Meet Amanda Clifford
Dr. Amanda Clifford obtained her Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng. CO-OP) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at McMaster University in 2016 and 2020, respectively. She is currently working as a NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow in the Kelley Lab at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. As of April 2021, she will join the Department of Materials Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) as an Assistant Professor. In her spare time, Amanda likes to Bake, cook, run and do yoga.
When did your love of STEM begin?
My love of STEM started young (kindergarten). I loved math, science, and playing with lego, so my parents encouraged me to pursue engineering once they saw I was naturally interested in the prerequisite subjects. Chemistry was my favourite subject in high school, so I chose to study Materials Engineering (applied chemistry) at McMaster University for my undergraduate degree. Simultaneously, I lost a dear friend to cancer, which sparked my passion in studying materials for biomedical applications. After exploring careers in both academia and industry through co-op, I decided to pursue a career in academic research, so I obtained my doctorate degree in Materials Engineering. My doctoral research combined my interest in both engineering and medicine, by developing nanomaterials for bone tissue replacement and portable diagnostic platforms. At present, I am completing my Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Kelley Laboratory at University of Toronto, where I work on new reagent-free and wearable biosensors for nucleic acid detection. In May 2021 I will start my own research group at UBC, as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering.
What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?
The best part of working in academia, is the creative freedom to choose your own research direction. Anything you dream of, you can pursue, without having to align with someone else's financial interests.
What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?
Surround yourself with female role models who inspire you, so that you can clearly visualize yourself in that role and your future career trajectory. Furthermore, there is a misconception that creative individuals should pursue careers in the arts, but developing new solutions to complex problems require imaginative solutions. If you are creative and love science, you will find a career in STEM very rewarding.