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As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I wanted to be an astronaut. At some point that didn’t feel terribly realistic – roller coasters scare me – so I thought about becoming an architect.

Explain what you do in one easy paragraph.

I’m a structural engineer. It’s my job to make buildings and bridges stand up. Structures are pushed and pulled all the time by forces like gravity and wind. I work with materials and forces to make sure that the skeleton holding up a structure is strong enough to resist these forces.

What does a typical day involve?

Meeting architects, other engineers and the people who will build the structure I’m working on. Earlier in my career, I spent more time doing calculations, mostly on 3D computer models.

Sum up your life in a one-sentence elevator pitch…

A busy life that combines engineering with writing, podcasting, presenting and some cooking and exercise.

What do you love most about what you do? And what’s the worst part?

The best part is seeing something I helped design become a real thing. I love that I can point at structures and say, “I helped build that!”. The worst is when a project you have been working on stops for some reason out of your control.

What’s the most exciting thing you’re working on right now?

My podcast, , which unravels the secrets behind our structures. I’m also writing a children’s book. I love using these different formats to tell more people about what I do.

If you could send a message back to yourself as a kid, what would you say?

I’d say it’s fine to be different, and reassure myself that I would find my place in the world and thrive.

Were you good at science at school?

I was good at maths and physics, and less good at chemistry and biology. But I always found these subjects so, so interesting.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?

To try to make things better in your sphere. We might not all be able to change the world, but we can make our corner a nicer, more accepting place.

Do you have an unexpected hobby, and if so, please will you tell us about it?

I love dancing. I trained in Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form from India, for 20 years and also competed in ballroom and Latin dancing at university.

What’s the best thing you’ve read or seen in the last 12 months?

Inferior by Angela Saini, where she breaks down some of the misconceptions and biases about science and gender. It really opened my eyes to how important it is to include all types of people in science.

“I love that I can point at structures and say, ‘I helped build that!’”

If you could have a long conversation with any scientist, living or dead, who would it be?

I would love to speak to engineer Emily Roebling. She took over running the construction of Brooklyn Bridge in the 1860s when her engineer father-in-law and husband met with tragedy. Women engineers were unheard of at the time.

How useful will your skills be after the apocalypse?

Super useful! I could rebuild people’s homes.

OK, one last thing: tell us something that will blow our minds…

My favourite structure in the world is the Pantheon in Rome. It is made from a special Roman concrete and is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, 2000 years after it was built.