent a Bioanalyzer kit with one of the reagents missing so if a genie could sort that for me, that’d be great.

What would be your dream job?

Gardener’s world presenter (I know next to nothing about horticulture - I just like the idea of being paid to be enthusiastic about other people’s gardens). I would also accept Blue Peter or one of those weird weekend breakfast shows where they eat curry at 9am on a Sunday.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Every time I’ve made any sort of long term plan I’ve ended up changing my mind at the last minute so I’ve just sort of given up on the whole ‘5 year plan’ thing. At the moment I’m leaning towards doing something in science communication and public engagement but who knows? Maybe by the time I’ve finished my PhD I’ll have decided that I’m destined to be an academic… 

One word to sum up your future in academia:

Ambivalent

What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?

I’ve been meaning to start a blog for AGES! Last year I was lucky enough to get a place on an HTML and CSS CodeFirst: Girls course in Sheffield and I’ve been meaning to make a website ever since. I’ve got the bare bones but it all sort of ground to a halt when I couldn’t get the nav bar to do what I wanted. I might just get a blogspot one and then I don’t have to wait until I’ve sorted my one out to start…   

What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?

A micropipette – a depressing amount of my life is just moving miniscule amounts of liquid from one tube to another!

Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?

My masters supervisor, Dr Peter Etchells, was a massive influence on me when I was just starting out. He was a really supportive supervisor and got me properly interested in plant science and scientific research. 

Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?

Again, Gardener’s world – I want to swan around a country garden and gush about how glorious the begonias are. 

Do you have a favourite organism – what is it and why – is it different from your study organism(s)?

For some reason, when you tell people you’re a plant scientist they always immediately ask you what your favourite plant is. For that I always say the katsura tree. It’s also known as the toffee apple tree because in autumn, when its leaves start to fall, it makes this incredible toffee/burnt sugar smell. HOW COOL IS THAT?!!! 

Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience e.g. social seminars/group meetings?

Sheffield University runs a particularly good seminar series called the vista seminars which are careers seminars specifically targeted at PhD students that focus on careers outside of academia. They invite a former Sheffield PhD student to speak about their current job and how they got there. It’s a really great way to learn about what’s out there and how to get there. Also, our department has this thing where everybody ends up in the pub after work on a Friday and I consider that a significant enhancement of my PhD experience. 

If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be?

Right now? Air con. I. AM. MELTING.

What major issue in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?

Sometimes I worry that plant science has a bit of an image problem in mainstream media. Plant scientists often talk about ‘plant blindness’ – this idea that people don’t tend to notice the plants around them and how important they are for our survival, economy and wellbeing. The plant biology on the UK national school curriculum is unbelievably dull. It instils a general disinterest in plant science in students which is maintained into their adult lives. It might not seem much of an issue but the recent EU ruling on gene-edited crops demonstrates the importance of properly engaging the public and policy makers with plant science and agricultural biotech. The EU made an emotional decision, not a scientific one. I’d like to think that if we were really engaging people with plant science and sharing our excitement about the potential of new genetic techniques they may have felt differently. I think people in my field are aware of the problem and more and more great science communicators are working to fix it but there’s decades of science out there (e.g. older agritech methods) that just doesn’t appear to have ever been properly communicated to the public.