May 25
In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Dr. Amy Cain. Dr. Cain is a Molecular Biologist who uses genomics to study deadly, antibiotic resistant bacteria. She completed both her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry (graduating with first class honors) and then her PhD in Microbiology at the University of Sydney, Australia. After PhD submission, she moved to Cambridge, UK, for a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (where they first sequenced the human genome!) and was awarded a prestigious fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Cain then moved to Malawi in sub-Saharan Africa to track outbreaks in hospitals, employed by the Wellcome Trust charity. Since 2018, Dr. Cain has been a Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor at Macquarie University, Sydney, having received a number of grants to develop new antibiotics and study antibiotic resistance; setting up her research group across 3 different labs. Dr. Amy Cain is also Deputy Director of the JAMS organization, a microbiology society that runs over 5 countries and she has just started a podcast called JAMSpod to spread microbiology knowledge far and wide. She loves traveling (having visited 70-odd countries so far), scuba diving, live music and cooking. Amy shares: The circumstances surrounding her diagnosis The ADHD symptoms that she always wondered about but now recognizes as clearly ADHD. Why she became an infectious disease and genetics expert What has changed since her diagnosis Why she loves science so much Why she started a podcast interviewing microbiologists Her advice to young women with ADHD Her ADHD workarounds What she believes the key is to living successfully with ADHD.
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""I realized it was just because I had excess energy that I was trying to burn out."
- Dr. Amy Cain
"I live off my calendar, I have no idea what I'm doing during the day. I know, I have an incredibly booked day today, but I don't know what I'm doing until I open it up."
- Dr. Amy Cain
"So definitely hyperfocus hyperfocus has been a lifesaver for me, because like I said, I didn't, I was very much a last minute cramming sort of person."
- Dr. Amy Cain
- Dr. Amy reflects on her past experiences, mentioning she's done many things out of curiosity rather than a specific goal.
- Dr. Amy shares her experience with ADHD, mentioning she's always thought she had it and recently became more aware of its impact on her life as an adult.
- Dr. Amy Amy shares her reason for pursuing a career in science: passion for antibiotic resistance research, sparked by a life-threatening illness caused by salmonella in Mexico.
[17:56 - 33:02] Career Development
- Dr. Amy shares her personal experience with antibiotic resistance, having struggled with infections and being on antibiotics as a child.
- Dr. Amy shares her experience with ADHD and how she's found success by focusing on her passions and finding good mentors.
- Dr. Amy emphasizes the creative aspect of science, highlighting the importance of storytelling and convincing others of the value of one's research.
[33:02 - 48:57] ADHD, Creativity, and Embracing Differences
- Dr. Amy shares her experience with manuka honey, discussing its effectiveness in wound care and the importance of using it topically rather than consuming it.
- Dr. Amy emphasizes the importance of embracing one's unique thinking style and not being afraid to express oneself, even if it means going against the norm.
- Dr. Amy encourages young women with ADHD to pursue science, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and embracing unique cognitive abilities.
