Interview with Camilla Pang

Camilla Pang is a postdoctoral researcher specialising in translational bioinformatics. Last year, she won the Royal Society science book prize for her debut, Explaining Humans: What Science Can Teach Us About Life, Love and Relationships. On her website, Dr Pang says she is “blessed with the solid combination of ASD, ADHD and PhD”; she was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder at the age of eight and ADHD aged 26. Dr Pang works at a pharmaceutical company, developing treatments for immunological and neurological based diseases, and volunteers at UCL and the Francis Crick Institute, where she studies the evolution of protein functions in cancer.

Where and when were you born?
Newport, South Wales, 16 February 1992.

How has this shaped who you are?
I had the great privilege of being surrounded by the dramatic beauty of the Welsh countryside that I look for everywhere I live. I know how important it is to maintain your roots and, even though I don’t look Welsh, since I am half-Chinese, I definitely have Welsh blood in my spirit.

Why did you decide to write your book, Explaining Humans: What Science Can Teach Us About Life, Love and Relationships?
I didn’t actually realise that I was writing it at the time; it was more an exercise of expression and survival than a trivial hobby. I don’t know why I do most things until I do them and then reflect, which is a curse the other way round, since if I really want to do something, it is hard to find a path to get there mentally. I ended up writing my book as part of my PhD, as it seemed more socially acceptable that way.

How significant do you think it is that you were the youngest ever winner and the first person of colour to win the Royal Society’s science book prize?
I am absolutely thrilled to have won it. I didn’t expect to and it fills me with warmth and every bubbly emotion you can have. Nothing beats the fact that there are people out there who have heard my neurodivergent voice and knew it was an important story to be told; to feel human and valued for sharing my vulnerability. It has created more space for those who are silenced or internalise their weirdness to the point of inaction. I hope it enables people to stop apologising for who they are and know they are worth sunlight.

You have spoken openly about your autism and ADHD diagnoses and have described your neurodiversity as a superpower. What do you mean by this?
This is my least favourite question, because it is as if I am advertising superpowers that neurotypicals can exploit so that people who are neurodivergent suddenly hold value. This isn’t what I advocate for and I want to make that clear. I am not here to trivialise mental health but to highlight that when someone is enabled, by altering an environment so they can be themselves, wonderful things can happen. For me, the fact that I can communicate this clearly with a social and sensory communication disorder and be able to impose self-reflection is marvellous. I see links between things that are often out of place and I take pride in that, when I could easily discriminate against myself for it. So, this superpower is more of an attitude you need to have to be able to know that differences actually offer great potential to make change. The short answer to your question is: strength of character, honesty, resolution of thought, and the ability to empathise with and enable people in a world not designed for them.

You have also described yourself as between an artist and a scientist. In what ways does art have a role in your scientific work?
The way you see and synthesise is paramount in scientific processes, which is one of the first portals to the arts – how we synthesise information. It is also important to mention that creative thinking and empathy are the main keys to troubleshooting problems. You would be surprised at how many problems can’t be solved in the traditional problem-solving mode. For me, not only is art a form of inspiration that fires up my senses, it also reminds me of the global versus local picture and how different details are portrayed and features selected. When problem-solving or making a big decision, many people consider emotions to be an inconvenience, but in fact they are the best data we have as a species, since they validate themselves by existing.

You use humour in your writing and public speaking. Do you think more scientists should be funny?
Scientists are hilarious; you should see us when we are presented with a box of fancy biscuits, or when we find novel ways to make artisanal coffee from filter papers if funding hasn’t come through, or when we are praying for our cell cultures to grow, or work late on Friday nights. Researchers have learned that we can’t take ourselves too seriously since every day we are reminded of the things we don’t know and that we need to know so our experiments can work. Much like astronauts in space, sometimes the only thing you can do is laugh as a way to get through hard times, and also to get through to people.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Well done for getting through the meltdowns; they will come in useful. You are doing everything right.

What is your favourite protein molecule?
Haemoglobin. Any day of the week.

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com

Appointments

Karen O’Brien has been named Durham University’s next vice-chancellor. Currently head of the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford, she will head north in January, following the retirement of Stuart Corbridge this summer. Professor O’Brien, an expert on the literature and intellectual history of the Enlightenment, was previously vice-principal for education at King’s College London. Joe Docherty, chair of Durham’s council, said Professor O’Brien was “an exceptional leader with a distinguished track record” in the sector, whose “depth and breadth of understanding and forward thinking” would lead the university to success.

Nick Jennings will be the next vice-chancellor of Loughborough University. Currently vice-provost for research and enterprise and professor of artificial intelligence at Imperial College London, he will join Loughborough in the autumn, following the retirement of Robert Allison. Professor Jennings was previously Regius professor of computer science at the University of Southampton, and the UK government’s chief scientific adviser for national security. He described Loughborough as a “distinctive and world-class university” and said that he was keen to “build on [its] research base and raise the visibility of our important work”.

Kristian Helin has been appointed chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research. He will succeed Paul Workman at the London-based centre after stepping down as chair of the cell biology programme and director of the Center for Epigenetics Research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Jeff Grabill is joining the University of Leeds as deputy vice-chancellor for student education. He is currently associate provost for teaching, learning and technology at Michigan State University. Leeds has also confirmed Neil Morris as deputy vice-chancellor for digital transformation. He had held the role in an interim capacity since October.

Kim Beswick will be the next director of the Gonski Institute for Education at UNSW Sydney. She has been head of UNSW’s School of Education since 2019.