From a small rural farm in Scotland to accelerating solutions to global food security, Ashleigh is passionate about overcoming the misconception of what it means to be a scientist.
Research institutes are like ecosystems; a finely tuned balance of interconnected people and resources working together to ensure success. To the outside world, only the results - blossoming like flowers - are often visible. Yet beneath the surface is a hive of activity, with technical specialists and supporting professionals working hard to enable new research to emerge and transform the world.
What would happen if we turned this system around, bringing technical expertise into the foreground and shining a light on the creativity, perseverance and innovation of the people behind the research?
Someone changing this narrative is Ashleigh Lister, Senior Research Assistant at the Earlham Institute.
Starting life in rural Scotland on a small arable farm, Ashleigh is the first person in her family to go to university. Experiencing the hardship of farming with its increasing struggle to survive – the tight knit community she grew up in is at the core of what drives Ashleigh to push the boundaries of agricultural research and innovation.
It has also given her a unique perspective on the challenges of connecting crop research with real world impact. "I love that what I do is contributing to bridging the gap between farming and research and hopefully will help the community I deeply care about," Ashleigh says.
Ashleigh is passionate about overcoming the misconception of what it means to be a scientist. Having struggled at university, as well as experiencing multiple career breaks (she is a mother of two children), she is a leader in her field at the frontier of bioscience research.
It wasn’t until I became a science technician in a local school that I was inspired by the teachers to pursue a career as a teacher, which required me to study at university. I then discovered the variety of roles available as a research technical specialist
"I loved biological sciences, but it took me some time to figure out what that looked like for me. I scraped through university. I also pursued a career in horse riding for several years! It wasn’t until I became a science technician in a local school that I was inspired by the teachers to pursue a career as a teacher, which required me to study at university. I then discovered the variety of roles available as a research technical specialist," Ashleigh says.
"I feel very privileged to get to work with in the lab every day, with the cutting-edge technology that we get to host, as well as contribute to the impactful research. It does feel surreal that I am situated in such an academic institute, when that wasn’t my path!"
Ashleigh has recently been listed as co-first author on a new publication, acknowledging her significant contributions to the establishment of the spatial transcriptomics platform and the data acquisition.
The research could help with the critical challenges of boosting wheat yields without damaging the environment. With 2.5 billion people reliant on wheat as a staple food, and demand expected to increase by 60% by 2050 – there is no greater example of just how vital technical specialists are to advancing world changing research.
From a small rural farm in Scotland to accelerating solutions to global food security, Ashleigh still struggles with feelings of being an impostor,
"I am just waiting for the day when I am found out!" she laughs. But the fact remains – technology and research are two sides of the same coin and no matter how you find a career in science, extraordinary people like Ashleigh really can change the world.
I feel very privileged to get to work with in the lab every day, with the cutting-edge technology that we get to host, as well as contribute to the impactful research. It does feel surreal that I am situated in such an academic institute, when that wasn’t my path!
Technical specialists, also known as Research Assistants, Technicians, Technical Scientists, amongst other roles, are employed as part of a team, or a specific project, to bring expertise or skills.
They might run certain methods, platforms, provide training and importantly, a continuation that is lost in shorter period roles. Initiatives such as the Technician Commitment is striving to ensure that the role of Research Technical professionals, are not ignored and their visibility and impact in research project outputs is recognised.
This importance of this Technicians commitment improves the working environment (as well as mental health, and general confidence) for these roles and helps to ensure that these roles are given the same training, grant prospects, and extended contract lengths.
