Neutrons & Neurons

• Life science background
• Rigorous terminology research
• Translation experience in nuclear technologies and neuroscience

My desire to write accurately and aptly has always been closely tied to my interest in science. In addition to a BA in French, I did undergraduate research in a developmental neurobiology lab and spent my year abroad in France studying genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology at Université Montpellier II.


Nuclear technologies
The bulk of my work as a translator and proofreader centers on research and development. Working from French into English has naturally led me to focus on nuclear energy. France gets over 75% of its electricity from nuclear energy and is leading efforts to develop the next generation of reactors. French plant designs and fuel technologies are already a major export.

Working with specialized agencies, I have translated a number of documents for key nuclear players in France, including CEA, IRSN, ANDRA, AREVA, and EDF. Nuclear safety has emerged as a theme:

• Summary of UNSCEAR findings on the biological effects of ionizing radiation
• Report on severe accident sequences in pressurized water reactors
• Research summaries on simulation codes and multiscale modeling
• Training slide show on safety considerations in EPR design
• Internal documents on dosimeter policy changes
• Technical specifications for seismic bearings
• Institutional press releases and web material
• Annual scientific and technical reports
• Test results for electrical cabinet fires
• Overview of cause tree analysis
• Iodine chemistry studies

Having proofread many scientific papers for a wide range of journals, I can adapt spelling and style to either US or UK conventions.


Neuroscience
As Nobel laureate Eric Kandel wrote, "Because of its broad implications for individual and social well-being, there is now a consensus in the scientific community that the biology of mind will be to the twenty-first century what the biology of the gene was to the twentieth century." (In Search of Memory, 2006)

As an undergraduate, I spent a summer trying to clone and express a Trk cell-surface receptor implicated in neural crest cell differentiation. As a translator, I actively seek out projects in the fields of neuroscience and neurology:

• Scientific papers on mirror neurons, yawning, stroke, computer-assisted neurosurgery, and dysphasia
• Leukodystrophy research summaries for a grant application
• 18th-century case history of a rare sleep disorder
• Press releases on medical and neuroimaging research


Approach
By using speech recognition software, I can devote more time to the critical tasks before and after translating, i.e. terminology research/literature review upstream and careful revision downstream to control translation quality, check English style and coherence, and achieve the required level of print-readiness. I use the computer-assisted translation tool Wordfast and in-line glossaries, as well as Olifant and Xbench to access a broad range of terminology resources.


Please don't hesitate to contact me for further information. Short test translations completed free of charge.