The Life Scientific: Anne-Marie Imafidon

Discovery

BBC

Science

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 August 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Anne-Marie Imafidon passed her computing A-Level at the age of 11 and by 16, was accepted to the University of Oxford to study Maths and Computer Science. She's used to the 'child prodigy' label that's followed her throughout her career, but that doesn't mean she's had an easy ride.

It was a combination of personal experience and the discovery that the number of women working in the STEM sectors - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - was in free-fall that inspired Anne-Marie to found Stemettes: a not-for-profit social enterprise introducing girls to STEM ideas and careers in fun and accessible ways. It's now in its tenth year and still growing, while Anne-Marie has received an MBE, enjoyed a successful stint as the numbers guru on the TV series Countdown, and is the current President of the British Science Association.

In conversation in front of an audience at the UK's 2023 Cheltenham Science Festival, she tells Jim Al-Khalili about her quest for equality and diversity across the scientific community - and explains why she thinks everyone has the potential to be a 'child prodigy', given the right opportunity...

(Image: Anne-Marie Imafidon. Credit: Anne-Marie Imafidon)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.
0:03.6	My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport podcasts.
0:08.4	I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with a leading journalist, experienced
0:12.2	pundits and the biggest sport stars.
0:14.3	Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the players'
0:18.5	mouths.
0:19.5	But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sport world.
0:24.9	What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to
0:28.8	dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.0	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:36.3	That 56 seconds, it took me to swim that gold medal win.
0:40.9	I looked for that feeling for 30 years and I never found it.
0:48.0	A podcast about the people behind the medals.
0:51.6	On the podium from the BBC World Service, find it wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
0:59.6	Hello and welcome to the Life Scientific.
1:01.8	Today I'm at the Cheltenham Science Festival and more specifically I'm sitting in front
1:06.0	of a lovely, lively looking audience in the city's glorious parabola art centre.
1:11.6	Whitney is a guest who's been referred to as a former child prodigy, but who prefers
1:15.8	to describe herself as having been the class clown at school.
1:19.8	Anne Marie Imaphoden passed her Computing A Level at the age of 11.
1:24.4	By 16, she was off to the University of Oxford to study mathematics and computer science.
1:29.1	After university, Anne Marie joined the multinational investment firm Deutsche Bank and there she
	...

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