In this episode of Living Biology, Poppy speaks with physiological ecologist Dr Lucy Hawkes about a career driven by curiosity, adventure, and enthusiasm for the natural world. Lucy reflects on how a chance essay about sea turtles sparked an unexpected path into science, leading her from early fieldwork in North Carolina to tracking some of the ocean and sky’s most extraordinary travellers.

She also explores how advances in biologging have opened up a hidden world of animal behaviour, from migration routes and deep-sea journeys to breaching basking sharks and tuna evading killer whales. Along the way, she shares stories from the field that highlight both the chaos and wonder of working with wild animals, and explains how these discoveries are helping to reshape conservation and our understanding of life on the move.

Podcast host: Poppy Lambert

Podcast Editor: Sam Stemp

In this episode of Living Biology, Poppy speaks with plant scientist Declan Perry about his journey through education as someone with severe dyslexia and autism. Declan reflects on the challenges he faced growing up, the teachers and mentors who helped him succeed, and how his neurodivergence has shaped his approach to scientific research.

Declan explains his PhD research at Royal Holloway, University of London, into chloroplast development in plants, why photosynthesis remains a fascinating scientific puzzle, and how understanding it could help improve crop productivity in the future.

Podcast host: Poppy Lambert

Podcast Editor: Sam Stemp

Welcome to Living Biology, the podcast about the people who make science happen.

Living Biology is the official podcast from the Society for Experimental Biology. Through conversations with researchers across experimental biology, the series explores the science they study and the careers they’ve built. From plant science to animal physiology and emerging technologies, it highlights the people behind the research and the ideas shaping the field today.