Honor Browne

I had an extraordinary and inspiring time at ISS. I enjoyed being surrounded by like-minded people around my age and getting the chance to listen and speak to some exceptional scientists. The passion everyone had for their areas of interest was inspiring and I was introduced to new ideas and disciplines. It was interesting talking to other students about what they want to research and their ideas for the future.

I enjoyed listening to other students talk about their passions and ideas for different research projects. It was interesting to see what people thought were prominent issues in our society and discussing what we could do about it. I am interested in genetic/immunology medical research and I had stimulating discussions with other students, exchanging our thoughts and ideas around this topic. The most memorable of these is about how genetics could be used to help personalise medication choices for patients, targeting conditions like depression according to their genetic profile, rather than the trial-and-error method currently used.

ISS has shown me many potential successful and stable careers in science. People can often be discouraged from trying to get a degree in science as there is a perception that there are no jobs. This has shown me that there are many different careers in science and new industries are evolving, especially with the development of climate change and sustainability. I have seen that there isn't a single scientific discipline used in any science career. Instead, it is commonplace to work collaboratively across fields or an individual may move between disciplines, constantly gaining skills and knowledge. This was evident and explained well by the physicist who works with DNA.

As expected, this opportunity made choosing a career pathway more difficult. I have been exposed to so many new options. I have chosen to stick to my original plan, but I now have the knowledge that I may detour from this path by following areas of interest and being inspired by and interacting with other scientists. I feel that in my career, I will most likely work across many different scientific disciplines, which excites me.

I am extremely excited to go to university and start my pathway into science. There is so much I want to learn, and I know now that I don’t have to stick with one thing. I can’t wait to see what all the students at ISS end up doing because I know they are all going to do exceptionally well. This was a life-changing experience and has encouraged me even more to choose a career in science. With this world changing constantly, I am excited to see how the path of science changes and where it will lead me.