Class of 2024: Hannah Adams

Hannah Adams is an inspiration to anyone who feels the pressure of balancing academic studies with the demands of daily life.

Her story is truly one of perseverance, passion and the importance of a strong support system.

Balancing her full-time job as a laboratory technician at Essex whilst studying for a PhD in Biological Sciences was not easy, and it took her almost eight years to complete her research work. She had to manage her studies alongside moving twice, getting married, having a son and losing her father to cancer.

Her research focused on studying two proteins to better understand the mechanisms behind the production of greenhouse gases.

“Biology has always been my favourite subject since secondary school,” explained Hannah. “The specific area I ended up researching for my PhD was due to one of the researchers I worked with having a little project he let me start work on. I quickly realised it could be a very interesting and a much bigger project and asked if he would be happy to supervise me as a PhD student.”

Hannah, who also studied for her undergraduate and masters at Essex, is forever grateful to the support she received from her PhD supervisors Professor Mike Hough and Professor Jonathan Worrall.

“Essex is a lovely university and the School of Life Sciences is a fantastic department full of supportive, friendly people which really makes a difference when you're studying. I've worked with some brilliant people and the memories will stay with me for a very long time,” she added.

Today, Hannah is a Senior Laboratory Technician at the University of Essex within the Protein Structure and Mechanisms of Disease research group, where she continues to contribute to this exciting field of research.

Hannah's story demonstrates the power of resilience, dedication, and unwavering support that can fuel even the most ambitious dreams.