Dr Zoë Ayres

What a fabulous bit of work. Figured a bunch of you will be interested in this

Love this so much

Toddler mispronunciations for you this morning that are rather cute: Caterpillar: cattapitta Windmill: windwheel (think this is a better description tbf)

Love a good storm

There's an @insidehighered.com article that has been published that is abhorrent. "Punishing Cofnas might only encourage more mentally ill people to commit suicide" The language used is egregious. I'm so vehemently disgusted by it. Twisting an "academic freedom" argument into that is truly foul.

The people who used to argue that "science isn't political" are suddenly really into it being political now it suits their agenda

On motherhood and working: "You are working full time?!" is something I get regularly, and often get judgement for doing so. My husband hasn't been asked once. Of course he hasn't.

Think it's absolutely telling that Jason Arday has been front page news, but the vigil, and the huge turnout and show of love and solidarity is not.

Pure joy

Being a mum and trying to do [all of the things] means I've been rather quiet of social media of late, so just a note that the world and the news can look increasingly bleak and that doesn't mean their aren't beautiful pockets of goodness and kindness. And perhaps reading this, you are one of them.

The ADHD classic of contacting friends as you want to be social then everyone takes longer than 3 minutes to respond and now I don't want to speak to anyone anymore, so I guess I'll go back to ghosting people for 3 weeks, sorry

In toddler whiplash, first time our daughter has said "I love you" tonight. She also said "they have grey hair like mummy". Thanks kiddo.

Article here from chemistry world on the Women in Research charter with some comments from me on why I think it doesn't go far enough. I have a lot to say about this (unsurprisingly) and I'm going to expand below on my comments on bullying and harassment. 🧵 www.chemistryworld.com/news/uk-gove...

Got diagnosed with IBS about a decade ago. Fast forward to getting an ADHD diagnosis, and bringing in healthy mechanisms (and simply understanding) to manage it, and I no longer have any stomach issues. Fascinating really what a difference knowing and not masking all the time can do 🧐

Take the hot weather back please

Things no-one told me about having a child, #475: you just have to do 17kg toddler deadlifts on a regular basis

The HPV vaccine is an astounding achievement. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

If you are based in the UK, please do consider writing an email to your local library about how important LGBTQ+ books, and representation is. There are several councils in the UK suggesting that books should be banned and that LGBTQ+ books are harmful. This must be challenged at all costs.

I now understand Tolkien's inspiration for Hobbits was toddlers. Second breakfast, elevenses etc.

Day trip!

You can't park there mate

Not Giles 😢

Nothing quite as humbling as parenting. House of Lords yesterday evening, slowly removing PVA glue out of toddler hair this evening (for about 20 mins!)

Not every day you get to go to the House of Lords! A wonderful day, attending the Technician Commitment event, discussing technical skills, representation and recognition

Was expecting white strawberry flowers so these have been a surprising delight 🍓

Toddler saw meerkat at the zoo digging, and said "meerkats gardening!!!!" and I love that gardening is her best reference point

Best flowers I've ever received: "picked for mummy" by our toddler

Absolutely shameful move by the University of Nottingham. The community will not forget. Solidarity with all affected.

My view at work today during my lunch break

This is 35 then. Wish I could share with 25 year old me how genuinely happy I am.

This should be a huge wake up call for the scientific community.

My dean offered to buy a welcome gift for all new PhD students starting our school this fall. #AcademicSky, what should I ask her to purchase? What do you wish you had received in year 1?

It isn't an exaggeration to say that I am alive and well today because of antidepressants. This war on medicine, on science, will kill people.

My loves. So very happy with our little life.

Not our toddler quietly whispering to herself "tick tick goes the clock"...#parentinghorror

Someone wrote to me today to tell me my book saved their life. Right book, right time. So there's that, isn't there.

Here, have some whimsy. We all need a bit more whimsy. Love to you all x

Tulips are out

The last few years have been such a wake up for me. Looking after myself and my physical and mental health helps me be present for everyone, but also I can just be doing it for me. Off today, with just myself for company, something I always found impossible because of the ADHD noise in my head.

Out enjoying some spring sunshine together ❤️

Having ADHD with long online meetings is bad times because options I have are: a) fidget a lot on camera and perhaps come across as unprofessional b) have my camera off and perhaps come across as unprofessional c) sit deathly still and be able to not concentrate and get a bad back Love that for me

10/10 life goal met that my toddler can now say "thermometer" and "x-rays", as a just under two year old

The UK *is* losing a generation of scientists. I know lots of brilliant people who have left their jobs / the country because of the limited jobs & funding. Once lost, they cannot ever be replaced. The UK government is overseeing the death of UK academic science, and it doesn't seem to care.

Apparently I need to be told I cannot write two books at once. Anyway: the postdoc mental health book is finally underway 🤞 interested to hear what you'd want to see in it

FWIW I think that this is exactly what making Twitter untenable for a lot of us was about; Destroying our networks, and by doing so breaking connections and community, and in doing so wearing down our hope that together as a collective we CAN make a difference. We can. We still can.

You all fairing alright because it's quite challenging to not absorb all of the bin fire of news at the moment isn’t it?

I don't think I'm being dramatic when I say that workloads going from 5 person teams to 1 person has the potential to harm. It's egregious.