I became interested in environmental radioactivity during my undergraduate and pursued a PhD at the University of Stirling looking at the effect of radiation on bumblebees in Chernobyl. COGER was the first conference that I presented at and I’m still in touch with people I met at that first meeting over a decade later. COGER gave me insight into not only other academic research in this area which helped me collaborate but also how it’s used in real life by organisations such as the environment agency. 

As an industrial placement student, the COGER conference was my first ever experience of presenting scientific research and meeting other friendly and like-minded individuals who were passionate about environmental radioactivity. This experience began a journey for me which culminated in me completing a radioecology PhD, exploring plant and fungi interactions with radioactive particles, and now becoming a professional radiochemistry researcher. My hope is that, with the other committee members, I can recreate this welcoming space for learning and collaboration in order to connect and inspire current early career researchers.

I have spent the last 30 years studying the fate and behaviour of radionuclides in the environment, conducting radiological risk assessments and trying to better understand the effects on non-human biota caused by exposure to ionising radiation. I have been a member of the COGER steering committee since 1999 (Secretary), Treasurer from 2013 - I joined the committee to ensure the continued support of PhD students to attend and present at COGER. 

COGER is a small and friendly conference, and a great place to find out about relevant R&D and meet others in similar fields. As a student, COGER provided me with an opportunity to present on my research at an early stage in my studies, enabling me to experience presenting in a friendly environment, and meet others who were on a similar journey to me. As a committee member, I want to ensure that COGER remains accessible to students and apprentices, welcoming both newcomers and return delegates.

I joined the committee to support the environmental radioactivity community by helping bring back this excellent forum for meeting people and discovering the latest work in the field.

I was first introduced to the COGER community as a 1st year PhD student when I gave a talk on the aims of my project. Expecting a barrage of difficult questions from scary professors, I was very happy to instead be given a number of helpful pointers on how to develop my project. Attending subsequent meetings helped direct my project, give me confidence in speaking about it and take ownership of my research. Winning the highly prestigious best PhD Talk one year also helped... By joining the COGER committee I hope I can give back at least a little of what I gained from this community.

Even though I have never been to a COGER meeting, I missed throughout my thesis connecting with peers. With me being part of the COGER committee, I am looking forward to providing upcoming and established researchers with a platform to connect, exchange and grow.