Many researchers seeking to have a real-world impact through their quantitative mathematical and computational skills find fulfilling careers in sectors beyond academic research.

This combined presentation and panel session will share the experience of researchers transitioning into roles utilising their quantitative skills. We will discuss developing skills, and how to effectively demonstrate quantitative abilities during application processes so research experience is communicated in a way that appeals to recruiters in broad sectors.

Dr Tim Watson, Energy Modelling Analyst, Aurora Energy: Tim has a background in engineering research. He earned his master’s degree with a specialization in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cambridge before completing a PhD in the Advanced Structures Group, also at Cambridge, where he investigated the mechanics of lightweight folding structures. Following his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate on a UKRI-funded industrial collaboration, investigating the design and analysis of shape-changing composite structures for aerospace applications. During this time, he developed a strong interest in sustainable engineering — particularly energy systems — and joined Aurora Energy Research as an energy modelling analyst in June 2024. In this role, he works in the Central European modelling team, developing and maintaining their in-house power market model and working alongside their Belgium and Netherlands research and advisory teams.

Dr Hannah Pullen, Senior Software Engineer, Mathworks: As a Senior Software Engineer at MathWorks, I design, code and test new features to help MATLAB users scale up their MATLAB code in parallel, particularly on cloud platforms like AWS and Kubernetes. I did a MSci in Physical Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, then a DPhil in Particle Physics at Balliol College, Oxford. During my DPhil I was part of the LHCb collaboration at CERN and spent time between Oxford and Geneva. My research focussed on measuring the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the decay of rare B mesons produced at the Large Hadron Collider. Prior to MathWorks, I spent 1.5 years as a postdoc at the University of Cambridge, working with the RadNet collaboration to apply data science to cancer research, focussing particularly on developing general-purpose Python tools for analysing medical imaging data.