Steve Joy (he/him)
Head of the Postdoc Academy
Contact: steve.joy@admin.cam.ac.uk
Steve leads the Postdoc Academy in its mission to enable postdocs to realise their potential, working with partners across the collegiate University and the research sector to inform, develop, advocate alongside, and foster a sense of community with postdocs.
Since 2020, Steve has been Deputy Director of the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network, a national initiative funded by UKRI to support 450+ research and innovation leaders. He works particularly on leadership training, 360 feedback, and career development.
Previously, Steve worked as an Adviser in the Postdoc and Fellows Development Centre at Imperial College and, for five years, in the Postdoc Careers Service at the University of Cambridge. Latterly, he was the Head of Researcher Development at Cambridge. Steve completed a PhD on the fiction of Thomas Mann; he also supervised and lectured for five years.
Susie Chan
Deputy Head of the Postdoc Academy
Contact: susie.chan@admin.cam.ac.uk
Susie deputises and works with the Head to deliver the mission of the Postdoc Academy, including sitting on Athena Swan SAT, Gender Equality and other working groups and committees.
She leads on the development of a postdoc alumni programme and oversees the communications, community, and operational aspects of the Postdoc Academy. She specialises in enhancing the user experience and improving business processes.
Since joining the University in 2000, Susie has worked in a number of professional services roles in the Finance Division and Judge Business School, including large finance and buildings re-fit projects. For six years, she served as a non-executive director for two University subsidiaries.
Zarine Dastur
Finance & Operations Manager
Contact: zarine.dastur@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for finance, HR and operational work, which includes managing the Centres and Projects teams, and supporting the Head and Deputy Head. She is also a University Wellbeing Advocate and Mental Health First Aider.
Zar joined the University of Cambridge in 2022 as Centre Coordinator for the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law. She previously worked for 13 years in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office across a range of operational roles.
She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD).
Shaun Ballisat
Senior Centres Coordinator
Contact: shaun.ballisat@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for the management of the centres team and the day-to-day running of our three Postdoc Centres.
Shaun oversees a number of operational aspects for the Postdoc Academy, including use of centres, maintenance, green initiatives, health & safety, and compliance. He also provides administrative support across the office, working closely with other members of the team on other PdA initiatives and events.
Shaun joined the Postdoc Academy in 2020, having held similar positions in arts and business venues.
Ellie Burgess-Wilson
Centres Assistant
Contact: eleanor.burgess-wilson@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for the day-to-day running and usage of our three Postdoc Centres.
Ellie acts as a first point of contact for visitors and enquiries to the Postdoc Academy and oversees event bookings and hot-desking inductions, as well as providing support with other administrative tasks and centre maintenance. She is also a Wellbeing Advocate and has completed mental health first aid training.
Prior to the Postdoc Academy, Ellie worked previously in the Department of Psychology and other administrative roles outside the University.
Jenny Hayward
Communications Manager
Contact: jennifer.hayward@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for designing and managing the Postdoc Academy's communications, including the website, newsletters, social media channels, and digital media production. Jenny also provides specialist communications strategy and support for the Academy's projects.
She has been part of the Postdoc Academy since 2016, previously working in numerous communications teams around the University, including Research Communications, Social Media and Film, and podcast production.
Jenny also delivers communications workshops for postdoc groups, and is currently consulting on a research project with the Open University to create gender equality in martial arts.
Dan Iredale
Communications Assistant
Contact: daniel.iredale@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for the planning and delivery of the overall communication programme for the Postdoc Academy and its activities, as part of the communications team.
Dan contributes to PdA’s newsletters and social media accounts, promoting the Postdoc Academy’s activities, events, and hot-desking spaces.
Dan has worked across various strands of the University of Cambridge since moving to Cambridge in 2018, gaining experience in alumni relations, event logistics, and communications.
Hollie Godden
Community Manager
Contact: hollie.godden@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for designing and managing the Postdoc Academy’s community strategy, as well as planning and delivering community development and engagement opportunities for postdocs.
Hollie develops a programme, strengthening the postdoc community through new initiatives that inform, facilitating connections and integration into Cambridge. She visits and presents to postdocs, academics and administrators across the collegiate university.
She works closely with postdoc groups managing projects with a focus on postdoc representation, advising on governance, finances and events.
Hollie joined the University in 2014, in a role which included supporting researchers, before joining the Academy in 2018. She has obtained a Business Administration qualification and is an accredited Associate Project Manager.
Caroline Coetzee
Projects Coordinator
Contact: caroline.coetzee@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for coordination and administration across a range of Postdoc Academy projects and programmes.
Caroline works on a range of programmes including mentoring, fellowships and the Postdoc to Innovators (p2i) network, as well as helping organise welcome events and information sessions. She works across the PdA team, preparing and supporting project plans, managing and reporting on data, and supporting events, as well as communicating with postdocs and internal and external contributors, to ensure effective and successful delivery.
Caroline has been working for the University since 2015 in a variety of communications, project management and administration roles.
Anya Rutter
Projects Coordinator
Contact: anya.rutter@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for the coordination and administration of Postdoc Academy projects and programmes.
Anya coordinates and administrates a range of programmes, which include leadership fellowships, mentoring and the Postdoc to Innovators (p2i) network, as well as organising information sessions for postdocs. General tasks include preparing project plans, monitoring and reporting, supporting events, workshops and conferences, and working closely with a variety of team members to ensure the success of projects and programmes.
Anya joined the University in 2021, working at the Clinical School before joining the Postdoc Academy. She also completed a Business Administration Apprenticeship in 2022.
Nicole Horst
Researcher Development Manager
Contact: nicole.horst@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for managing the Postdoc Academy's professional development programme.
Nicole specialises in developing and delivering content related to leadership, mentoring, networking, and personal effectiveness. She also works closely with a number of University of Cambridge training providers and researcher developers at other universities to facilitate access for postdocs to a range of relevant training opportunities and resources.
Nicole draws on over a decade of experience as a postdoc in both the US and UK to help contextualise her work.
Marina Bush
Researcher Development Associate
Contact: marina.bush@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for the curation, development and delivery of professional development training for postdoctoral researchers.
Previously, Marina worked in higher education in a range of teaching and research roles, across disciplines and with voluntary and public sector organisations. Prior to a career in academia, Marina worked as a community development officer for a local authority where her focus was on advocating for and leading community groups to make change.
Marina has a background in social sciences and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Christian Gilliam
Policy & Strategic Projects Consultant
Contact: christian.gilliam@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Christian leads on strategic initiatives and policy development to enhance postdoc career progression, governance, and recognition at Cambridge. He is overseeing the transition to a new advisory board, which will form part of a broader strategy to align PdA with institutional research culture and HR strategies, and to strengthen postdoc representation in University decision-making.
Before taking on this role, Christian worked extensively in researcher development, teaching, and policy, with experience across multiple institutions. He has a background in political philosophy and a strong interest in the intersection of research culture, career pathways, and institutional strategy.
Katia Smith-Litière
Development Consultant (Entrepreneurial Skills)
Contact: katia.smith-litiere@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Responsible for managing, developing and delivering entrepreneurial skill training and events for the international postdocs 2 innovators (p2i) network.
Katia works with a range of stakeholders in Cambridge and national and international ecosystems, to manage, develop & deliver entrepreneurial training programmes and events. These initiatives equip postdocs, regardless of career ambitions, with the mindset, skills and tools to bring ideas to reality, increasing their confidence in exploring commercialisation opportunities.
Katia draws on her experience as a postdoc at the University of Cambridge, as a technology and Innovation consultant, and as co-founder of Cambridge Science Centre, to develop tailored programmes for postdocs.