On my sister’s 10th birthday, she got a microscope kit as a gift; I was so jealous. I used to sneak into the cupboard and take it out of the box when she wasn’t around. I remember looking at bugs, vegies that mum had cut up for dinner and sometimes different flowers I found in the garden. I’ve always known I wanted to be a scientist, but to this day I cannot tell you where my next science journey will take me!

I grew up in Far North Queensland, and went through school with a love of science, drama and sport! When I moved to Brisbane to attend the University of Queensland I decided I wanted to study chemistry or physics. The next year I changed my mind and started studying biology! After graduating with a Bachelor of Science and a double major in ecology and zoology, I signed up for a year-long research project, where I would spend months on end living with 250 kangaroos and 1 other person!

After this, I got my first science job. I was working in a laboratory measuring the wings of fruit flies, which was enough to show me that I didn’t want to be a geneticist! I moved down to Hobart to the University of Tasmania, and began a PhD looking at how a mothers’ body decides if she will have a boy baby or a girl baby. This was fascinating, and I got to travel to Africa and to England for my work!

I’ve recently moved to Melbourne to work at La Trobe University, and even now I can’t decide what I want to do! I’m working on light pollution effects in small marsupial mice, looking at reproduction in wallabies on Kangaroo Island, and helping out with a project on microbats!

I love that science takes me on new adventures, and that I never have to lose the curiosity that I had when I was growing up – even now, I sneak into other people’s laboratories and borrow their microscopes when they aren’t looking!

 

Find me on Twitter: @Amy_Edwards89

For more information: www.utas.edu.au/zoology