Meet Julia Ravey, a NeuroScience PhD student at University College London. She is passionate about making the most up to date research accessible to all, all while debunking stereotypes of Women in STEM. Julia designed The Julia Ravey Collection for Stemmewear. She hopes these designs will add further fuel to the movement supporting women's right to education across the globe, and to inspire young girls to set big goals. Wear it and work for it!
INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR EDUCATION.
Hi! My name is Julia Ravey and I am a 27-year-old PhD student from Liverpool, England. My interests in STEM subjects started to develop in secondary school – I always found it more natural to solve a math’s equation than trying to uncover the meaning of a poem. I ended up taking Math’s, Chemistry and Drama for my final high school subjects and went into Neuroscience.
I always found it more natural to solve a math’s equation than trying to uncover the meaning of a poem.
My undergraduate degree was at University College London (UCL) and was completely brain-focused! I have always been fascinated by the brain as it is the physical entity responsible for making us human. I learned about the structure of the brain, the jobs of the ‘workers’ (cells) within and what happens in individual people with neurological disorders. Most interesting to me was Alzheimer’s disease; a disease which has affected my family since before I was born. I had so many questions about the condition and realized not all of them could be answered. This motivated me to go into Alzheimer’s disease research to try to contribute to the amazing work going on in the field.
Outside the classroom, I have trained in dance, drama, and singing, as well as playing the saxophone. These artsy skills kept my creative side alive whilst studying at school and I now try to bring them into my science through communication!
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON OR SKILL YOU LEARNED INSIDE THE CLASSROOM OR LAB?
The most important lesson I have learned since starting my PhD is the importance of believing in your abilities. It is very easy to slip into the imposter syndrome mind set - feeling like everyone around you is superior and you are only in your position by luck. This is definitely not the case! Reflect on the road you have taken to where you are now and tell yourself you are more than worthy. Having a belief in your abilities will open so many doors!
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON OR SKILL YOU LEARNED OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM?
Outside of school, the most important skill I have learned is time management for sure! I have a lot on and want to lead a balanced life, so I always make sure I have time for me, my family, my friends, my hobbies and my communication work. This means I have had to schedule quite meticulously ever since high school, but it has really helped me with adulting!
WHO WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE TEACHER?
I feel super fortunate to have had lots of amazing teachers throughout school, but one whose advice still sticks with me is my chemistry teacher in high school. She was super smart, sarcastic, and an absolute advocate for women pursuing STEM subjects. When I was confused over whether to study acting or science, she gave me a lot of her time to really get down to the core of what I wanted to change in the world. And that was, and still is, to learn about Alzheimer’s disease and communicate that and other research back to those most affected. If it wasn’t for her advice, I don’t think I would have ended up doing a science degree, nevermind a PhD!
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WORK WITH STEMMEWEAR TO DESIGN THIS LINE?
I first encountered Stemmewear through another role model’s post on Instagram. I absolutely loved the t-shirt designs and loved the message of the company even more! Supporting education of women is a world-changing cause, because if we educate our girls, we will have the most powerful leaders in the future.
Supporting education of women is a world-changing cause, because if we educate our girls, we will have the most powerful leaders in the future.
I have always been a spare-time doodler. Every birthday card, notebook and scrap piece of paper becomes littered with my scribbles. When I started my science communication platform, I wanted to use my doodles to make science easy to understand. I taught myself some graphic design to bring my drawings to the cyber world and I am super grateful that Stemmewear has let me turn them into real-life pieces!
When I started my science communication platform, I wanted to use my doodles to make science easy to understand.
THERE HAS BEEN A BIG FOCUS ON STEM EDUCATION FOR YEARS. NOW THE “A” FOR ART HAS BECOME A RECENT HOT TOPIC, CHANGING THE CONVERSATION TO THE IMPORTANCE OF STEAM. WHAT DO YOU DO TO KEEP YOUR ARTISTIC AND YOUR SCIENCE BRAIN ALIGNED?
I am all for STEAM as I personally believe arts and science go hand in hand. For me, my scientific work sparks my creative side and my artistic streak helps me think outside the box in the lab. In order to keep both my scientific and artistic sides aligned, I use my communication platform (memycellsandi.org) to translate tough science into understandable conversational with doodles to match. I also am a keen science communicator, so I use my drama background to talk about science at events and in the future, hopefully on tv and radio!
For me, my scientific work sparks my creative side and my artistic streak helps me think outside the box in the lab.
WHAT IS ONE LESSON YOU YOU’VE LEARNED THAT YOU’D LIKE YOUNG GIRLS GROWING UP TODAY TO KNOW?
I would definitely say that the person who always speaks out in class, contradicts the teachers and shows off is not better than you. They are not smarter than you, they are not more able than you, they are simply looking for affirmation. Work hard in the ways that make you comfortable and believe in your abilities! You are capable of whatever you put your mind to!
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?
The most recent non-fiction book I have read is ‘Why We Sleep’ by Professor Matthew Walker; a sleep scientist at UCLA. I love to sleep so I wanted to learn allllll the excuses to get a few extra hours in! Fiction-wise, I have just got round to reading Philip Pullman’s ‘Dark Materials’ Triology. The story is magical and you are transported to another world when reading. I would definitely recommend!
WHAT DID YOU LEARN TODAY?
Today I learned to not leave work to the last minute! I have a meeting tomorrow and thought my prep would be quick... it was not! So I had to sacrifice some other work plans to prioritize my presentation. I have learned to give myself more wiggle room!
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
I would just love to say thank you so much to Roberta and the team at Stemmewear. Your mission is inspirational and I am beyond excited to be contributing towards the cause.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?
You can find me on Instagram and Twitter (@me_mycells_andi) and on my website. Or just type in Julia Ravey and I should pop up!