Finding the balance

Carol Robinson is a Royal Society Research Professor at the University of Oxford, where she is Dr Lee’s Professor of Chemistry. She is a renowned chemist who has made advances in the application of mass spectroscopy to the analysis of proteins and other large molecules.

In 2011, she won the Federation of European Biochemical Societies/European Molecular Biology Organization Women in Science Award for her academic research – and for her support and mentoring of women pursuing careers in science.

Professor Robinson’s career has been an interesting and inspiring one. She left school at 16 to become a lab technician, took an eight-year career break to have three children, and became the first female professor in the chemistry departments of both Cambridge and Oxford.

Speaking ahead of the event, Professor Robinson said: “Finding the right work-life balance is probably more important than anything I have done in the laboratory. I strongly believe that both home and work life cannot be separated. I will therefore relate my scientific story with my personal story.”

The talk, which is hosted by Professor Jeremy Sanders, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Affairs at the University, and sponsored by Schlumberger Cambridge Research, takes place in the Umney Theatre, Robinson College on Grange Road. The event is free and doors open at 4.30pm.

WiSETI is a positive action initiative at the University of Cambridge that promotes and supports women from undergraduate level to Professor, in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subject areas.

It was established in 1999 and aims to redress an under-representation of women in employment and career progression in these disciplines at the University.