Bermudian scientist Carika Weldon, PhD, is back on the island this week to spread her love of science.

Dr Weldon and several of her students from De Montfort University of Leicester, UK, are visiting local schools as part of a “Scientist meets Science” school tour with the support of Belco, the Bermuda Government, CTY Bermuda, the Fairmont Southampton and others.

“The reaction has been amazing,” she said. “People have been asking when we are coming back again, can we come next year. We have had people say they want to go to university now, and these are comments from 12-year-olds.

“They may not have been thinking about what they are going to do when they get older, but we are making them think about that. That is what makes it all worth it.”

She said that when she was young, she herself was torn between studying mathematics and the sciences, but began to focus more on medical science after learning about the work of surgeon Ben Carson.

“When I was ten, I heard about Dr Ben Carson and I wanted to be a heart surgeon,” she said. “By the time I was 18 I wanted to be a paediatrician, but in the end I didn’t get into medicine.

“Everyone thought I would go down the accounting, finance route, but I just love people and wanted to be around people, helping people.”

Dr Weldon earned her PhD at the University of Leicester earlier this year, focusing on Biochemistry.

She urged young Bermudians to look into studying the sciences, noting the important role that medical experts play in the community.

“Science for Bermuda is very, very important,” she said. “I used to work in the blood lab at the hospital when I was doing my undergrad, and when I was there it was mostly Bermudians, but as time has gone on there seem to be less and less Bermudians.

“There are people who need to be working in our blood lab, and there are vacancies for Bermudians.

“Nursing is another career where we never seem to have enough Bermudians in, so we want to get more Bermudians into the sciences so they can help our community.”