Spotlighting FSS staff for British Science Week - Dr Emma Agnew

During British Science Week we are celebrating our colleagues to demystify a variety of science-based roles at Food Standards Scotland.

Today we're spotlighting our Senior Scientific Advisor, Team Leader - Food Borne Illness Control, Dr Emma Agnew.

Hello my name is Emma...

I always enjoyed science in school but also loved art, so when thinking about my career choices I was a bit conflicted as to what route to go down. After playing many a game of Pictionary I am glad that I went for the science career!

After completing my PhD I worked as a research scientist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital which was a fantastic opportunity. It opened up my eyes to what I truly wanted to do with my career and that was to use science to have a direct impact on people’s lives.

This led me to moving back to Scotland and taking up a science role within Government. I’m now with Food Standards Scotland giving scientific advice on keeping the Scottish population safe and healthy from the food we eat.

What does it mean to be a Senior Scientific Advisor?

As Senior Scientific Adviser this means that I have to understanding and be able to communicate science to many different people. This can be to the general public, like my friends and family, or to people who make important decisions in Government. I lead the foodborne illness control team, who specialises in understanding and reducing food poisoning in Scotland.

What skills are useful for your role?

Biology and chemistry have been the two most important subjects in giving me the basic scientific knowledge throughout my science career. The science field is constantly changing so there is always something new to learn, but going back to the basics is where I always find myself to help solidify my understanding. Maths is also critical in my line of work. I have analysed data in all of my studies and job roles.

Good communication has always been a major skill that is critical when working in science. Scientific terms can be quite complex so knowing how to communicate these to a range of audiences is important. For me, being organised always helps. Being able to multitask has made me a better scientist so post-it notes have been my saviour.

What is your favourite thing about your job?

For me, the favourite thing about my job is seeing the impact of my work directly affecting people in a positive way. I have been involved in many projects where I have written the key scientific messages. These are then transformed into enlightening public health messages that are broadcast across Scotland, for example the Food Standards Scotland Christmas campaigns reminding people about cooking your turkey properly.

Being able to share science with others at face-to-face events is also hugely rewarding. Seeing that spark of interest lighting up in children at science festivals is a special moment.

What is a normal day in your role like?

A normal day in my role right now involves me logging in on my laptop and meeting with the science team virtually. We have a daily catch up to chat science or discuss what was on TV the night before. I might have a day filled with meeting others across the organisation to discuss projects I’m involved in. This might be speaking to people in our marketing team, our enforcement team or our nutrition team. We work collaboratively to ensure as an organisation we’re giving the right advice to the general public about what food is safe to eat and why.

I might also be working on my own reading and reviewing documents that are to be sent to Ministers in the Scottish Government. This is to make sure they understand the science of important issues, COVID-19 has been a good example of this.

Hopefully in the not too distant future, I will also be out and about in the community talking to everybody from children to the elderly about food safety and what to do to avoid food poisoning. I’m currently working on a project dedicated to the older population, which is all about the risks of becoming ill from the most common food poisoning bacteria in Scotland: campylobacter. Not too many people have heard of this nasty bug, even though it makes lots of people sick from eating contaminated food. It’s my job to make sure everyone understands what to do in the kitchen to avoid becoming infected.

No day is the same, and that’s what I love about my job.