Yusef Ahmad

As a child I remember watching Star Trek and wondering where humanity came from, how we related to the Universe and where science would ultimately take us. This quest for understanding lead me to academia where I initially studied computing, trying to find some inherent logic behind reality.

I used my acquired skills and further study to become a part qualified accountant, seeking knowledge through the manipulation of numbers. And it was here that I discovered a talent for linking unrelated data sets together, allowing me to zoom in from (say) a days income and break it down into ever smaller sections that could answer most managerial problems.

Life got in the way and whilst raising a child I reached back to my childhood and studied for an Open University Physics Degree, hoping to answer the question ‘where does everything come from? ‘. While doing this I was lucky enough to visit the large hadron collider at cern with the Institute of Physics. We were able to see one of the detectors being upgraded and got a very rare close up look. Ive also visited the UK’s nuclear fusion research facility.

After studying several postgraduate astronomy classes I chased my dream and undertook a career change. I now carry out Laboratory testing in the construction industry. I began with physical testing and then moved into a chemistry based role.

These positions have allowed me to test for building material safety through physical stress testing and then move onto chemical reactions taking place within the mixture of materials either used by the client or currently in place. It has been fascinating to see how molecular reactions manifest themselves as real world structural failure. The test results can have severe financial repercussions as well as raise underlying safety concerns.

Alongside this, I currently find myself half way through an Open University Biochemistry Degree, It literally begins where the Physics Degree ended, leading up to the reactions that govern the blueprint of life on Earth.

The driving force in whatever I do is to see how things relate to each other and build into larger systems, how they communicate and how outside forces manipulate the end result.

It is my hope to continue my studies and find a role that pushes my boundaries through unforeseen challenges and ongoing work related training.

Other than science (and of course science fiction) my other passion is music. I have travelled across the country and western Europe to attend countless festivals and gigs, including annual trips to Germany and sunny Blackpool.

5 years Laboratory Technician experience

Bsc Physics currently studying BSc Biochemistry