Nicola Kingswell: Scientific Director

Job title:

Scientific Director at Labskin Limited

Location:

Leeds

What inspired you to go into engineering?

Wanting to know how everything works.

What do you love about your job?

No two days are the same and no two projects are identical. There is always something exciting to learn and discover.

How did you get your job?

I worked really hard from the ground up. I started as a laboratory technician and took any opportunity that came my way to learn more and develop my own skills. I bought the assets for my company with my own savings and am growing the team, the business and our technologies.

What advice would you give to a young person looking to start a career in your industry?

Look for a role that interests and excites you. If you are genuinely interested in what you are doing and excited by the things you learn, it will never be boring. Reach out to people who are doing the role you would like to do and ask them questions about what they enjoy, what the job is really like and what advice they would give you.

What do you think will be the most exciting developments in your industry over the next 5-10 years?

That lab-grown tissue models will replace the need for any animal testing for new medicines and products to market. The models are becoming more complex and real-life, and this coupled with machine learning technologies will wipe out the need to test products for humans on non-human species.

Why would you encourage more girls to pursue a career like yours?

There is so much to learn and do. It's so much fun to be able to make things work, discover new insights and use that knowledge to improve lives.