Speed-career advice for student science journalists
ABSW is hosting a special event online to offer one-to-one careers advice from established professionals within the UK media.
Booking is closed. If you have any questions, please contact us.
If you have registered, check your email for joining instructions. See you at 19:00.
Photo: Julia M Cameron/Pexels
Are you a student science journalist wondering how to get that big break in the national media? Are you seeking personalised career advice from experienced professionals on your next career step? Do you want to know what will give you that added edge in the job market for science journalists?
The Association of British Science Writers (ABSW) is hosting a special event aimed at student science journalists to offer one-to-one careers advice from established professionals within the UK print, broadcast and online media.
This will be an online event, where you'll have the opportunity to speak with editors and network with other fellows.
How will the session run?
- The online session will take place on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, from 19:00 to 21:00 (UK time). (Zoom link will be sent closer to the event date.)
- Throughout the evening, students will be split into small groups to meet with the editors in breakout rooms on Zoom. (You'll be asked in advance which editors you would like to meet.)
- Each meeting will be 10 minutes long with a five-minute break in between. All participants will be asked to keep cameras on to maintain engagement.
- There will also be an ongoing group writing session throughout the evening to get to know one another and share tips and advice.
Meet the editors and senior writers:
Deborah Cohen is the Secretary at the ABSW Board. Deborah was the Editor of the BBC Radio Science Unit for many years, where she was responsible for programmes on Radio 4 and the World Service such as The Infinite Monkey Cage, The Life Scientific, Inside Science, All in the Mind, Health Check and Discovery.
She has lectured on science broadcasting to a variety of audiences, judged book and essay prizes and awarded grants for public engagement with science.
She studied Physics a long time ago, is a Life Member of the ABSW and received an MBE for services to science and media in 2009.
Tushna Commissariat is the features editor of Physics World. She graduated with a BSc in physics from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India, before completing a Master’s in science journalism at City University, London.
Tushna joined the Physics World team as a news reporter in 2011 and spent the next five years writing about everything from the oriental hornet to antimatter. She became reviews and careers editor in 2016, before taking on the features role in spring 2021.
Find Tushna on LinkedIn.
Paul Adepoju is an award-winning scientist-turned-journalist, editor, science communicator, and podcast host specialising in health, science, technology, and development. With a PhD in Cell Biology & Genetics, he brings deep scientific expertise to his reporting. Paul has written for leading global outlets, including Nature, The Lancet, British Medical Journal, Scientific American, New Scientist, CNN, Business Insider, Quartz, Devex, and Harvard Public Health, among others. He has also worked on podcast projects for outlets including Foreign Policy.
He worked with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) as Community Manager for the Pamela Howard Forum on Global Crisis Reporting, supporting journalists worldwide to strengthen crisis and health reporting. His work has earned him the ONA Community Award. As the host of Paul Talks Science, Paul explores groundbreaking research and its real-world impact. Passionate about investigative journalism, mentorship, and public health communication, he is committed to bridging the gap between complex science and public understanding on a global scale.
Mun Keat Looi is an ABSW Board member and a co-host of the ABSW Pitching Session in Discord. Mun Keat is the International News & Features Editor at The BMJ and a journalist with 15 years of experience in science writing, digital content, long-form features, narrative storytelling, growth/audience engagement and social media. He lectures on journalism at Imperial College London and is the author of two books, ‘Big Questions in Science: The Quest to Solve the Great Unknowns' (2013) and the 'Geek Guide to Life' (2016).
Mun-Keat was awarded the silver Rising Star Award at the 2015 British Media Awards and has written and produced news, features, podcasts, and videos for Quartz, The Guardian, BBC Focus, Chemistry World and others. He is the author of the Association of British Science Writers’ ‘How to become a science writer‘ guide.
You can find him on social media under @munkeatlooi.
This session is free and exclusive for ABSW student members. You can join the ABSW as a student member for just £25 to enjoy all the benefits of membership for 12 months, plus attend this event for free.
Once you have joined the ABSW through the link below, you will be able to log in to the website as a member and register for the event.
