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Charlotte Slade

    • About Me:

      I live near Brighton with my partner and our rescue dog 🐕 and love coaching netball 🏐

      When I’m not inventing new science tools, I volunteer helping kids with disabilities and am learning Japanese! 🎌

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      I grew up in a small town in Lincolnshire and was always curious about how things worked – I’d take apart old toys and try to put them back together (sometimes successfully!). I loved science at school but also enjoyed sports, especially netball, which I still coach today.

      I’m passionate about making science accessible to everyone. That’s why I volunteer at a local school as a governor and help children with physical disabilities learn through play and movement. I believe everyone should have the chance to explore and learn, no matter their background.

      In my free time, I’m learning Japanese (though I’m not very good yet!), trying to master coding (with varying success 😄), and love getting involved in community projects. I also enjoy hiking along the South Downs with my rescue husky & partner, and am trying to visit every National Trust properrty in Sussex!

    • My pronouns are:

      She/They

    • My Work:

      I help create new scientific tools that let researchers see tiny details on surfaces – like a super-powerful microscope!
      I work with teams around the world to turn creative ideas into real products that scientists use to make discoveries.

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      My job is all about making tools that help scientists discover new things. Imagine having a super-powerful magnifying glass that can see things thousands of times smaller than a human hair and tell you exactly what it’s made of – that’s the kind of technology I work with!

      I lead teams of engineers and scientists to create new inventions that help researchers understand materials better. For example, we might help scientists develop better solar panels, more efficient batteries, or new medical treatments.

      Every day is different – one day I might be brainstorming new ideas with my team, the next I could be testing our latest invention or talking to scientists around the world about what they need. I love that my job combines creativity, problem-solving, and working with people to make tools that help make scientific discoveries possible!

    • My Typical Day:

      Want to know what my day looks like?

      I’m a super early bird – up at 5:30am with my green tea! By 7am, I’m in our amazing science warehouse, chatting with teams worldwide about our latest inventions. After lunch, you might find me testing new machines or dreaming up future projects. The best part? I finish at 3pm, so I have loads of time for fun stuff like helping kids, walking my dog, hitting the gym, or gaming! 🔬🐕🎮

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      Every day brings something different, which is what makes my job so exciting!

      My day starts pretty early – I’m usually up at 5:30am! While my partner takes our rescue dog for his morning walk, I grab my green tea and head to work, listening to music on the way.

      Our workplace is super cool – it’s not your typical science lab! Imagine a huge warehouse filled with amazing scientific instruments that we’re building and testing. By 7am, I’m catching up with our teams around the world, sharing ideas about our latest inventions, and solving interesting problems.

      After lunch is when I get to do lots of different things. Sometimes I’m in meetings with other scientists, learning about what they need our tools to do. Other times, I’m in our testing area, trying out new features on our machines or planning future projects.

      One of the best things about starting early is finishing at 3pm – it gives me loads of free time! You might find me volunteering with kids, taking my dog for long walks, working out at the gym, or unwinding with some video games. Having this balance makes every day feel like an adventure!

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      I’d use the £500 to create hands-on ‘Science Discovery Kits’ for kids with physical disabilities.

      Working with Whoopsadaisy Brighton, I’d design accessible experiments that can be done with limited mobility. Each kit would include adapted scientific equipment, easy-to-follow instructions, and fun challenges.

      The kits would focus on exciting experiments like:

      • Creating rainbow crystals
      • Building simple electric circuits
      • Testing different materials’ properties
      • Making safe chemical reactions

      The money would help buy materials for about 20 kits, letting kids explore science regardless of their physical abilities! 🔬♿️🧪 Every child deserves the chance to be a scientist!

    CV

    • Education:

      I went to Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Horncastle, Lincolnshire. It’s a small market town, but our school had amazing science and maths teachers who really brought physics to life! 🎓

    • Qualifications:

      GCSEs: 11 A*-A grades including Triple Science, Maths, and French
      A-Levels: Maths (A*), Further Maths (A), Physics (A), AS French (B)
      University: Master of Physics (2:1) and then a Doctorate in Physics from University of Warwick
      Plus lots of extra certifications in things like First Aid, Mental Health Support, and Project Management! 📚

    • Work History:

      My first job was packing eggs at a local farm – taught me a lot about being careful with delicate things and gave me a lot of thinking time (useful for working with scientific equipment now!)

      During university, I was:

      • A student ambassador showing kids how cool science could be
      • A lab demonstrator helping other students with experiments
      • A researcher studying tiny crystals inside carbon nanotubes

      Then I worked at Silson Ltd making super-thin materials for scientists, before joining Thermo Fisher Scientific as an R&D Physicist in 2020. 📈

    • Current Job:

      Innovation Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific – I lead teams developing new scientific instruments that help researchers see things thousands of times smaller than a human hair! Think of it like inventing super-powerful microscopes and surface analysis machines that scientists use to develop better solar panels, new medicines, or more efficient batteries. 🔬

    • Employer:

      Thermo Fisher Scientific – we’re a global science company that makes tools and equipment that help scientists make discoveries. Our motto is ‘enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.’ Pretty cool, right? 🌍

    • My Interview

      • What did you want to be after you left school?

        I wanted to be an Aerospace Engineer or Rocket Scientist! I was fascinated by space and rockets, and loved the idea of building things that could fly to other planets. During my A-levels, I got really excited about physics - especially when we learned about tiny things like atoms and how we can study them. My amazing physics teacher showed us how scientists use special tools to 'see' things too small for our eyes, and I thought that was the coolest thing ever! Now I get to invent those tools myself, which is just as exciting as building rockets! I still love space (and sometimes our instruments are even used by space scientists!), but I discovered that helping scientists see the invisible world of atoms was my true passion. 🚀🔬 It just shows that sometimes life takes you down unexpected paths - and they can turn out to be just as exciting as what you first planned! 😊

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        Not really - I was actually pretty quiet in school! Though I did once accidentally set off the fire alarm in chemistry class when an experiment got a bit too exciting! 🧪 My teacher wasn't too happy, but it taught me an important lesson about following safety instructions carefully. Now I use that story to remind my teams why safety procedures are so important when we're testing new equipment! 😄

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        I'd probably be a Space Scientist working on rockets and spacecraft! 🚀 That was my original dream, and I still think space exploration is incredibly exciting. Or maybe I'd be teaching physics - I love explaining science to others and seeing their faces light up when they understand something new. Either way, I'd definitely be doing something that combines science with helping others make discoveries! 👩‍🔬✨

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        I'm a huge Sam Fender fan! 🎸 His music combines amazing storytelling with powerful messages about real-life issues. 'Seventeen Going Under' is probably my favorite song - it really captures what it's like growing up and facing life's challenges. Plus, he's from the North like me, and I love how he stays true to his roots while making such incredible music! 🎵

        What's your favourite food?

        I can't choose between two favorites! 🍜 Inari Udon (a Japanese noodle dish with sweet tofu pockets). And for dessert, nothing beats a really good lemon drizzle cake 🍋 - I'm always trying to perfect my recipe, though sometimes my baking experiments don't quite work out as planned... just like in the lab!

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        1. To speak Japanese fluently - right now I'm still struggling with basics, and I'd love to be able to chat confidently when I visit Japan! 🎌 2. For my rescue dog to live forever - he's the best walking and brainstorming buddy! (I swear he can tell what I'm saying, because sometimes he'll just give me a look that says "Don't be so silly, that's never going to work". Though it could just be his husky resting-disapproval-face... 😄) 3. To invent something that really changes the world for the better - maybe a tool that helps scientists find cures for diseases faster or develop better renewable energy. Making a real difference is what drives me! 🔬 (Okay, and maybe a secret fourth wish for unlimited lemon cake... but don't tell anyone🍋)

        Tell us a joke.

        What do you call a dinosaur that knows lots of science? A Thesaurus! 🦕 (My Science jokes are terrible, but hey - at least they're not as bad as my engineering jokes... those are still under construction! 😄)

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