Kites Rise Against the Wind

This review chronicles my personal journey in astrophysics, starting with my education in Northern Ireland, training in physics in Scotland, and PhD research at Cambridge that led to the unexpected discovery of pulsars. It details the technical development of radio astronomy at the time, as well as my subsequent work in the early days of X-ray, infrared, and millimeter astronomy. Accounts of scientific progress are intertwined with personal stories of social and institutional challenges faced by women. Teaching, academic leadership, and public engagement became central later in my career, and I use these opportunities to address gender bias and promotion of equity and diversity in academia.