Profile

Photo:

Victoria Burton

My CV

  • Education:

    Langstone First and Middle School, Oaklands RC School, Havant College, Open University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Imperial College London

  • Qualifications:

    GCSEs: double science, English, maths, geography, French, RE, art, graphic design, IT, business studies. A levels: Geography, Biology, Chemistry, General Studies, OCR CLAIT level 1, IBT level 2. University Certificate in Biological Recording and Species Identification. BSc Natural Sciences. MSc Taxonomy and Biodiversity. PhD soil biodiversity.

  • Work History:

    Project Officer, Project Co-ordinator, Citizen Science Facilitator and Designer, Field Assistant on a pollinator project, Administration Assistant for social services, Medical Administrator in GP surgery, Administrator in a police station, Administration Team Manager in a DIY store, Retail assistant in a video store, Retail assistant in a DIY store, Team Manager in a pet shop, Trainee microbiologist, Retail assistant in a pet shop.

  • Current Job:

    Postdoctoral Researcher, Excalibur – soil biodiversity in horticulture

  • About Me:

    I’m a researcher at the Natural History Museum in London studying soil life in horticultural farming. I really like earthworms, bug hunting and trying to identify as many plants and animals as I can wherever I go.

  • Read more

    I live partly in Selsey, West Sussex with my parents, one of my sisters and our dog and other animals, and partly in London on my own. In Selsey I grow cacti and succulents and have a pet blue tongue skink, three hognose snakes and lots of exotic cockroaches. In London I have a planted aquarium with danio fish. I’m autistic. I love UK nature, especially identifying and recording different species. I am member of many natural history societies and recording schemes and help run the Bug Club for young people interested in insects.

  • Read more

    I’m a post-doctoral research assistant (post-doc or PDRA) at the Natural History Museum, London, working on a project called Excalibur. This project brings together 16 organisations across Europe, trying to better understand soil biodiversity of all kinds  – including microbes, earthworms and insects. We want to test methods of farming that are more friendly to soil life, using microorganisms to increase crop health and growth, rather than artificial pesticides and fertilisers.

    My role in the project is to collate data and build computer models to estimate how these methods effect soil life, to advise farmers on the best methods to use which do less long-term damage to the soil.

  • My Typical Day:

    At the moment I am mainly working from home. I get up and switch on my PC and firstly check my emails and other messages. I keep in touch with other team members in online meetings 2-3 times a week. Sometimes I work on collating data, or writing computer code to analyse it. Other days I read what other researchers have published lately, and work on writing my own journal articles.

  • My Interview

    • What did you want to be after you left school?

      A scientist

      Were you ever in trouble at school?

      Yes, I used to get in trouble for talking back to teachers

      Who is your favourite singer or band?

      Rammstein

      What's your favourite food?

      Chocolate

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

      Have a permanent job, a house and a dog

      Tell us a joke.

      What is brown and sticky? A stick!

Questions answered by Victoria

View all Victoria's answered questions