Fiona Suttle

Penguinologist and science communicator

I have always been fascinated by the Polar Regions – the harsh but beautiful landscapes, the epic stories of human exploration, and – most of all – the animals that find their home there. These creatures don’t just survive in their environment, they thrive in it, perfectly adapted to the conditions.

I graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in Biological Sciences in 2013. I knew at this point that a job ‘in science’ was for me, but I wasn’t exactly sure what shape it would take.

I decided to undertake a year’s internship in the Palaeontology Department at the Natural History Museum in London, where I was lucky enough to access the ‘Dinosaur Sub-Basement’, handling and investigating precious specimens that were awaiting full scientific exploration. Spending a year in an active research environment, surrounded by wonderfully passionate scientists, convinced me that I wanted to pursue a PhD.

However, I decided that I would ultimately like to examine the impact of climate change on a biological system – and for that, I wanted to obtain a good foundation in climate science. So next, I carried out an MSc in Climate Change at University College London.

I then returned to Oxford to complete my DPhil – investigating the impact of various threats, including climate change, on the Pygoscelis penguins (Gentoos, Chinstraps and Adélies). This was a dream come true – with four Antarctic fieldwork seasons. A fundamental part of the PhD involved using the Penguin Watch citizen science project to analyse data, which provided me with ample opportunity to engage the public with my research.

Through public lectures, video interviews, media articles and school visits, I decided that ultimately the communication of science was a path I wanted to follow. I now look after Oxford Sparks, and have the pleasure of helping scientists across the university share their research through videos and The Big Questions Podcast.

Watch “A Penguinologist’s Life”.