Mariam Rashid is an Isaac Newton Trust Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Ethics, Science, and the Public Project, where she works at the at the intersection of cutting edge science and ethics.
Her academic foundation was built across institutions and continents, beginning with an integrated Masters in Physics at Durham University, followed by a year at Osaka University abroad in Japan. She completed her PhD at the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, working on data pipelines primarily in Python.
At the heart of Mariam’s work is a commitment to making science genuinely accessible and inclusive. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cambridge, she designs and delivers public engagement events grounded in cutting-edge social science research, with a focus on two-way dialogue between scientists and the public. She has secured Ogden Trust funding for a physics-themed escape room, led astronomy and higher education workshops as a University of Manchester Widening Participation Fellow, and collaborated on creative projects including a textile art exploration of black holes with Year 10 students. Her approach to science communication is notably hands-on and inventive — she has spoken at comic conventions, hosted an online talk on dark matter, and co-created a tactile Particle Zoo for visually impaired audiences.
Mariam is equally at home in leadership roles. She served as Chair of the Jodrell Bank Postgraduate Committee from her very first year as a PhD student, steering the committee through the challenges of the pandemic and transitioning all its activities online. She has represented her postgraduate community at department level, served on the Institute of Physics Manchester Branch Committee and earlier in her career, she simultaneously held three society executive committee positions at Durham University. She also contributed to the organisation of the Durham Castle June Ball, with a budget of around £100,000.
Beyond academia, Mariam brings a rare breadth of experience and creativity. She is a performer and maker — she appeared in the award-winning theatre production No Guts, No Heart, No Glory, which aired on the BBC and toured internationally, and she has been a contestant on a BBC sewing programme. She is a competitive cosplayer who hand-crafts her own costumes and props, a keen linguist fluent in English, Urdu/Punjabi, and Japanese.. This combination of scientific rigour, civic engagement, and creative energy defines everything she does.
Her work since arriving at the centre can be explored using the links on the right.