Meet the Team
Steve Joy
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 across the University and the research sector to inform, develop, advocate alongside, and foster a sense of community with postdocs.
In October 2025, he was appointed as the University's LGBTQ+ Equality Champion. Steve was also one of the founders of the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network, a national initiative since 2020 to support future research and innovation leaders, where he co-leads the leadership development and coaching programmes.
Susie Chan
Deputy Head of the Postdoc Academy
Contact: susie.chan@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Susie helps deliver the Postdoc Academy’s mission, with strategic oversight of communications, community engagement, and operational delivery. She plays an active role in the wider University community, serving on several working groups and committees, and is currently co-chair of the Race Equality Network.
Since joining the University in 2000, Susie has held a range of professional services roles, including leading large-scale finance and building re-fit projects. She also served for six years as a non-executive director for two University subsidiaries.
Zarine Dastur
Finance & Operations Manager
Contact: zarine.dastur@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Zar is 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).
Christian Gilliam
Policy & Strategic Projects Consultant
Contact: christian.gilliam@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Christian is responsible for 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 the Postdoc Academy 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.
Shaun Ballisat
Senior Centres Coordinator
Contact: shaun.ballisat@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Shaun is responsible for the management of the centres team and the day-to-day running of our three Postdoc Centres. He oversees a number of operational aspects for the Postdoc Academy, including use of centres, maintenance, green initiatives, health & safety, and compliance.
Shaun also provides administrative support across the office, working closely with other members of the team on other Postdoc Academy initiatives and events. He 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.
Ellie is responsible for the day-to-day running and usage of our three Postdoc Centres. She 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.
Ellie is also a Wellbeing Advocate and has completed mental health first aid training. Prior to the Postdoc Academy, she 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.
Jenny is responsible for designing and delivering the Postdoc Academy's communications strategy, including the website, newsletters, social media channels, and digital media production.
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 serves on the Gender Equality Steering Group, 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.
Dan is responsible for contributing to the delivery of the Postdoc Academy's communication programme, as part of the communications team. He works on newsletters and social media accounts, promoting the Postdoc Academy’s activities, events, and hot-desking spaces.
Dan also serves as secretary for the Race Equality Network. He has worked across various strands of the University 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.
Hollie is responsible for planning and delivering community development and engagement opportunities for postdocs. She manages a programme which strengthens the postdoc community through new initiatives that facilitate connections and integration into Cambridge. She visits and presents to postdocs, academics and administrators across the collegiate University.
Hollie works closely with postdoc groups managing projects with a focus on postdoc representation, advising on governance, finances and events.
She joined the University in 2014, in a role which included supporting researchers, before joining the Postdoc 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.
Caroline is responsible for coordination and administration across a range of Postdoc Academy projects and programmes. She 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.
Caroline prepares and supports project plans, manages and reports on data, and supports events to ensure effective and successful delivery. She 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.
Anya is responsible for coordination and administration across a range of Postdoc Academy projects and programmes. She 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.
Anya prepares and supports project plans, manages and reports on data, and supports events to ensure effective and successful delivery. She joined the University in 2021, working at the Clinical School before joining the Postdoc Academy. Anya also completed a Business Administration Apprenticeship in 2022.
Nicole Horst
Researcher Development Manager
Contact: nicole.horst@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Nicole is responsible for managing the Postdoc Academy's professional development programme. She specialises in developing and delivering content related to leadership, mentoring, networking, and personal effectiveness.
Nicole 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. She 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.
Marina is responsible for the curation, development and delivery of professional development training for postdoctoral researchers.
Previously, she 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.
Katia Smith-Litière
Development Consultant (Entrepreneurial Skills)
Contact: katia.smith-litiere@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Katia is responsible for developing and delivering entrepreneurial skills training and events for the international postdocs 2 innovators (p2i) network.
She works with a range of stakeholders to deliver the Postdoc Academy's entrepreneurial training events. These initiatives equip postdocs, regardless of career ambitions, with the mindset, skills and tools to bring their ideas to reality.
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.