To mark International Women in Engineering Day 2022, we had a chat with Mairi Deighan, a second year CDT Digital Health and Care student at the University of Bristol. 

Hi, I'm Mairi! I studied biomedical engineering for my undergraduate degree at the University of Strathclyde and then moved to Bristol in 2020 to start my PhD. I have a keen interest in harnessing technology to advance healthcare.  

So Mairi, what first got you interested in Engineering? 

From a young age I was interested in maths and physics, so engineering felt like the right fit for me. I really wanted to study something that could have a meaningful impact on people and the world around us, so when I came across biomedical engineering it really felt like the perfect balance of all my interests.  

Why did you choose Digital Health? 

During my MEng I studied an amazing range of topics from mechanics, electronics and medical instrumentation to anatomy, physiology and immunology. I became more interested in medical devices and digital technologies used within healthcare. Digital health therefore felt like a natural next step because it allowed me to continue looking at health and wellbeing from a technical and engineering perspective.   

How would you describe your experience of being a woman in Engineering? 

I’ve had a great experience being a woman in engineering. My mum is a physics teacher and inspired me to pursue my interests in science and technology from an early age. I was lucky to attend a supportive high school and undergraduate university. I’m excited to be a part of the engineering field alongside a lot of great women I’ve met along the way.   

What advice would give to a female looking to get in Engineering? 

I’d give the same advice to everyone really and that’s just don’t let anything put you off pursuing your goals. Both the engineering and digital health fields are rapidly evolving and expanding, so they are such brilliant fields to be involved in right now.   

What’s next for you? 

I’m working with Bristol’s Haematology and Oncology centre as well as Great Ormond Street Hospital to look at uses of virtual reality within child and adolescent cancer. I’m passionate about this work and for the moment happy to continue with it and see where it takes me. In the future I’d love to keep working within the NHS, to advance the digital revolution and start trying to bridge the gap between digital health research and our healthcare system.