Senior Science Information Officer and Islet Project Coordinator
Jo Brodie
What do you do?
I’m a science communicator – I answer scientific enquiries (from the public, healthcare professionals, school pupils, university students and fellow staff) about diabetes. I also provide administrative duties to the doctors and researchers involved in islet cell transplantation in the UK.
In answering the questions, I have at my disposal up-to-date medical literature, textbooks and other specialist information resources – even including my own knowledge which has been steadily building up while I’ve been here.
What is it like to work for Diabetes UK?
It’s very rewarding. If someone has heard about something in the news that’s confused them then it’s great to be able to offer a bit of reassurance and an explanation. But it’s tough when someone is frustrated with their diabetes and you’re less able to help them because there isn’t a cure or an easy answer. It provides an enjoyable intellectual challenge as well – I really do get to learn something new every day.
Where did you come from, when and why did you join Diabetes UK?
I worked at the charity ScienceLine answering general scientific questions from the public (“do penguins have knees?” – yes they do), which was great fun and before that I worked in a few laboratories trying not to break expensive equipment. While I loved answering quirky science questions, joining Diabetes UK (in 2003) has let me answer questions that are really important to people’s health (as well as the occasional quirky one).
What benefits are there that come from working at Diabetes UK?
I’m never bored! Not only is the science underpinning diabetes fascinating, I’ve been lucky enough to meet people from all around the country, some of whom have even had an islet cell transplant. I’m also let out occasionally to go and talk to the people who actually do the fundraising for our research.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It’s very satisfying to lose yourself in a challenging enquiry and to help someone with the answers you discover. Since diabetes affects every organ in the body you get a very good overview of medicine and what happens when things go wrong. Working with the islet people has been amazing and it’s a privilege to have been here to witness the exciting developments in this area.
What values do you feel are important in order to work at Diabetes UK?
Tenacity – in finding an answer for someone, because you might have to dig around and ask a few people or hunt in the literature. Scepticism – because a lot of people make misleading claims, particularly online, and you have to spot them. Empathy – it’s essential to be able to see things from another’s perspective.
Something might seem obvious to you, but you have to find a way to make it clear to someone who might find it all a bit bewildering. Curiosity – you need to keep up-to-date and have a passion for 'finding things out'.