Moving to Cambridge: testimonials
We welcome postdocs from across the UK and around the world. Here some of our postdocs write about how they found the move to Cambridge.
Dr Joe Millard, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow
Moved to Cambridge from the Natural History Museum in London
"After finishing my PhD at UCL, I was fortunate enough to get postdoctoral positions at Oxford and the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, working on a variety of projects related to COVID-19, human chronotype, and computational ecology. Cambridge is where I grew up, and where a lot of family and friends are, so I always wanted to find a way to move back, but I didn't want to have to leave academia—which I also love—to make that happen. Applying for a fellowship at Cambridge has given me the freedom to physically be where I want to be, and to continue working in research.
The process of applying for any fellowship is difficult, but now I'm here, the Zoology Department is great. The finance team have been amazing in patiently helping me understand how my grant works, and how I can make purchases for travel and research equipment. The facilities team, including all the cleaners and the health and safety team, are very caring people and always looking out for everyone. A weekly highlight for me is the Zoology Happy Hour, where we gather in the Zoology team room for "Tea Talks" (PhDs presenting their recent research) and pre-weekend drinks—as far as I'm aware Happy Hour has been going almost continually during term time for about the last 30 years!"
Dr Kiyoko Gotanda, FQRNT Postdoctoral Fellow
Moved to Cambridge from Canada
“I had not moved cities or countries in 18 years, and I also completed my undergraduate and PhD at the same institution. The thought of a new university, new city, and new country was quite daunting. However, I received excellent guidance and assistance from members of the Department of Zoology that ensured a smooth transition. The Departmental Administrator, and the HR and Grants Administrator, knew which visa I would need based on my fellowship and helped guide me through the necessary steps for obtaining my visa. Upon arrival to Cambridge, within one day, I had my email account set up, my access card, and all necessary documents taken care of. Beyond the logisitics of moving to a new university and country, the department has made me feel very welcome. The departmental induction and the university induction helped me understand the inner workings of University of Cambridge (the Colleges baffled me when I first arrived), and a variety of events organized by the department has allowed me to easily and quickly meet members of the department. I am grateful that my transition was quick and smooth, and allowed me to quickly resume my research, and this was possible through the support offered by the Department of Zoology!”
Dr Mario Krapp, Research Associate
Moved to Cambridge from Germany
“A couple of months back I thought applying for a job at the University of Cambridge is a safe bet given that we are all EU citizens, me coming from Berlin, Germany. People from the department were very supportive, welcoming, and kind helping me and my family to settle. Still, as for many Britons, the outcome of the Brexit referendum came as a shock for us. However, because of the encouraging support of the department and the university, I personally don’t see any unresolvable drawbacks in the near future, and I’m looking forward to my work here at the department. (A small anecdote: My supervisor is Italian (Andrea Manica) and from the ~10 people of our lab, one is British. He’s from Scotland, though).”
Dr Jonas Geldmann, EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellow
Came to Cambridge from Denmark
“I started my fellowship in the Zoology Department’s Conservation Science Group in March this year funded by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships program. Both before and after, the department has been extremely welcoming and supportive, offering invaluable assistance with the application process as well as helping to make me feel welcome, and overcoming the inevitable challenges of moving to a new country. In the application phase the administrative staff as well as fellow academics were extremely supportive, helping with everything from the technical details of the grant to valuable input on the actual project. I would not have been able to successfully complete the application without their assistance. After starting, I have experienced nothing except an open, friendly and academically stimulating and collaborative environment where everyone is keen to help and get involved in each-others work. This is truly a fantastic place to work, and being located in the David Attenborough Building with hundreds of other conservation scientist and practitioners only adds to the already great environment of the university.”