Pooja Singh

Why would you encourage girls and young women to work in science?

Science is magical because it allows you to explore the inner workings of how our Universe works. There is so much beauty in unravelling how a dung beetle navigates using the milky way or how sand grains from the Sahara desert in Africa fertilise the lush Amazon rainforest of South America 3000 miles away. Science lets you discover, question, experiment, think critically and progress towards understanding how everything around us works. It permits us to look back into the past or glance into the future. Science helps us solve problems facing humanity and the world around us. Being a scientist is an exciting career and it is also incredibly important, which is why it is essential that girls/women, especially those from the underrepresented Global South, have their voices heard and leave their mark in this field.

What do you particularly like about your work?

I love that I can wake up every morning and think about how the many wonderful forms of plants and animals on our planet have evolved. It so much fun to ask questions and work towards find answers to them. It is also inspiring to work alongside aspiring and established scientists and solve scientific problems together.

Who inspired you to pursue a career in science?

I grew up in Botswana with a father who loved nature and wilderness. Botswana has some of the most remote and intact wildernesses left in the world. Exploring these spaces and observing the wildlife and ecosystems is what drew me towards wanting to know more about how it all came to be. I took the approach of using DNA and genetics to understand biodiversity and its evolution. It still continues to amaze me that four alphabets (A,T,G,C) code for every living thing on our planet; and we are still busy trying to find out how.

What advice would you give to young women/girls?

I would advise that young girls/women follow their interests, unabashedly. And not let anyone put them into boxes of society's expectations. You are smart enough to do anything that you set your mind to and be amazing at it. I was told that doing a BSc is not a career, and yet, here I am making a successful and fulfilling career out of it. You can too.

What are you particularly proud of in your work?

I am proud that my research findings are novel and have not been explored by anyone ever before. I am proud of being the first PhD holder and biologist in my family. I am proud that I can teach and train young scientists from across the globe. I am proud that I am still here, persevering, in a white and male dominated field.