Jane de Lartigue
- Current job title: Medical Writer
- Current location: Davis, California, USA
- Field of research: Medical writing, specialising in a variety of topics including diabetes, oncology and immunology
- Education history: Biology BSc with a year abroad teaching English in Poland, University of Leeds (2004); PhD, University of Liverpool (2008)
- Wellcome Trust awards: Four-year PhD Studentship
- Other awards: Postdoctoral position funded by the National Institutes of Health in the USA
Tell us about your background.
I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Leeds, followed by a Wellcome Trust-funded PhD at the University of Liverpool, where I was researching cell biology. I decided to stay on in science and did two years of a postdoc at University of California, Davis in the USA. My husband still works there, so I hop back and forth between the UK and the USA. Eventually, I'll move there permanently. In January this year I decided research wasn't for me. I've always enjoyed the writing aspect of science - journal articles, my thesis, things like that. I'd been doing a little bit of freelance writing to earn some extra money while I was a postdoc, and I decided to give it a go full time. Now I have a variety of clients, some who give me regular month-to-month work and others who are more sporadic.
Why did you choose your career?
I always wanted to do science. I wanted to be a vet for quite a while because I loved animals, but ultimately that was the reason I couldn't pursue it. I did some work experience at a vets and helped out at the RSPCA at weekends - I struggled to deal with the emotional downsides that came with the job. During my biology degree, I was interested in animal behaviour, studying ecology and working with environmental groups. I really enjoyed the lab work that I undertook during my final year project, so I thought research might be the way for me to go. That's why I applied for a PhD.
How would you describe your job?
I have three or four different clients at the moment, some on the east coast of the USA and others in Europe. The first thing I do each day is check my email and see if they've sent me any work. Then I work on my continuous 'to do' list - I work through it, prioritising what needs doing. It's lots of writing, obviously, and I sit at my desk most of the day, but I work from home and I'm my own boss. I'm never late for work.
In lay terms, what's your science about?
My PhD was very cell biology based. I was looking at a particular signalling pathway found in cells, trying to understand how it was involved with cancer formation. I focused on endocytosis (the method cells use to engulf external molecules), looking at how the quantity of proteins found on the cell surface were decreased by the signalling pathway.
In terms of the writing, first and foremost I'm a medical writer, but I also do some science writing. I enjoy writing about general science, but most of my clients are medical based, pharmaceutical companies or involved with cancer research. Much of the work I do is writing grant applications. More and more funding agencies want the science in grant applications to be written for the general public.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I'm working on a project for sales reps at a pharmaceutical company. I'm making sure it's well written and properly referenced and that it contains good science.
What's the ultimate aim of your work?
This varies from client to client. I don't just convey science to the general public - I'm a little more specialised than that as much of my work is aimed at clinicians or people who work in the medical field. They might not have specialist knowledge, but they are likely to understand the general principles. However, my work is always about conveying both the day-to-day research and the big advances that are going on in science, summarising it in a way that's accessible.
What are the difficulties and challenges of being a scientist, and how do you overcome them?
Sometimes I find it difficult to remember to focus. When I was in research I enjoyed reading about a topic and getting to understand it really well. I have a tendency to get too involved in the science and struggle to convey what's important from a clinical aspect - the findings of trials, for instance. I also find one of the downsides is that my work is quite solitary and I have to sit in front of a computer all day. I do have to remind myself to take breaks now and again.
How has the Wellcome Trust award influenced your career decisions?
I think being Wellcome Trust funded is one of the most prestigious PhD awards you can have. It looks great on your CV. I thought the programme was particularly good at teaching transferable skills, and I never felt I was being pushed into a research career - I was shown I had options. I learned that even though I was being trained as a scientist, I didn't have to become a researcher - I could make a contribution to science in lots of other ways.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
I find it suits my personality. One of the things I struggled with during my PhD was focusing on just one topic, where you can get bogged down in the details. I enjoy learning about lots of different areas of science, from diabetes to vaccine development. I get to learn about lots of subjects and summarise them for people, letting them know how technology is helping to cure disease.
Who is your biggest role model?
My biggest role model at the moment is probably Emma Hitt. She's a well-known and respected medical writer, and I very much enjoyed working with her when I was starting out. Sarah Perrault from the Creative Writing department at UC Davis also gave me a lot of confidence and helped me learn how to communicate with different audiences.
Who is your favourite living scientist?
For the very first article I wrote on cancer signalling pathways, I interviewed Robert Weinberg from the Whitehead Institute. He is awesome, a giant in his field. He discovered the first human cancer gene, and one of his papers on cancer is one of the most cited of all time. I emailed him on the off-chance that he might be interviewed for my article. I assumed he'd be too busy, but he agreed and was amazing. I sent him the article and the interview I'd written, and he wrote back full of praise. He was really friendly, and you don't always find that with scientists who are that important.
Who is your favourite scientist in popular culture?
I like Brian Cox and Richard Dawkins. They've both done what I always wanted to do: communicate science to people who aren't scientists.
What music do you listen to at work?
I listen to anything and everything, really - usually just what's on my iPod. If I really need to focus, I find that the only thing I can listen to is classical music.
What are your hobbies?
I recently took up the drums; my husband bought me a kit for my 30th birthday. I've been taking lessons once a week. I also like to ride horses. I rode a lot when I was a child and have taken it up again at Davis.
If you weren’t a scientist/writer, you would be…
I actually wanted to be an astronaut when I was a child, but I wasn't really that good at maths or physics. I also wanted to be a marine biologist, but I get seasick. The ultimate thing that I wanted to do, and still do really, was be the female David Attenborough.