By Young Science Ambassador Amy Chan

Welcome to the first post in our Young Science Ambassador blog series! Hello readers, my name is Amy Chan. I am a PhD student at the University of Queensland and my recently submitted PhD research involves trying to unravel the mysteries of the human immune system.

I’d like to start by posing a question: what is science?

This is a question I ask my students during my first Wonder of Science visits to the schools. The answers I get are usually like, “science is about blowing things up!”, which developed in complexity by our last visit to answers like, “solving real-world problems”. And now, as I’m nearing the end of my PhD journey (hopefully), I find myself reflecting on this same question: “What is science?” When I started my PhD four years ago, I would’ve said, “research, experiments, compiling results, and presenting data”. But now, four year on, I’ve come to realise that science is so much more than that. Just like the students participating in Wonder of Science, I’ve developed a much deeper understanding of science thanks to my involvement with the program.

Amy accepting her 2019 Women in Technology Life Science Young Achiever Award — Amy accepting her 2019 *Women in Technology Life Science Young Achiever Award*

Science is communication

As medical scientist, Sir. Mark Walport said, “Science is not finished until it is communicated.” In today’s political climate, I believe good science communication is more important than ever before. Though PhD students frequently give talks and write scientific papers, Wonder of Science taught me the skills to communicate to a general audience in an approachable and engaging manner. On my first school visit, I had to describe my thesis – the molecular mechanisms of non-canonical inflammasome activation – to ten year-olds. It seemed like a daunting task in the beginning, but the more I did this, the better I got! Slowly, it built my confidence to enter the 2018 Queensland Women in STEM People’s Choice award, and 2019’s Women in Technology Life Sciences Young Achiever Award. Now, I have the confidence to effectively communicate my science to people from all walks of life.

Science is community

Like many other professions, science deals with persisting problems with diversity and inclusivity. This, coupled with working long hours in a highly competitive and insulated environment, can make a PhD a very lonely journey. The Wonder of Science Ambassador program is a support network I can turn to. The Young Science Ambassadors are a diverse cohort, composed of international and domestic students from numerous backgrounds, representing people from various walks of life. Importantly, Wonder of Science provides a platform that increases the visibility of women in STEM. In fact, more than 76% of Young Science Ambassadors in 2019 were women and 82 percent of our winning teams at State Conference in 2019 were girls. Being part of this group has allowed me to connect with other research students from UQ, QUT, and Griffith university, and has helped me feel “less alone”.

Science is just appreciating the wonder

As a final year PhD who has been jaded by way too many failed experiments, I often lose sight of the “bigger picture” and am sometimes apathetic about what I do. A few months ago, I went on a Wonder of Science class visit to work with students on a project about space. I had been told that one of the students deals with learning difficulties, is generally unresponsive to prompts or questions, and does not participate in class activities. With this in mind, I started our class discussion about celestial bodies. And much to my (and the teacher’s) surprise, the students hand shot up. And up. And up again. He shared many insightful ideas and actively engaged in our lesson. This told me two things – that blackholes are very exciting… and that science can capture imagination and engagement. And it must have captured mine when I was younger. Moments like this remind me of why I started a career in science and give me the motivation to continue. This is truly the wonder of science.

My time with Wonder of Science has been an inspirational one. I’ve enjoyed great company and learning opportunities, and I’ve also come to understand what science means to me. I look forward to my future involvement, and I hope to see new students join us in the future.

For more information about Amy and information on becoming a Young Science Ambassador – check out our Young Science Ambassador profiles here