PEOPLE | interview July 2023 www.womanthismonth.com 76 MEET THE CARDIAC SCIENTIST! Could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself, and tell us about your ties to Bahrain? My mother is Bahraini and my father is English, and I was born and raised in Bahrain. In fact, I went to the British School of Bahrain where I have so many fond memories! However, we later moved to England as my father wanted my siblings and I to carry out our studies there. Leaving Bahrain was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, no country compares to your home. I am now a Cardiovascular Medicine and Pharmacology PhD student at the William Harvey Research Institute in London. My research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms at play in heart failure. My PhD is partly funded by AstraZeneca, whereby I undertake research in their labs in Cambridge using the latest techniques and technology. In my spare time, I love creating science communication content on Instagram to share my love for science with others. That’s very interesting! Is there a specific reason for which you chose this field? The heart has always been a fascinating organ to me. I was always amazed at how it was able to pump non-stop from the moment we are made. The structure and anatomy of the heart is also really beautiful, all the different chambers and cell types, and how they are able to contract rhythmically. I always loved learning about the cardiovascular system since I was in school. My research in particular is translational, meaning our work collects non-clinical research results and provides clinical applications, therefore more directly impacting human health and wellbeing. Cardiovascular disease remains to be a leading cause of death globally, and there is still so much that is unknown in terms of possible treatments and better diagnostics, so research in cardiovascular medicine is needed more than ever. Could you kindly share your experience being a PhD student in Cardiovascular Pharmacology in the UK? I was initially unsure whether to undertake a PhD after my Master’s degree, so I worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Oxford in the Cardiovascular Medicine Department to see if working in academia was for me. It’s here that I found a real love for research and knew I Yasmin Dickinson (BSc, MSc) is a highly successful woman in STEM based in the UK, known on Instagram by over 16,500 people as ‘The Cardiac Scientist’. Yasmin, who was born and raised in Bahrain, is now a Research Scientist in Cardiovascular Medicine and recently received placement as an intern in science policy in the UK. Through her interesting content online, she not only informs the general public of developments in the field, but inspires the youth to pursue a career in STEM. She tells Farah Baig about her journey and aspirations, and shares some insight into the life of a scientist.
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