Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your career path?
I’m the Medicine and Life Sciences Community Manager at Springer Nature, working as part of a global researcher engagement team.
My career hasn’t followed a straight line. I studied Biology as an undergraduate and spent a summer in a biochemistry lab in Cambridge, which was my first real taste of research and gave me a huge head start going into my final-year project. After graduating I stayed in biochemistry but began to question whether the lab was the right long-term fit for me.
Because I’ve always loved talking about science, I trained as a science teacher. I really enjoyed explaining complex ideas and getting people excited about the subject, but I started to realise how much I missed research and being close to new discoveries. That’s what led me back to university and into the lab again, where I studied drug targets for acute myeloid leukaemia.
I moved into industry and joined a protein engineering start-up in Cambridge. I loved the hands-on lab work and problem solving, but working in a start-up also meant wearing lots of hats. Alongside experiments, I found myself helping with marketing, outreach, market research and conference presentations. Over time, it became clear that while I still loved the science, what I enjoyed most was communicating it.
That realisation led me into a product manager role, and eventually into researcher engagement and community management at Springer Nature. It wasn’t a direct path, but each step helped me work out what I enjoy and where my strengths lie – and that process is definitely still ongoing!
What is your current role and what does it involve?
I work closely with researchers to help them share the stories behind their published papers for authors to talk about the human side of research – from papers dedicated to family members, to teams overcoming funding challenges and collaborations that started almost by accident. We use digital platforms (blogs, online communities and social media) to help researchers connect, share their work, and engage in conversations around cutting-edge research in medicine and the life sciences.
I use online community platforms to encourage discussion and engagement between researchers from all over the world, and I’m also involved in improving these platforms – for example, creating dedicated spaces for early career researchers to ask questions, share experiences, and support one another.
How could someone find a role like yours?
Roles like mine often sit under titles such as community manager, researcher engagement manager, editorial communities, or science communications within academic publishing and research‑focused organisations.
A good place to start is by looking at the careers pages of academic publishers, societies, research funders, and science‑focused charities.
Experience doesn’t have to come from a single, obvious route. Blogging about your research, getting involved in outreach, helping to run a departmental seminar series, managing social media for a lab or society, or volunteering at conferences all help build relevant skills. Having a research background is a big advantage, but showing that you enjoy communication, collaboration, and community‑building is just as important.
How do you approach new opportunities and career decisions?
I try to focus on a few key questions: Will I enjoy the work? Is the team supportive and collaborative? Does the role play to my strengths, especially communication and teamwork?
I’ve learned that very independent roles aren’t the best fit for me, whereas team‑based environments really help me thrive. I also try to stay open‑minded – some of the best opportunities I’ve taken were roles I didn’t even realise existed before.
Within any job, there are often chances to try new things, whether that’s joining a mentoring programme, helping with events, or getting involved in social or outreach activities. Saying yes to those opportunities can be a great way to explore what you enjoy.
What challenges have you faced in your career so far? How have you dealt with them?
One of the biggest challenges has been realising that a career I’d trained for wasn’t quite the right fit. I trained as a teacher and enjoyed many aspects of it, but I eventually recognised that I wanted to be closer to scientific research, but then also realised the lab wasn't for me either!
Deciding to step away from a clear path and take on another degree wasn’t easy, but it taught me an important lesson: you don’t have to stick with one career just because it’s the one you started. Following what genuinely interests you matters, and skills always transfer. My teaching experience ended up strengthening my research and communication work, so it was never wasted time – just another step along the way.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of their career?
You can change your mind – as many times as you like. What you enjoy doing isn’t fixed when you choose your A‑levels or your undergraduate degree. Be flexible, be curious, and don’t feel rushed to reach a final destination.
It’s never too late to pivot, and no experience is wasted. Even roles that seem unrelated on paper give you valuable skills. For example, I didn’t end up staying in teaching, but it hugely strengthened my communication skills, my ability to work to deadlines, and my confidence handling things when they don’t go to plan. All of that has been incredibly useful throughout my career.