"My favourite part of research is when I get to talk to others about it."

Ailie McWhinnie is in the third year of her PhD in Neuroscience. She was born and educated in Scotland, before moving to Cambridge to pursue her PhD project as a result of the Wolfson PDN scholarship. In addition to her research, Ailie is excited by the possibilities of science communications and public engagement. She hopes the placement component of her PhD will give her a better understanding of career options within the media. 

Can you briefly summarise your route to Wolfson? Can you explain your current PhD project in simple terms? 

Before my PhD in neuroscience, I studied developmental and stem cell biology at the University of Edinburgh. I didn’t do a master’s, but I did spend a year doing research in industry, validating a novel pain target for Eli Lilly. 

Now I still work in neuroscience but something totally different – olfaction! This is our sense of smell, and I was interested in this system because unlike other neurons across the brain, many of the neurons here continue regenerating throughout life in mammals. I use a technique called patch clamp electrophysiology to listen in to the activity of these neurons in live brain slices from mice. 

If we can better understand these rare naturally occurring forms of neurogenesis, we may learn something useful for regenerative therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

How did it feel to be told that you had been awarded the Wolfson College-PDN scholarship?

I couldn’t believe it when I read the email. I almost didn’t apply to do my PhD in this lab despite it being my dream project because I thought ‘but it’s Cambridge!’ It turns out many people here felt exactly that way when applying, now here we all are. 

Without a scholarship, I never would have pursued a PhD and the benefits have been far beyond the qualification itself. Being in Cambridge and at Wolfson has opened so many possibilities. This is not just in terms of a network and a fancy CV, but through being immersed in this unique environment with passionate and engaged people, I feel much more aware of the world and how it works. You sort of soak up knowledge and culture without even realising it! 

How did you find settling into Wolfson/Cambridge life?

For my first year I lived in College which made the transition to Cambridge life much easier. I didn’t realise before arriving what a positive difference being in a Mature College would make. Compared to many other colleges where life seems to revolve more around the undergraduate world, all the activities are pitched just right and everyone you meet is at a similar stage in life. 

You immediately feel part of the community at Wolfson. We’re lucky that Wolfson is all on one site, so you see the same people everywhere and quickly make friends. I live off-site now with friends I made at Wolfson, and even though I’m not at the core of College life anymore since moving out, I really appreciate still having a second community there so that life doesn’t revolve entirely around my department.

What are your goals for the future? Do you have any idea where your PhD might take you? 

I absolutely love my PhD project and my lab team, but I don’t think I will stay in academia forever. This is because my favourite part of research is when I get to talk to others about it, whether it’s a presentation at a conference or doing science outreach with kids at the Cambridge Festival. 

I love the bigger picture view you get when you have to pause and step back from the details of your day-to-day lab work. I’ve done a lot of writing and editing work in the past so I’m considering science writing. Luckily as part of my PhD programme (Biological Sciences DTP, which you are enrolled in if receiving the Wolfson-PDN scholarship), I should do a 3-month placement during my PhD, which can be in any field you choose. I will use this to try working in media full-time and see how I like it!

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This article is part of the 2023/4 Postgraduate Student Profile Series:

• Meet Janella Ajeigbe, MPhil student in Mathematics Education Student
• Meet Afroditi Sakellaropoulou, MPhil student in Ethics of AI, Data and Algorithms
• Meet PhD student Jack Ellis, recipient of Wolfson’s new Geopolitics funding award
• Meet Carmen Embil-Villagra, first year PhD student in Theoretical Physics
• Meet Rafaela Marinho-Fonseca, first year PhD student in Chemistry
• Meet PhD student Harry Roussos, recipient of a PDN studentship for work in Developmental Biology
• Meet PhD student Jisoo Kim, recipient of a PDN studentship for neuroscience work on vision
• Meet Jessica McConnell, first year PhD student in Chemistry
• Meet Chloe Lambdon, MPhil student in English Studies

Applications are still open for the 2024 Wolfson-PDN scholarship, and for many other Wolfson College-specific studentships. Click here to learn more. 

You can also find out how to apply to study for a postgraduate course at Cambridge University as a Wolfson College student, and watch our postgraduate video, introducing the exciting academic and social atmosphere in College.