This week's PhDetails is with William Perry who studies at Bangor University. I met Will at the PopGroup conference and was immediately struck by his enthusiasm for biology. His project currently involves studying the influence of domestication on the morphology and microbiome of salmon. It's another fishy one this week (I promise I'm not influencing this, it turns out tonnes of people just work on fish!), I hope you enjoy Will's PhDetails!
What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
That is a difficult one, and although I think the internet has tried to brainwash me with its affinity for Toto’s Africa, I think I would have to go with Queen. There are just so many classics to choose from! Can’t beat them.
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
Without sounding too much like a teenaged girl, I think my guilty pleasure has to be McFly.
Favourite movie?
That would have to be Jurassic park. Dinosaurs, pseudo-science and Jeff Goldblum – it’s a combination that cannot fail to entertain.
Where do you study and who is/are your supervisor(s)?
I study at Bangor University in beautiful North Wales, and I work with Gary Carvalho in the Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory (MEFGL). Although I have six supervisors in total! Kevin Glover and Monica Solberg at the Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet), Norway, Martin Llewellyn at University of Glasgow, Martin Taylor at the University of East Anglia, and my co-supervisor at Bangor, Simon Creer.
What year of your PhD are you in?
I am coming to the end of my second year.
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
My PhD is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, UK, but we also get lots of help from the Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet), Norway.
Do you have any publications – if so where?
I currently have one publication in the journal of Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. Although there are a few more in the pipeline!
Did you do a masters - was it about?
I did my masters at the University of Bristol with Mark Beaumont, and it was looking at the population genetics of two cichlid ecomorphs within a crater lake which look to have diverged in sympatry.
Do you do fieldwork? What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
I can’t say that I have done much field work, certainly not as part of my masters. The salmon I have been studying as part of my PhD are reared in tanks within an experimental fish farm about an hour drive north of Bergen in Norway. This is probably as close as I have gotten to field work, and it is a place called Matre, nestled within the fjords.
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
I applied for four PhDs, and I was fairly open minded when it came to the topic. The broad criteria that I followed when looking at projects was that it had to have a strong evolutionary grounding, and the application of genetic techniques. Other than that, anything went!
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during field/labwork – did it work?
I don’t know if you would call it a bodged piece of equipment, but we use raffle tickets to label our fish once they have been caught. It makes the workshop look like a big fishmonger’s game of tombola.
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
I would say to invest as much effort into finding out what the supervisor is like, as to what the science behind the project is like. You will be working with this person for 3-4 years of your life, and if they’re a pain to be with, it won’t make your life easy!
How often do you meet with your supervisors?
We have a monthly skype meeting where all 6 supervisors attend; but then whether I am in Bergen, Glasgow or Bangor, I will have weekly meetings with any given supervisor, which will vary in length (10 minutes – 1 hour).
What supervisor traits are important to you?
I would say enthusiasm, respect, and friendliness are the most important traits to me.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
Indifference, rudeness and arrogance – thankfully nothing I have to deal with!
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
My PhD is looking at the impact domestication has had on the (internal and external) morphology and microbiome of Atlantic salmon.
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
I think my highlight would have to be establishing a new collaboration with colleagues at the engineering department of Swansea University, where we are using micro-CT scans to assess morphological differences between wild and farmed fish.
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
Since starting my PhD and delving into the world of salmon, I think a person whose papers repeatedly came across were those of Neil Metcalfe, based at the University of Glasgow. I was then lucky enough to meet Neil at one of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles annual meetings, as well as a few times while visiting collaborators in Glasgow. Not only is he a pioneering scientist, and excellent writer, he is also a lovely person!
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
I am not sure if you could strictly call him an academic, and it is rather cliché to say, but I would love to meet Sir David Attenborough. Books like ‘The Living Planet’ were a true inspiration when I was growing up.
Do you have a favourite paper?
Llewellyn, M. S., Boutin, S., Hoseinifar, S. H., & Derome, N. (2014). Teleost microbiomes: the state of the art in their characterization, manipulation and importance in aquaculture and fisheries. Frontiers in microbiology, 5, 207.
I really love this review, firstly, because it is such a comprehensive summary of what we know about fish and their microbiomes (not only because it’s by one of my co-supervisors!). Secondly, I think it shows just how much further we have to go when compared to other vertebrate microbiome research, and just how many novel and interesting ways we can change the microbiome for the benefit of aquaculture.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
My favourite conference I have attended has to be the International Workshop of PhD and Post-doctoral fellows on Anadromous Salmonids, or the far catchier ‘NoWPaS’! Not only was it a great group of people, from which came valued collaborations, it was also held in the Oulanka National Park, Finland. The natural beauty was outstanding, and we also got to see the most magnificent display of the northern lights!
What hours do you typically work?
Generally, I spend around 7-8 hours in the office on any average day, but I am then also guilty of doing ‘fun’ PhD related tasks when I get home…
How do you avoid procrastinating?
I am not sure that I do! I am one for lists, and I think this keeps me on some sort of path. I will also try and procrastinate with tasks that hold some sort of value, so the time is not completely wasted.
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
Working with brilliant people.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
I enjoy hiking and trips to the beach, which North Wales is perfect for. I also love travelling, normally around Europe and the UK, which is one of the perks of the PhD. But I suppose I am never happier than when I am in the pub on a Friday after a long week!
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
An unlimited pot of money would be lovely, but failing that, PCRs the worked without any troubleshooting.
What would be your dream job?
At this moment in time, my perfect job would be a permanent position at a university or research institution where I could take part in research as well as in public outreach/teaching.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I would hope with the PhD well and truly finished(!), having also finished a postdoc, and carrying on in research in some way, shape, or form.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
Optimistic.
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
Learning to drive is probably top of the list…
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
It would have to be my laptop. Everything I write, from emails, grant applications, code, manuscripts; it all comes from one keyboard. With this in mind, it is worrying how often I leave it behind in pubs/offices/houses!
Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?
That would have to be Andrew Griffiths, currently lecturing at the University of Exeter. He was my third-year dissertation supervisor when I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol. His guidance and enthusiasm for research are the reasons I pursued postgraduate studies, and I wouldn’t be where I am now without his help.
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
I quite like the idea of London, although I can imagine the novelty of living there would soon wear off. Cardiff will also always have a place in my heart, it being my home city.
Do you have a favourite organism – what is it and why – is it different from your study organism(s)?
I really find the beadlet sea anemone quite fascinating. They are common around most of the UK, and look fairly innocuous when they are out of the water clinging to a rock in low tide. But under the waves they come to life. I did keep some as pets. Feeding them mussels would be quite mesmerising.
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience?
I have been lucky enough to work in 5 different labs throughout my PhD, all of which have their own personality, and social interactions differ hugely (hiking, pub trips, coffee, BBQs). I would say, however, to capitalise on any of these sorts of interactions that take place out of work time. Good science cannot happen without people, and getting to know who you are working with is important. Creative juices flow when people are relaxed!
If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be?
I think integration between the School of Biological Sciences and the school of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University could be vastly improved. Many areas of research overlap the two schools, yet there is very little communication between them. Although being separated by the Menai strait doesn’t help!
What major issue in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?
One big problem I have encountered during my time looking at the microbiome is the lack of continuity between the protocols used in different labs. It comparability, and thus stops valuable collective datasets from being generated. It may be that certain parameters of protocols need to be changed for certain samples. It can also be, however, due to what company supplies a particular lab group, and changing supplier can be a hard thing to do - especially if they are buying you lots of nice things!
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