Only 8% of young people are able to think of a scientist that looks like them. This statistic, in comparison to the relentless tide of apocalyptic climate change headlines, political unrest and spreading disease, may not seem as worrying as it rightly should. However, a society that doesn’t nurture scientific curiosity in its children is a society that soon runs out of scientists. Without inspirational figures to look up to, where can we expect future generations of doctors, scientists and innovators to come from? One man striving for a brighter future is Professor Adrian Liston from the University of Cambridge. His new graphic novel Becoming a Scientist is a charming anthology of the lives and careers of his diverse team of colleagues, proving that there is no one right way into science.

Liston’s background is certainly unconventional in its own right; growing up in Australia as part of a truck-driving family, he never considered the possibility of a career in science. However, upon going to university, he found his curiosity encouraged for the first time and finally felt as though he was in a place where he truly belonged. Now, alongside research and teaching pathology, he hopes to create opportunities for those with ‘bigger brains and tougher starts’ than himself.

Whilst the book is, at face value, a wholesome and uplifting story aimed at teenage readers, Liston doesn’t shy away from discussing the discrimination and barriers that his team have had to face throughout their careers. For instance, he describes his own childhood experiences with classism as a scholarship student at a prestigious college, as well as his peers’ struggles with issues such as sexism and chronic illness. One story follows Ntombizodwa, who describes her family’s Ubuntu philosophy of working through science and medicine to support the interconnected community of life across the globe. Born in Zimbabwe, then going on to study in the US and the UK, she vowed to share the opportunities she had been lucky enough to have. Working as a social entrepreneur, she now helps provide education to young girls in her homeland, ensuring that they not only have the opportunity to go to school, but the inspiration and mentorship to pursue further education if they so choose. 

Another colleague, Magda, describes the sense of social responsibility she feels towards pursuing science. Her mother, who left Somalia as a refugee, made countless sacrifices to provide her with a life in London. Now, driven by gratitude, she hopes to give back to her community through her study of cancer biology.

Even the novel’s illustrator has a unique journey of her own. Before fleeing to the UK, Yulia Lapko worked as an artist in Ukraine, meeting Liston upon taking up an administrative role within the university. Each story is truly elevated by Lapko’s artwork. Every page feels like a glimpse into the life of its subject, and the palpable warmth makes it clear that she is depicting people that she cares for deeply.

Becoming a Scientist not only engages and encourages young people, but highlights the virtue of resilience within science, and life as a whole. When working at the brink of human knowledge, it is only natural that failure will be frequent – it has to be. However, Liston believes that the perseverance it takes to get back up again is what makes a great scientist. He and Yulia Lapko’s work is a truly joyous message for the future of their field, and will certainly leave an immeasurable impression.

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