8 Questions for... Dr Camilla Pang

Dates with Divergence

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

I’m

Dr Camilla Pang

, a scientist, award-winning author, and neurodiversity advocate and TEDx speaker. With a PhD in Bioinformatics from UCL, I’ve spent over eight years working in sustainable innovation, combining data science and biology to solve complex problems (like cancer and reducing wet lab waste in a linear economy). My first book, Explaining Humans, won the 2020 Royal Society Science Book Prize, and I’ve since published two more books exploring science, psychology, and the human condition - the latest of which is ‘Breakthrough’. Beyond the lab and writing, I’m passionate about inclusion, sustainability, and empowering neurodiverse individuals to thrive. This Substack is where I bring all those threads together—curiosity, connection, and the questions that matter. I am also a poodle mum.

1. Why Substack?

I was in between jobs, and instead of worrying (I had done enough of that), I leaned into my best friend's advice to use this time to write. Everything up to this point had been a book, but I wanted something more gradual—a community I could dip into and create. My sister was the one who suggested Substack, and then I took the time to teach myself, because I knew it would be worth it—and it is! Even with just four articles! Unlike other social media channels, its primary focus is creating and connecting, not comparing and consuming. It gave people a new narrative, which was exactly what I was craving—a healthy outlet for writing and a way to feel less alone while trying something new.

This is why I actually started the ‘Pivot Heroes’ series—I wanted to create a place for people who were navigating dramatic career shifts to share their process with others who hadn’t yet taken the leap, while also breaking the stigma around choosing more than one path. As much as I’m grateful for the opportunity to publish my books, over time, the publishing industry distanced me from my own thoughts and the people I wanted to connect with. I reached a point where I had two choices: create another book proposal and try to convince the publishing world to deviate from the formula of my previous books or start living on my own terms and follow my instincts. The latter made me feel warm and aligned. I like that Substack is designed to reward ‘unconventional power’—aka the minds that create and connect.

2. How long did it take you to find your groove?

I will never find my groove—and that’s okay. I can find rhythms when I write, but I never know how well something will be received or whether people will connect with it. In fact, I’ve had to change my groove entirely, writing in smaller chunks—less roast dinner, more Turkish delight. Books can be heavy, and you often have the space of a marathon (which isn’t always a good thing). But I like that here, the ‘book’ recipe doesn’t usually go down well. If anything, any article over 2,500 words feels a bit spicy—especially when reading on the Tube. So I’ve gladly challenged that default, indulging in the sweet scarcity, which has actually been a lifesaver in choosing battles and writing about what truly matters to me. That skill is useful no matter what you write.

3. How has it changed you?

It has made me more aware that I need to write lots of drafts in order to figure out what to actually write in my articles—distinguishing between what’s for my process and what’s for the actual content. When you invite someone over for tea, you don’t show them the cleaning cupboard or the bins (usually). So to write something that people will want to return to, I have had to show up, tidy up, and refine my Substack— to get the doilies out. Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate the ability to ‘design’ your own page? I mean, with all these options I feel like a graphic designer—next thing you know, I’ll be wearing a knitted beanie. You can be anyone on Substack, build on the bits you like, and most importantly, decide what’s next ‘on your own terms’. I love that it has opened my agency and possibility—so much so that, in a weird way, I feel like I was born again, with the chance to start afresh. It has both focused me down and opened me up in the best ways.

4. What mistakes have you made?

Okay, so since I’m autistic and have ADHD, some days I feel like one big mistake—even without doing anything. I just can’t seem to get things right. Other days, I don’t even notice I’m doing something wrong! (which is mainly why the former happens!). I can’t always tell whether something is a mistake or just naivety. Surprisingly, I have a lot of grace for early mistakes—like sending out a post too soon before a final spell check or saying a post will be out tomorrow only for it to be five days later (or the other way around!). You can always edit typos and laugh off premature post send-outs. The funny thing is, you can also make something precious ‘intentionally’, and only when people respond badly does it become a ‘mistake’. Otherwise, it could be one reaction away from genius. Much like noise—it’s just noise until it becomes a signal. And mistakes? They’re just mistakes until they aren’t.

That said—philosophy of life and neurodivergence aside—if you’re writing to solely ‘please’ others and not for yourself, that’s when you need to be careful. Don’t lose this wholesome space of joyful creation just to sound, for lack of a better word, wanky. This is Substack, not LinkedIn.

5. To pay or not to pay?

I love this question. I love how it makes some people uncomfortable, and others stand up for their art. It’s great that you get to choose how much to charge for an article. For me, I want a mix. The way you choose this exposes what you value. For example, for ‘Pivot Heroes’, I believe that knowledge about change and helping people feel less alone in their pivots should be free (even though it takes time to recruit, meet people, write, and do their narratives justice). However—a gal needs to buy pesto and be valued for what she puts out into the world. Art is art. Giving is still giving. So I charge for some articles (a coffee a month) for more specialized and personal pieces about my own experiences, and the discounted writing workshops which I think is totally fair. And if you respect that, people will follow and respect you more for it.

6. What artistic and technical choices have you made?

I wanted to focus on ‘divergence’—changing the conversation around unconventional career paths and how people respond to change. Not just squiggly careers, but completely different ones. I wanted to explore how that challenges our defaults and how we see ourselves and the world. Inclusion is a big part of this for me—it’s also the ‘secret sauce’ for sustainability (my new field). But most importantly, I truly love listening to people share something they care about and help hold a golden flag to it. I am totally here for it. Technical choices? I spent a solid day making sure the aesthetic—color, layout, and logo—aligned with each other, so I didn’t have to change it anytime soon. I even created a toolbar section, though, which I’m pretty proud of—since it took me ages to figure out! But I’m also glad I watched those YouTube tutorials because now I’m in a better position to help my dad, who wants a Substack of his own (which is a big statement for a guy who only got WhatsApp a year ago).

7. What’s been the effect on your writing?

It has made me strategize my writing differently. I’ve had to define my themes earlier rather than hoping they’d emerge four chapters deep. People follow when they know what they’re getting—some level of consistency. I had to work hard to define what I was offering in smaller chunks, while also ensuring it evolved at a pace that matched me. After all, having ADHD means I can oscillate dramatically from one day to the next! The challenge is to create a theme that accommodates that inconsistency while still providing a recognizable touchstone for readers. Once that balance clicks, I light up inside and start writing.

8. In it for the long haul?

I think so. As long as that freedom and joy remains (and that Musk keeps his megalomaniac hands off it).

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Dr Camilla Pang