Name: Martha
Qualifications: B.Sc. (Hons) Biology, Mexico
Studying: Ph.D. Invasive species, Bristol

My Current Job
I am studying for a PhD looking at the effect of invasive species on pollination systems. The effects of invasive species on native plant species are well documented, but we don’t know very much about the wider consequences of invasive species on the ecosystem as a whole. Studying the effects on the wider community such as pollination systems can be very important in understanding the impacts of invasive species on native communities. As a foreign student it did take a while to adjust to the differences between home and England and also to adjust to working in another language. I have always enjoyed learning and you learn lots of skills throughout your studies such as speaking in public and how to find information. I enjoy the mix of fieldwork and more theoretical work in my PhD as well as working in an area that interests me.

How I got here
At school in Mexico you study all subjects up until your final year at school when you specialise in a broad area in your final year and I chose a science-based final year. I have always been interested in conservation, so I started doing a degree in environmental engineering but realised in my first term that it was not the area I was really interested in. I then changed my degree to biology, and specialised in ecology. My final year thesis involved studying the interactions between bees and plants in a very biodiverse area of Mexico. This project made me realise how much you can learn from research as well as developing my interest in pollination. I always knew I wanted to carry on studying after university and I also wanted to experience living abroad. I applied for a Mexican scholarship to study abroad after I graduated and got the scholarship.

Future
I would like to continue in research once I have finished my PhD. It would be interesting to continue research a little longer in the UK, but in the long term I would like to go back to Mexico and work as a researcher there. I would like to travel but also to eventually settle in Mexico.

Advice
It is really useful to get to know a bit about the research group, your supervisor and their work before you start. You also have to make sure you like your project area as you will be studying it for three years. As an international student it is useful to make sure you know the facilities available to you at your university that can help you settle in.

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