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Laura Jade Elstub
Postdoctoral research scholar, Vanderbilt University
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Surround yourself with good people that you trust and want the best for you.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I use biomechanics to better understand human movement so that we can develop and implement innovations to improve movement or prevent injury, resulting in a better quality of life and personal well-being. My work ensures a broad range of the general population can undertake daily living or exercise whilst moving better, safer or more comfortably.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FIELD?
I grew up in the North of England watching Rugby League and was always fascinated by the number and different types of injuries - in such a physically demanding sport it felt like there was something new happening every week. This really sparked my interest in understanding anatomy and human movement. It was spending so much time with my elderly Grandma and noticing how her movements changed as she continued to get older that made me realise how important human movement is not just across the lifespan but to the general population off the field.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT & THINK, "I WISH YOUNGER ME WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS POSSIBLE?"
Getting my PhD! My sister and I were first generation University students and when I started my undergraduate I had no idea what a Masters was... I'm very fortunate to have such good mentors that have steered me in the right direction over the years.
WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING IN STEM?
I love working with so many other amazing scientists and how creative and innovative we can be in discovering and developing new ways of monitoring and improving human movement.
BEST ADVICE FOR NEXT GENERATION?
There are so many opportunities to make a difference working in STEM, and even though some of them may not seem obvious to you now, keep trying your best, asking lots of questions and be open to exploring different opportunities. PS. Surround yourself with good people that you trust and want the best for you.
INSPO / FUN FACT
Everything will be alright in the end. If it's not alright, it's not the end.