Profile
Heather Ritchie
My CV
-
Education:
Peterhead Academy 2001-2007; University of Aberdeen 2007-2011; 2011- 2012; 2012 β 2016.
-
Qualifications:
BSc (Hons.) Marine Biology, MRes (Comm.) Applied Marine and Fisheries Ecology and PhD Biological Sciences
-
Work History:
ASDA, Macduff Marine Aquarium and the University of Aberdeen.
-
Current Job:
Post-doctoral research assistant.
-
About Me:
Deep sea loving, red haired scientist.
-
Read more
My name is Heather but most people call me Hev. I live with my partner in Aberdeen on the North coast of Scotland not far from where I grew up. I’ve always had a fascination with the sea as I would go out on my dad’s boat. When I was 9 I was a sunfish which was such an incredible experience it truly cemented my love for marine creatures.
When I’m not fawning over all things marine I enjoying traveling the world and taking photographs. I’m also a long distance runner and completed the London Marathon this year to raise money for the National Autistic Society. I enjoy running most when I can combine it with a trip away!
-
Read more
My work focuses on understanding the genetic changes that have happened to allow animals to live in the deepest parts of the sea. The deeper animals live in the sea the more hydrostatic pressure they have to withstand so I want to understand how they are able to survive in this environment. This allows us to develop insights into biodiversity, evolution, adaptation and the ability of animals to withstand extreme environmental conditions which may be important in terms of climate change.
-
My Typical Day:
A typical day for me involves lab work, reading and analysis.
-
Read more
My work requires both fieldwork and labwork. In the field we travel to the Pacific Ocean where the majority of the deepest parts of the sea are. We send down equipment to take photos, videos and to capture our samples. Once recovered onto the deck they are processed, recorded and stored before being shipped back to our lab in the UK.
In the lab I extract DNA from these samples and sequence some of there genes. Once we have the genetic data we are able to process this information to start answering questions about the evolution and adaptation of these species.
-
My Interview
-
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Excitable, fun-loving and inquisitive!
What did you want to be after you left school?
I actually didn’t know but I knew I wanted to be involved in science.
What don't you like about your current job?
There can be long hours involved close to deadlines but thatβs common in a lot of jobs.
-