Profile
Cerys Cooper
-
About Me:
Hi! I’m Cerys. I’m a Physics PhD student living in Lancaster. When I’m not in the lab, you will often find me at the gym, cinema, or in my kitchen making lots of food🥘🏋️♀️
-
Read more
My partner lives in London, so I’m often there too. My dream is to one day live and work in the city. My other hobbies include reading and playing video games. I’m also a bit obsessed with board games at the moment, though I have to admit, I’m a terribly sore loser!
-
My pronouns are:
She/Her
-
My Work:
I’m a PhD Physics student. My work looks at how tiny molecules can be used to make small, energy-saving electronics that could help protect our planet 🌍.
-
Read more
By using molecules as electronic components – such as transistors (which act like switches) and thermoelectric generators (which turn heat into electricity) – we could create super-fast computers and even reuse wasted heat from things like your phone or your body to help power electronic devices. Molecules are also great to work with because they’re cheap to make, non-toxic, and completely tunable – we can adjust their structure to change how they behave, just like tweaking settings on a device.
-
My Typical Day:
I start most days with a trip to the the gym – I love powerlifting! 🏋️♀️ I get to the lab around 10am and spend my day running experiments, reading and writing. At lunchtime I’ll meet up with some friends (we love visiting the university market) before finishing off any experiments and heading home at 5pm.
-
Read more
Sometimes experiments just don’t go to plan and I have to change what I was going to do – but that’s okay! As scientists, we’re used to problem-solving and thinking on our feet. My days can vary a lot because of this. Some days I might finish early and relax by playing video games, while other days I stay later because I’m completely absorbed in my work. I really enjoy this flexibility and how every day brings something new 😊
-
What I'd do with the prize money:
I would use the £500 to create hands-on workshops and demonstrations that show how molecules can be used in electronics. I’d love to design simple, fun experiments that help students explore how electricity and materials work together, making science feel exciting and achievable for everyone.
-
Education:
I grew up and went to high school in a small town called Ormskirk, where I stayed on to do A-levels at the Sixth Form. When it came to picking my subjects for A-level I honestly just picked what I loved learning – Physics, Maths, and Philosophy. I didn’t think too much about future career plans because truthfully I didn’t really know what I wanted to do (and at 16 I don’t think anyone should put any kind of pressure on themselves to know!). My parents never went to university either so I they didn’t really know how further education worked. I just knew that I wanted to learn more about these subjects and I’m so glad I did.
-
Qualifications:
I sat my GCSEs in Year 11 and achieved 10 GCSEs: English Lit, English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Spanish, Drama, and Religious Studies, where I got 9s in Biology, Chemistry and Physics and 8s in the rest.
I went on to study Physics, Maths and Philosophy at A-Levels where I got 3 As (though I didn’t actually sit these exams due to the Covid pandemic).
With these grades I was accepted into Lancaster University to study Physics (yay!) where I graduated with a First class degree. I loved my project in my final year so much I decided to stay on to do a PhD with my supervisor.
-
Work History:
Throughout college I worked part time in various weekend jobs. I started off at a small ice cream parlour place and for my last year of college got a job at Starbucks 🍵. Working part time was a great experience that I’d recommend to anyone if you can manage the time. I gained so many transferrable skills and fun memories, and the extra money was a great bonus also!
Alongside this, I’ve also volunteered at numerous charities since I was 15, and this is something that I still do now.
-
Current Job:
I’m currently in the second year of my Physics PhD at Lancaster University. I am fully funded fortunately so this is my full time job. I also do some part time teaching assistant work at the university, which I really love, as well as a small side role helping out at a local film festival 🎥.
-
Employer:
Lancaster University
-
My Interview
-
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Super strong scientist
What did you want to be after you left school?
Firefighter
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really - only ever for yapping too much in class
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Personal trainer
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Muse
What's your favourite food?
Pasta
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To concentrate better, feel more confident (and less anxious) in social situations, and enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
Tell us a joke.
I have a new theory on inertia, but it doesn't seem to be gaining momentum.
-