Aisha Abdullah, PhD, has a diverse background in science communication, education, and neuroscience research. She received a BS in biology from the University of Houston and a PhD in neuroscience from Weill Cornell Medical College, where she studied prenatal and early postnatal brain development. She is a freelance science writer based in New York City where she also serves on the Steering Committee of the NYC STEM Education Network. You can check out Aisha’s work at aishaabdullah.journoportfolio.com. In her previous positions, Aisha managed initiatives that broaden the pipeline into STEM at the New York Academy of Sciences, Society for Neuroscience, and Georgetown University. She also served as the 2019-2020 Kelley Lead Fellow for the NYC STEM Education Network. 

Can you describe your academic and professional background? What path led you to pursue this field? 

I studied biology in undergrad and neuroscience at Weill Cornell in NY. I got involved in several science communication roles while in grad school, including Capitol Hill days, STEM education programs, and starting my blog. I knew I didn’t want to stay in academia but I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I was trying my hand at everything to see what was a good fit. I really enjoyed the education and writing aspects so that’s where my career took me. For 5 years after graduating, I worked with education and professional development initiatives to broaden the pipeline to STEM careers. More recently, I realized that although I found the work rewarding, I wasn’t as fulfilled as I would have hoped. So I left my job and took some time to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. I started writing again, and it felt like everything fell into place. I’m now working as a freelance writer, focused on science, health, and education. 

How did you find this particular position, and what was the hiring process like? Is there a typical structure for this in your field?

I’m a freelance writer, and I primarily write about rare diseases for a health publication and learning science for an education org. The hiring process was very different from what I had experienced in the past. When I was applying for writing jobs, the most important parts of the application were my writing samples/portfolio and writing tests during the interview process. I was used to spending hours on cover letters and contacting references and that just wasn’t as important for finding these positions.

Can you tell us about your current responsibilities? What is a typical day or week like in your role?

I have two freelance positions right now. In one role, I translate scientific and clinical research into news articles for patients with rare diseases and their families. That involves reading papers or pharmaceutical and health organization press releases, doing background research, and then drafting and editing my articles. There’s about a one day turnaround from when I get an assignment to when I turn in my article. In my other position, I write and edit articles and conduct interviews related to STEM education and learning science. My day-to-day varies a lot based on what I’m writing or researching at the moment. Typically, I do research and outlining in the morning and drafting in the afternoon.

What do you enjoy about your current job and work environment? 

I was never a fan of working in an office on a 9-5 schedule. The best thing about my current work is that I get to work from home and define what type of work I want to do. I like that I have the freedom to live where I want and work on my own schedule.

What are some of the challenging aspects of your job? Is there anything you wish you had known about your job or industry before joining?

Getting started is challenging. You have to work to build your portfolio and a reader base. But, at the same time, it’s difficult to find writing jobs if you don’t have experience! It takes a little while to find your footing, and that can be frustrating.

Do you have any professional plans for the future? What are some future career paths that could open up for someone in your position, 5-10 years down the road?

My 5 year goal is to be in a senior science writer or managing editor position.  

What activities, internships, or organizations would you recommend someone get involved with to help them break into this field?

I started a science blog while I was in grad school that I maintained for about 5 years. That was so important when I first started applying for writing jobs, because I had a source for writing samples and a (small) portfolio of work. I would suggest spending time talking and writing about science for non-scientists. Working in science outreach was really valuable for me because explaining complex scientific concepts to children helped me learn how to communicate science to pretty much anyone.

Is it common for people in your field to have a scientific/academic background (i.e. have PhDs)? Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages someone with a PhD might experience while pursuing or working in your field?

Most people in my position have a masters or PhD. One disadvantage when starting out in the field is that most, if not all, of the writing you do as a grad student, is drastically different from the writing you will do as a science writer. You’ll have to unlearn some technical writing rules and work to adapt to journalistic styles while also developing your own voice. That can be a struggle, especially if you’re coming straight from an academia background.

Do you have any final words of advice for those navigating these career questions? Is there anything you would have done differently given what you know now?

For people who want to get into science writing, my advice is to just start writing. Start a blog and write about things that are related to your research or whatever is interesting to you. Find out if your university has a  publication that you can contribute to. Write an op-ed. Just write. I've never regretted any time that I've spent writing.