Profile

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Liane Hobson

My CV

  • Education:

    I went to school in Belper (this tiny little town where I grew up). I stayed there for primary school, high school and sixth form (kind of like college, but in a high school). For my GCSE options I did Art and IT (IT because it seemed useful and Art because I liked it). I did science (all of them – biology, chemistry and physics) and maths at A-level. I did my degree (biology) and my masters degree (animal conservation) in Leeds. I moved to Liverpool for my PhD (evolution).

  • Qualifications:

    GCSEs- I got A*s for art, languages, English language science and maths, As for RE, Art and design and English literature, and Cs in IT and some other things I cant remember.
    A levels – As in biology and maths, B in chemistry and C in physics
    Degree – first in biology
    Masters degree – distinction in conservation
    PhD – pass (you can only pass or fail!)

  • Work History:

    I did lots of jobs when I was getting my qualifications. I got my first ever job selling lunchboxes and kitchen tools and I worked in a corner shop where I made bags of sweets (I sometimes got to eat them too!). I worked in pubs and restaurants, but my worst job was in a bingo hall (they said I was rubbish at calling the numbers…. I wasn’t very good!). I started work at MRC Harwell Institute in 2017, but only started working there as a scientist in 2019 (when I was almost 30!)

  • Current Job:

    I am an NC3Rs training fellow working at MRC Harwell Institute. NC3Rs stands for The National Centre for the 3Rs. The 3Rs are reduction, replacement and refinement; we want to reduce the number of mice used in studies, use something other than mice where possible and improve conditions for the mice used in studies wherever we can!

  • About Me:

    I really like puzzling things out. Most likely to be found reading a book surrounded by animals.

  • Read more

    I have two ‘old man’ bunnies called Merlin and Arthur. I like going and seeing brand new places, I usually go on surprise holidays (where I don’t know where I’ll go before I get to the airport). My most favourite thing is to read good books in the sunshine.

  • Read more

    I work at the Medical Research Council Science Institute at Harwell near Oxford. I have a special machine that record what noises mice are making (mice use sounds that are too high for our ears, so we have to use special machines to hear them) and takes video of them too (it’s a bit like mouse reality TV!). I use the machine to figure out what different mouse ‘noises’ mean. It’s basically a machine that translates mouse language to human language. I’m going to use what I find to help us to look after mice used for science even better than we already do.

  • My Typical Day:

    I get in quite early and set up my science equipment. I choose which animals I need to listen to that day and check that they’re ready to be listened to. I record them for a whole day in their cage, and they get to play, eat and nap (mostly nap!) as normal. I spend the rest of my day trying to work out what noises they are making to each other and what they mean!

  • Read more

    I usually start work at 7am (just when the mice are starting to go to bed after a long night of playing around). I usually check on my emails (see who needs me today!) and then I head in to see the animals around 8am. I start up the equipment (I put the mice in front of the camera and put a microphone in their house). I then go and look at all the data I get from my special machine. I do this and lots of other things for the rest of the day,  like write articles so that other scientists can read about my work and try to do this in their labs or work with me to look at their mice too.

  • What I'd do with the prize money:

    I would like to use the money to make science more fun and to show what we all do! Why read a big long article when you can read a short snappy blog?

  • My Interview

    • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

      Smiley, Alternative and Curious

      What did you want to be after you left school?

      A vet

      Were you ever in trouble at school?

      Nope, I was really good...

      Who is your favourite singer or band?

      Shinedown - they're a rock band you won't have heard of..

      What's your favourite food?

      Chocolate cake

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

      (1) I wish I could eat as much chocolate cake as I'd like without needing to go to the gym and work it off!! (2) I wish I could explore the whole world (3) I wish this virus would go away.

      Tell us a joke.

      Why did the tap dancer give up??? .... Because he kept falling in the sink!

Questions answered by Liane

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