James Baxter is a PhD student in the Department of Life Sciences.

What was it like preparing for, and talking at, the annual FoNS Research Showcase?

Preparing the prerecorded talk was an interesting experience. It was nice to avoid the pressure of a room full of people but also definitely took a few attempts to be happy with the recording! The FoNS showcase was also the first time I've given a talk to a more general scientific audience who were not already familiar with my work. It was nice to talk about the fundamentals of my research whilst trying to communicate the bigger picture.

Why are opportunities like this important?

Key to being a scientist is being able to explain and communicate your work effectively. I think events like the Showcase help you gain confidence in presenting your research, whilst the short slots push you to be as concise as possible. I also found the FoNS Showcase talk great practice for future postdoc interviews as both felt they had a similar level of pressure.

Got any helpful advice for fellow students about giving an academic talk?

Check your microphone is working before you start recording your talk. Otherwise, you'll have to record it twice.

Watch James' Showcase talk

James Baxter (PhD student, Department of Life Sciences): Time-Resolved Serial Crystallography of Reversibly Switchable Fluorescent Proteins

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