Jenny Molloy is a biologist who conducts her research at the University of Cambridge.
In this article, Dr. Molloy explains how it is that A Virtual has made a difference in her very busy life. As someone who travels extensively for research and work purposes, hiring a virtual assistant is something that has made organising her life far easier. In addition, she talks about how freedom from administrative tasks makes her job far more do-able.
Job titles
- Founder and Director of the nonprofit group Open Bioeconomy lab
- Shuttleworth Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge
Background
Dr. Molloy’s extremely impressive resume includes a first-class undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge, and a ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Oxford.
Current projects
1. Director of Open Bioeconomy lab
The European Commission defines the bioeconomy as “the production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into value-added products, such as food, bio-based products, and bioenergy.” Essentially, the use of the bioeconomy works towards a more sustainable economy and planet.
Jenny is the Founder and Director of the Open Bioeconomy Lab. The lab aims to create an open, sustainable bioeconomy, by developing open research tools that make the public domain technologies accessible, used and useful. They also research and address fundamental issues regarding access to biological reagents, and the role of open technologies and local manufacturing approaches to overcome them.
Essentially, what Jenny does is focus on enhancing understanding of the problems facing researchers accessing and using biological research tools in low-resource places, such as Latin America and Africa. She aims to contextualize “open source” approaches to biotechnology within current narratives projects in this sphere, and the bioeconomy policy agenda. Ultimately, she is contributing to the facilitation of easier access to bioecological resources and technology in places where there is limited access to them.
2. University of Cambridge Shuttleworth Foundation Research Fellow
Dr Molloy is also a Shuttleworth Foundation Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, at the University of Cambridge. This is a nonprofit organisation which develops research tools in developing Africa. She is currently focusing on initiatives that increase access to scientific tools, such as instrumentation and biological reagents to build an open, equitable and sustainable bioeconomy. She is particularly interested in the social outcomes of distributed innovation with next generation biotechnologies in low-resource settings.
Jenny and A Virtual
Why did you seek out a virtual personal assistant?
“I was looking for someone to help with general admin, support and travel booking. I work with two teams in Africa – in Ghana and Cameroon. I travel a lot for interview-based research.”
Why did you choose A Virtual?
“I was looking for someone to help with general admin, general support and particularly travel booking help. I came across A Virtual online. I chose them because they have excellent reviews. I have been working with my virtual assistant for 18 months and it has been an excellent investment. My PA has always been, and is always extremely helpful.”
What does your virtual assistant do for you?
Jenny’s virtual assistant completes the following tasks for her
- Organises lots of travel and expenses
- General admin
- Keeping up to date
- Booking meetings
- Diary management
Conclusion
Our client profiles aim to highlight the diversity of the individuals who we work with and help. Everyone and anyone benefits from a virtual PA, who removes the pressure of either general admin, which the average person spends over 5 hours a week on, or more specific tasks, e.g. bookkeeping, transcription, travel planning or digital marketing. What Dr. Molloy does contributes to creating a more sustainable, more eco-friendly planet, which is essential given the current crisis facing our climate. We are delighted to be able to help her with her mission.
