Profile

Photo:

Kirsty Pringle

My CV

  • Education:

    McLaren High School in central Scotland. The to Edinburgh University to study Chemistry – I chose it simply because it was my best subject and I didn’t know what to study. I worked for a few years then went to Leeds University to do my PhD – this is when I learnt about the environmental and climate / air pollution.

  • Qualifications:

    Standard Grades and Higher (Scottish exams – similar to GCSE and A-Level). I did Chemistry, Physics, Maths and English. I wish I had chosen Biology but I found it really hard and didn’t think I’d do well in it, but it would be useful now.

    The a degree in Chemistry in Edinburgh followed by a PhD in Leeds.

  • Work History:

    First job was fruit picking on a farm in Scotland – raspberries and strawberries, the farmer use to let us ride around on a tractor, which I loved.

    The I worked in a hotel kitchen, first washing up then waiting tables and through Uni I worked in a few different bars and pubs.

    First proper job was at the Met Office – they don’t just do the weather, they also study climate and air pollution. Then I went to the Max Plank Institute – they are a research organisation in Germany, I worked there for 2 years before going back to Leeds.

  • Current Job:

    Researcher in air pollution, University of Leeds.

  • About Me:

    I’m scientist researching air pollution and climate change.

  • Read more

    I am from Scotland, but I have lived near Leeds for many years now. I like Yorkshire, but sometimes miss the hill and  lochs of Scotland!  I live with my partner and our two kids (5 and 8).  No pets expect for a few fish that belong to my son, but I think I like the more than he does!

    We are lucky to have a big garden, which is a bit of a jungle but I like it and it has lots of nature.  We dug a nature pond a few years ago and last year we found tadpoles!  None this year so far though..

    To relax I run and swim, and I am learning to sing; I’m not very good but I enjoy it!

     

     

  • Read more

    Scientists tend to focus on a particular topic and I choose to research “particulate matter” in the air.   Particulate matter is tiny particles that are in the air all around us, it can be natural (volcanoes, forest fires, dust storms) or from pollution (cars, coal fires, factories).

    These tiny particles can scatter the sunlight and so can affect the climate and also, if we breathe in too much of it, they are bad for our health causing breathing problems like asthma.

    When I started as a researcher I worked on particulate matter and climate change; I helped to write a computer model that can be used to understand how changes in particulate matter can affect the temperature of the planet.

    Then I got interested in the health effects, and now I work with doctors and health scientists to understand how this particulate matter affects our health.  I like it because it is a topic that affects everyone – after all, we all need to breathe!

  • My Typical Day:

    My job is all done on a computer – from my desk (or my home!) I can run climate models and look at the results. Normally I spend most of my time writing computer code, this tells the computer what calculations to do.

    I normally spend a few hours every day meeting other scientists to discuss the results.

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    Most days I just sit in my office, I work with a lot of people that do field work and go to exciting places to take measurements, but although staying in the office is not as exciting, it suits me a lot better.   I do go to visit other scientists to discuss the project a lot, which I really enjoy – I love hearing other people’s ideas, or planning something together.

    A lot of the time I am writing computer code, it looks complicated if you aren’t used to it, but I think it’s a bit like doing a Suduko or a crossword, it’s all a big puzzle and I gradually solve it a bit at a time. It’s really satisfying if I can solve a bit!

    I really like that because it is all on the computer I can work from anywhere – even before the lockdown I worked from home a lot, which means I can take the kids to school and work from home, so I get a nice balance between

     

  • What I'd do with the prize money:

    Get some fun science classes for primary students in Bradford!

  • My Interview

    • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

      friendly, kind, disorganised

      What did you want to be after you left school?

      I knew I wanted to "help" the environment in some way, but had no idea how.

      Were you ever in trouble at school?

      For talking..

      Who is your favourite singer or band?

      I'd just discovered George Ezra, it's my new running music

      What's your favourite food?

      Pizza

      If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

      Hmmm.. 1) Be more musical, 2) move to Scotland and 3) take up sailing

      Tell us a joke.

      What do you call an exploding monkey? A Bab-boom!

Questions answered by Kirsty

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