We are EMBL: Vicky Hatch on science stories that engage and inspire
Vicky Hatch is a scientist turned communicator who uses her multidisciplinary skills to make science accessible to others
After training as a developmental biologist, Vicky Hatch decided the lab was not for her and that her skills were better suited to helping other scientists communicate their work.
Below, Hatch talks about her role as a science communicator and how she supports colleagues with content development, science storytelling, media relations, social media management, and more.
What is your personal and professional background?
I have a PhD in developmental biology from the University of East Anglia, UK. I then moved to Germany, where I did a postdoc at the Institute of Molecular Biology in Mainz, looking at DNA modifications in early development. My biggest scientific achievement from that time was being one of the first authors on a Cell paper.
Along the way, I realised that what I enjoyed most and what I’m good at is talking about science and making science more accessible for others. As a Communications Officer, I work with many teams across EMBL-EBI to understand their comms needs and challenges, and to help them engage with their audiences.
What does your current role as a Communications Officer entail?
No two days are the same, but generally, it’s all about making information accessible to different audiences in engaging ways. As part of this, I develop content for our websites, including news and feature articles. I also work closely with our designer and videographer on multimedia projects to showcase the work of EMBL-EBI. I manage EMBL-EBI’s social media accounts and work with the press to promote exciting new developments.
Our work is very collaborative, and we work closely with Comms colleagues from across all EMBL sites. More recently, I’ve been working with the EMBL-EBI Web Development Team and colleagues from across the institute to improve our website for AI search. Using AI for communications is one of the areas I’m really passionate about.
What do you enjoy most about working at EMBL?
EMBL is very well-known in the science world, so as an ex-scientist, I was very excited to come and work here. I like the variety in my job and the fact that our team is always eager to try new things. We have a certain amount of freedom to explore new ideas and get creative.
What do you do in your spare time?
I spend heaps of time playing video games. I love souls-like and fighting games. A couple of years ago, I went to EVO Las Vegas, one of the biggest fighting game tournaments in the world, and I competed in the Street Fighter 6 pools. I didn’t do great, but I had the best time.
I’m also part of a triathlon club and the campus running club, and I go open water swimming on the weekends as part of the triathlon club.
