This week we caught up with Daisy Shearer, a Physics PHD student at the University of Surrey. And founder of Notes from the physics lab.

How old were you when you were diagnosed?

I was diagnosed when I was 21. It’s fairly common women to be late diagnosed in adulthood due to the differing phenotypes of autism thought to be dependent on gender and the lack of widespread knowledge and awareness of the female phenotype.

How long did you wait for your diagnosis?

From when I first visited my GP with my mum to discuss referral, I think it was about 6 months until my day-long assessment and subsequent diagnosis. I’m quite lucky in that I didn’t have to wait too long for assessment.

What do you do for your job?

I’m a postgraduate research student in physics at the University of Surrey. So, I’m basically pursuing my PhD at the moment and hoping to become a full-time researcher in quantum technology after I graduate. My doctoral research focuses on materials called semiconductors (which make up many of our electronics devices) and how we can control a quantum mechanical property called electron spin, through various means. I’m primarily an experimental physicist so get to work with lots of amazing equipment but it’s also not uncommon for me to be coding as part of my work.

How do you find being autistic helps with your job?

I think that my autism can sometimes be really positive for my work. To be a scientist and a researcher you need to be creative and to think outside the box, as well as having a high level of precision and attention to detail. I believe that being autistic is part of the reason why I have these traits. I’m also very lucky in that applied quantum physics is a long-standing special interest of mine, so I often find myself able to hyperfocus on my research for long periods of time. I can’t really control where the focus is directed, so sometimes this can be a bit detrimental to progress on a specific task if my brain decides to focus on something more tangential to my work, rather than the task at hand.

How did your diagnosis come about?

After the diagnosis of a close family member I started reading about autism online, so that I could better understand and support them. This led to me discovering that the female phenotype is thought to be different and I read a lot of blogs from autistic women. I identified so much with many of the experiences recounted on these blogs and began to suspect that I might fit the neurological profile of autism. I discussed it with my parents and after some research themselves they agreed to take me to the GP to get referred. At the time I was having a particularly bad mental health patch and was seeking answers to questions like ‘why am I like this?’ and ‘why do I behave like this?’ I didn’t feel that my mental illness diagnoses fully explained the way I am, but once I was diagnosed with autism everything seemed to ‘fit’.

What are the positives of being autistic?

Experiencing the world very vividly is one of the things I like about it. I always thought everyone experienced things the same way that I do, but I have been told that it’s probably not the case! I also think that the more bottom-up thinking approach that we tend to have can be really useful for seeing different perspectives and finding patterns.

Are you proud to be autistic?

Yes, I think so! Even though it makes some things difficult for me, being autistic is such a fundamental part of who I am, and I wouldn’t change it.

What do you do to unwind?

I have various activities and hobbies that I like to do in my spare time. These are mostly quite meditative things with some sort of sensory aspect to them. My favourite pastimes are reading, baking, gardening and knitting. They’re all quite repetitive which I find soothing.

Do you have any passions?

My main passion outside of my doctoral research is writing and science communication. I’m really interested in finding creative ways to explore physics concepts, as well as opening up the conversation around diversity in science and technology from the neurodivergent perspective. I also like to draw in my spare time but haven’t quite had the confidence to share any of my art publicly yet. I happen to be very passionate about scuba diving which I do with my dad - being underwater and feeling like you're in another world is the ultimate sensory bliss for me.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?

 Creative, caring and intense.

What is your favourite book?

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I adore Douglas Adams and that book is one I return to time and time again. The perfect mixture of comedy and sci-fi!

What’s your favourite film?

This is a hard one as it tends to vary from day to day. Right now, I would say ‘Whiplash’ which I enjoy as a former jazz musician and on a cinematic level.

And your favourite TV show?

Another difficult one! I have a soft spot for BBC’s ‘Merlin’ which was a big special interest of mine as a teenager.

What’s your favourite motto? 

‘Never stop questioning’ is a favourite as it reminds me to stay curious and think critically and deeply about things.