Dr Katherine Fish
Dr Katherine Fish, Research Fellow in Water Microbiology in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.
Katherine moved into the field of engineering following a lecture on Environmental Microbiology during her Biology undergraduate degree, which acted as a lightbulb moment for her, prompting a passion for applied and engineering-focused microbial research.
Katherine secured a PhD at the University of Sheffield, studying microbial biofilms that form on the pipe wall of our drinking water systems and their impact on water quality if mobilised. Following this, she worked with water companies on several projects as a postdoctoral researcher before securing her first grant as a principal investigator from the National Biofilms Innovation Centre for an interdisciplinary project on managing aquatic biofilms.
Katherine currently works on industry-facing, collaborative projects in the laboratory and field, which are concerned with the detection, monitoring and management of biofilms and their impact on water quality and public health.
Beyond her research, Katherine is also involved in outreach activities, including the Maker{Futures} programme, which provides creative ways to develop digital and science, technology, maths and engineering skills. Katherine helped develop resources for primary schools that were inspired by her research, which aimed to raise awareness of who engineers are and what engineers do by exploring civil engineering and the importance of microorganisms.
Katherine reflects on what the initiative means to her on a professional and personal level and shares: “To have been considered for this initiative is such a privilege. On a professional level, it’s an honour to know that people are seeing the research I do and the way I do it and it’s resonating with them. On a personal level, I have chronic health conditions, and being a part of this initiative is evidence for myself that I’m not letting those chronic conditions hold me back. It shows me that despite those conditions, I can still do high-quality research and do so in a way that positively impacts others as well as research culture."
Thank you to all the women for taking the time to share their stories and reflections and for providing the information featured on these web pages.