The International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS) highlights the vital role women and girls play in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Established by the United Nations, the day aims to promote full and equal access to participation in science, recognising that diversity drives innovation, strengthens research, and leads to better solutions for global challenges.
Despite progress over recent years, women are still underrepresented across many scientific fields, which is why we are proud to say that 64% of our employees are women. To honour IDWGIS, we’re championing one of these incredible women, Abbi. She spoke to us about her role as a DNA Interpretation Scientist and the career that led her there.
How and why did you get into your role?
"I studied forensic science for a total of six years straight out of secondary school. First, I studied for two years to get a Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science (Forensic), then I went straight on to university.
Initially I had applied for the BSc in Forensic Science with a year in industry, a four-year course, but due to Covid-19 pandemic the year in industry wasn’t possible. However, since I already planned to spend four years studying, I decided to stick to that plan. Instead of a year in industry, I applied to transfer to the Integrated Masters course. In the end, I was able to achieve an MSci in Forensic Science with First Class Honours from Nottingham Trent University.
When I was nearing the end of my degree, I began applying to jobs for after graduation. Believe it or not, Cellmark ended up being my first and only interview! It all happened very fast, I had my interview in April, was accepted and finished my degree in May and started at Cellmark at the end of June.
I applied because the role sounded interesting and I enjoyed the DNA Interpretation module I studied at university. I thought it would be an ideal role to start my career in forensic science."
What aspects do you enjoy about the role?
"I really love the team of people I work with. I was, and can still be very shy, especially when I first started. However, my team was very welcoming and made coming to work enjoyable. This motivated me to pay close attention during training so I would be able to contribute to the team, which became even easier when I discovered how much I enjoyed it.
At first, I was trained to register and update samples for relationship testing, then I was trained to analyse and interpret DNA profiles for our forensic contracts. I found the entire process interesting and felt that the work I was doing was important and meaningful.
Later, I was trained to interpret samples for our relationship testing service. The analysis was very similar, so I picked it up quickly and then moved on to learning how to write the reports on the results of the relationship comparisons. I’ve now been doing this job for just over a year. Although it wasn’t a role I initially set out to pursue, it fulfils my desire to contribute to society in a meaningful way through science."
What has been your proudest career moment?
"I am proud that I have developed myself within the role to be a valued asset within the team by taking on challenges and adapting as my responsibilities have evolved. For example, I became trained in the laboratory, so now understand not only how to interpret the DNA profiles but also how to process the samples to produce those profiles."
What would be your advice to someone looking to get into your role?
"My current role is not one I expected to have when I chose to study forensic science at college and university. So, I think keeping an open mind and considering roles that you may never have thought of can be extremely beneficial. There are many different career paths in forensic science, a lot of which I wasn’t aware of, even during my studies at university.
Every role contributes to something important and can offer a foot in the door, helping you gain experience and build connections for the future. For many roles in the field, a degree is desirable, although not always mandatory. It doesn’t have to be in forensic science, for example I know people with biology, archaeology and chemistry degrees who are now pursuing careers in forensics."
Content contained within this blog was correct at the time of publication. Subsequent changes, updates, or developments may not be reflected.