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Claudia is an astrobiologist working at the Italian Space Agency. She is a biologist by training and focuses on studying fungi resilient to radiation as a proxy for extraterrestrial life.

 Claudia holds a Ph.D. in Biological sciences from Tuscia University, which she earned working within the framework of Astrobiology. Currently, she works at the Italian Space Agency, bringing the expertise of biological sciences to space research.


What made you choose the area of Astrobiology?

Every form of life has the intrinsic need to explore. Even plants, which are not motile, spread their seeds through the wind. If humans stay in their comfort zone and don’t leave Earth to explore, we will miss opportunities, which in this case means vital knowledge to the survival of our species and, eventually, our planet. Also, when I was younger, I wanted to be an astronaut, and I was able to align my passion for biology with space sciences. It’s an inspiring field.

 

What is the daily life of an astrobiologist working for the space agency?

So, 50% of my time is for research. And those duties involve finding collaborations, supervising projects related to the European Space Agency and the International Space Station, and working on publications. The other part of my time is dedicated to desk work and outreach.

 

Being an experimental scientist by training, how did you transition to a partially desk job?

The transition was not easy because I started by missing the lab work very much. However, the researchers’ career is like that: we eventually need to progress and leave the lab.



What are t the key characteristics that you think were paramount to transit from bench work to the space agency?

Passion for space, being big-picture oriented, teamwork, ability to work in a multidisciplinary workset, and good communication skills.

 

Which skills did you have to develop to transit from molecular biology to astrobiology?

It was not simple because astrobiology is a multidisciplinary field and you need to learn about other disciplines, but I overcame that by speaking with specialists to learn more and never saying no to new learning opportunities.

 

What will be big breakthroughs in space science in the next 20 years?

Finding life! I’m convinced we are very close to finding it.


Curious about the space field? Stay tuned for more... or ask L. in the meantime :)



 


 

Gonรงalo Costa is a biologist and entrepreneur with a long-time passion for insects and phylogenetics. During his career, he has worked as a consultant and as a researcher both in Portugal, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, and the Netherlands. He opened a business called Cricket Farming Co with the mission to include bugs in both animal and human diet. At the same time, he visits the most exotic places on Earth searching and identifying new insects, contributing to the expansion of humanity's knowledge.

 


When did the passion for insects begin?

I remember from when I was little that I already played a lot with spiders, flies and beetles. The turning point was when I was 14, I went to a pet shop and a friend - now deceased - offered me stick-bugs. I started to care for them and identified them (even though my mom didn’t like it much). Then, I was quick to add spiders and butterflies to my room's bug community, and I haven’t stopped until now.

 

How did the opportunity to go to Wageningen (NL) appear and how important it was to your career path?

During my undergraduate studies, I studied the potato beetle where I met my mentor Conceiรงรฃo Boavida. One of the parts of the work was in the Wageningen University, in the Netherlands. It was one of my first contacts with the insect-based human diet research and that brought me a lot of vital contacts.

 

How did the consultant opportunity arise and what were your responsibilities/tasks?

During my Master’s thesis, I had the opportunity to work in CoBIG², a phylogenomics and bioinformatics research group at the Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon. During a lab meeting, Filipa Monteiro presented her work in Guinea-Bissau. This presentation opened a lot of opportunities for me including working on her project with cashew crop management. Back then, that location was full of unknown cashew pest species waiting to be identified and I wanted to be part of that. Being there was life-changing because we can’t count on anything and I learned to be more self-sufficient.

I had to register all the pests I observed and report them (to attest to their potential as invasive species). This is because one of the goals is to eliminate pesticide use due to possible ecological disasters. And also educate the population about proper agronomical practices.

 

At the moment you are a National Geographic Explorer. Was this a dream you had when you were a child while watching nature programs?

Yes, it was something I dreamt to achieve since I was a child. One of the reasons that got me into phylogenetics and taxonomy was because I saw that profession’s name in a footnote of a National Geographic program when I was a child. The researcher was standing in the middle of a lush forest and grabbing an insect he said it was a new species. I've been hooked ever since!


How is the current daily life of a National Geographic Explorer and what are your obligations?

It is a very exciting life. For now, my obligations are to coordinate the National Geographic Portuguese hub and to dynamize the work of the 64 Portuguese National Geographic explorers.

 

You are also an entrepreneur. How did that project appear?

After I finished my master's I was a bit lost because I didn’t feel inclined for a PhD yet. I subscribed to an entrepreneurship program offered by the government for unemployed citizens with an idea to use crickets for the human diet. I got a business partner in the process. And here we are!


How much of your daily time is given to the business part, what are your responsibilities?

It depends on the day. Sometimes I dedicate myself more to science and other days I work more in the administrative part. The administrative part includes talking to potential clients, budgets, and troubleshooting. When I start my PhD I believe this will have to change of course and I will have to delegate more.


Did you take any additional courses to learn how to run a business? If not, are you thinking of doing that? 

The entrepreneurship program I was part of offered some education on how to start and run a business, but I think in the future I would like to explore that a bit deeper.


Is the business the long-term plan you intend to take?

Yes, I believe social entrepreneurship will always be a part of my life, especially after my experience in Guinea-Bissau, I am sure I would like to use entrepreneurship to make a positive impact. My goal is to have my business working at a steady velocity for me to have more free time to explore exotic locations searching for new insects. I don’t see myself depending on the scholarship system that currently Portuguese researchers depend on.


Who is running a business and doing a PhD at the same time? Tell us everything in the comments below :)



 

Nuno Prego Ramos is the CEO and co-Founder of CellmAbs. Nuno tells us his insights on the pharma industry, tells us what the life and the main responsibilities of a Biotech CEO are, and gives us advice for the future of translational science!



Nuno Prego Ramos is a Biochemist (PhD), with a law degree and a post-graduate in marketing management. He started working in the pharma industry 20 years ago in sales and marketing. Nuno is an expert in product management and marketing and has worked in Big pharma companies. Right now, Nuno is the CEO and Co-founder of CellmAbs, a Biotech with a focus on oncology therapies!

 

Nuno, which are the main differences between working in Big pharma and a Biotech?

When working in Big pharma, you get to learn the right tools and the best practices. But, in a Biotech, everything is faster, more flexible and a whole more intense. And that is what gives you the agility needed to make last-minute changes without having to go through a complex big chain of decision-makers.  Also, in Biotech the titles at C-level mean very little, therefore you have everyone motivated to contribute. So, I think the differences between Biotech and Big pharma make them quite complementary since Biotech is where we can get fast innovation so that Big pharma can then come onboard later with, but not limited to, the regulatory and commercial skills.


How is the daily life of the CEO of a Biotech?

We do a little bit of everything (without Micromanaging) and fast. A CEO needs to understand the focus of the company and keep everything aligned with that. Also, at the same time, we need to have a 2nd and 3rd parallel plan cooking, in case the first does not work. Be available for the team and the stakeholders. We need to think of our projects’ fragilities every day so that we are as prepared as possible for any obstacle that may arise and do this in the leanest way possible. This, of course, means many working hours, but it is like someone said once: you work from 9-6 and to get things done and after that, you work to become rich (laughs).

 

Why lead a start-up at this point of your career, and not stay in the Big pharma?

First, because I was always moved more by the science part of the business. I always believed that science and research are the key drivers of the pharma industry and always wanted to be very close to it. Second, when you find the right people and the right project, it is hard to say no, even if it means risking your professional comfort in the beginning. For every project, you need investment and depending on the level of maturity of the project, it means risk capital so when asked by investors how confident we were on the viability of the project, I always answered:  “I also invested and took the risk, I have skin in the game”.

 

Does your law degree help you in your daily activities and do you think an MBA is useful for scientists?

The Law degree provided me with analytical reasoning, business savviness and the importance of understanding the influence of details in a holistic perspective. It also helped with soft skills. Nowadays, I can easily analyze science data with some distance and not be biased with a project just because I co-founded it. Nevertheless, I rarely use my legal skills to assess legal paperwork. We need the best people in each sector of the company. Regarding an MBA or any management education: yes! I do think that if scientists learn management skills, that’s the cherry on top of the pie. Perfect.


What are the key characteristics you search for when adding new members to your team?

They need to be honest/decent, be able to collaborate, be competent, and have a critical view on things.


In your opinion, what will be the next breakthrough in science in the next year?

Being able to use metadata and AI for healthcare.


How do you deal with the pressure of having a corporate job?

Keeping your priorities straight! In fact, it is the weight of the responsibility and the focus on the mission and goals that keeps me aligned and balanced. There are challenges every day that may be of concern, but we need to maintain the stress and pressure at low levels. Some problems are only concerning if we do not find the right/best/only solution to address them. My team and I typically encounter situations that have, by nature the potential to be favorable or unfavorable. We deal with them with the same level of pressure because we work based on the assumption that they will arise eventually. Expect surprises and make them predictable, therefore manageable.


Do you aspire to be the CEO of a biotech startup? Let us know in the comments!



 

 

 George Salazar is a NASA Human-Computer Interface Technical Discipline Lead engineer




 He holds an undergrad degree in electrical engineering and a master's in systems engineer, he didn’t consider himself a brilliant student. Worked as an electronic technician and interned at a seismic exploration company that helped him land a job at NASA. Despite being trained in electronics and systems engineering, he continued to learn all he could about space travel. He became interested in the human element in engineering (human systems integration). While pursuing his bachelor's in electrical engineering, he applied for an internship at NASA and got declined  He shares his journey to NASA as life not being a  straight line. Through perseverance and hard work, George Salazar has now a leadership position in his field.


How is the daily life at NASA?

Daily life at NASA demands both hard skills and soft skills. The hard skills in terms of technical skills are important but so are soft skills. You need soft skills of leadership, team building, and negotiation. What I do in technical terms is related to the commercial crew program, SpaceX, and the Moon project. In the commercial crew program, I mostly deal with certification of software and hardware for the SpaceX missions. Regarding the moon program, I am educating potential vendors about the space environment such as the radiation environment. I am also involved with the safety of the commercial crew making sure interfaces between different subsystems are designed to handle hazards.

 

Which are the skills you search for in your team?

I value team inputs-expertise and opinions (recommendations). At NASA, people need to be critical thinkers. Their observations should be objective and they should challenge opinions and ideas. for NASA, you need to be good at asking questions.

 

What are the key characteristics of a leader in the space industry?

A leader needs to help you do your job. They have to provide you the right tools and support and also clear the way so the job is done.  A leader needs to build the team in the way that it works and that the problems can be solved with team effort.  At NASA, we praise teamwork, regardless of the project. A leader needs to give credit to the ones that “go the extra mile”.

A leader needs to listen to every opinion, point of view and come up with a consensus that works and stimulates team spirit.

 

What will be the greatest breakthrough in space in the next decade and what breakthrough do you hope will be achieved still in our life-time?

I think it will be a manned mission to Mars which will at least orbit around Mars, if not landing. For this to be possible we will have to solve a lot of issues first. Graphics processing is a major challenge for preparation to go to Mars as well as radiation protection. Graphics processing is critical for the display of information to the crew as well as providing applications to help keep the crew psychologically healthy such as games. Personally, I will also be very happy when we've accomplished the task of living off the land such as converting Moon soil into water and oxygen as well as filtering the soil so that astronauts can grow plants.

 

Your passion is sharing knowledge with students (through speaking engagements, tutoring, and mentoring). When does this passion arise and why?

I didn’t like to speak in public and give presentations, so I asked other people that did presentations really well for advice. Someone suggested that I start giving presentations in schools and train my communication skills with students first. And I followed the advice and ended up really enjoying speaking to a younger crowd. And I see two benefits in it: 1) students get to know NASA better and 2) they have a chance to understand better what I personally had a tough time understanding when I was a student myself.

 

What is your advice for young scientists hoping to pursue a career in the space sector?

My advice comes from my experience. It’s not necessarily important how smart you are. It’s more important what you do with the knowledge you acquire and then what you do with it. It’s a matter of taking what you learn and improve and become a better professional. Never stop learning.  Finally, perseverance and dedication are the key. One only fails when one stops trying, Know who the experts are and ask them questions. That will go a long way in helping you become a better engineer.


Interested in a space-related career? Let us know in the comments!




Cรกtia Bandeiras is a biomedical engineer and currently, she uses her analytical skills to inform the impact of new therapies at Novartis in Dublin.




Cรกtia is a Biomedical Engineer from Instituto Superior Tรฉcnico (Lisbon, Portugal). Before embarking on her PhD, she did some scientific research fellowships that helped her understand that pursuing an exclusively lab-based career was not for her. For instance, she improved her coding and did projects on computational epidemiology and computational tissue biomechanics, thus discovering her love for computational science. Besides, she wanted a PhD that could combine science and business development, so she started her PhD in 2015 in Bioengineering at the MIT Portugal program. Cรกtia developed a project under the scope of bioprocess and health economics, where she developed open-source models to simulate the production of stem cell-based therapies and associated costs to both manufacturers and healthcare payers. During this time, she had the opportunity to spend 2 years in the USA, at MIT and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. After her job search on the lead up to her PhD Viva in late 2019, she started working in Health Economics and Outcomes Research at Novartis.




How is the daily life of a Health Economics and Outcomes Research Manager in a pharma company?


My days never look much alike, there’s a lot of variety. Some examples are estimating the quality of life of patients in different stages of a certain disease; the economic and humanistic impact of a particular disease in society and payers, etc...At the same time, I can learn about the new healthcare systems trends and the respective impact of these new trends.


What skills acquired during your PhD are crucial for your job now and for the transition to the industry?

First, the technical skills related to the development of new therapies or medical devices, regulatory processes, and IP. Some other competencies, like coding and data science, are very useful for data analysis and to find patterns in data. Besides, knowledge about health economics and understanding the long-term impact of new therapies to patients, payers and society overall helped me a lot in the transition into this job.


How did you combine PhD work, social media, blog, editing for IEEE and maybe other hobbies? Any advice?

I like being on the field and know where the impact is, but it is very important to prioritize! The most important thing was my work, at the time, my PhD. Then, we should always balance these activities with our personal life, taking care of both our physical and mental health. So, I think it is really a balance between commitment and respecting our limits (understanding when some additional activities are no longer a benefit for us and letting go). Overall, being involved in different things was good for me and let me not think about the same thing (PhD!) all the time.

You did a PhD in stem cells and now you presented work in Neuroscience, Respiratory and Ophthalmology. How did the area transition go?

One of the things that we develop during a PhD is to know how to do research and to learn promptly about different topics. Besides, during my PhD I had 2 different diseases as case studies in the auto-immune and respiratory disease areas developed together with medical doctors. Also, I don’t have any problem asking for help to those who would know more about it!

From your experience abroad, particularly at MIT and Harvard, what did you gain the most?

By far, it was such an intellectual stimulation, nothing like what I’ve experienced elsewhere or before. There was so much stuff to do and to learn that I had to learn how to say no sometimes. From seminars to debates about many different topics, where I really had the opportunity to improve my cultural competencies. It is so different because funding for research is not as much of a problem as it is in Portugal. But I could see a bunch of inequalities in the education system, which I wasn’t so aware of before. Being conscient of that reality makes me want to do something about it, in terms of access to education and science. More on a personal note, I had the opportunity to live with people from different countries! I grew a lot as a person and I believe I wouldn’t be the same without this experience. It taught me to stop comparing myself to others and how to deal with imposter syndrome. Everyone has a different path!

Inspired by Cรกtia´s career path? She made a career mixing science with economics and she is creating value to the society and to the scientific community! Stay tuned for more career paths!


Tiago studied Biomedical Engineering, worked in consulting and today he is a Health Economist in UK.


Tiago Rua is a biomedical engineer. He started his professional career as a junior consultant at Antares Consulting, and then co-founded a consulting company (Aligned), targeting the Portuguese and Angolan healthcare markets. Given his interest in healthcare, Tiago later pursued a degree in hospital management, which was his first contact with health economics. He moved to the UK in 2012 to work at the King’s College London, in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). During his role as a health economist with NICE, Tiago took part in the evaluation of multiple new medical technologies prior to being available across the NHS. Tiago now works at GSTT and has recently completed a PhD in the field of health economics, assessing the real-world implications of changing clinical care across a major NHS Trust whilst promoting the utilization of health economics and translational research principles.

How is the day of a Health Economist?

Every day is different. In my specific case, it involves dealing with multidisciplinary teams, attending many meetings, and discussions in a hospital context. Promoting change is always difficult and complicated, and my job aims to do that every day. For example, in this pandemic situation, one of the first things that I needed to do was create models that could predict how many intensive care unit (ICU) beds would be necessary. However, the bottom line is to improve medical care for patients and enhance the NHS financial sustainability.

Which type of skills and know-how should one develop to be a health economist?

The technical skills are mainly modeling, cost, and cost-effectiveness analyses from the NHS, hospital, and patients’ perspectives. In the hospital context, I would say that being able to communicate effectively with clinicians and other managers alike is the main skill that a health economist should have since clinicians are the ones who deliver care. Our job is to advise them as best as we can.

Could you describe your experience as the CEO of Aligned? What happened with the company afterward?

Overall, it was an enriching experience. I learned a lot and at a very fast pace. Aligned's main differences compared with the big consulting firms were our focus being solely in the healthcare field and the link with an emerging market (Angola). Aligned allowed me to have such individual freedom that would not otherwise be possible in a big firm. Then I had to leave Aligned for personal reasons since I didn’t want to move to Angola, where this project moved to.

Did you leave the entrepreneurship life or just for now?

In the future, it is in my plans to create another company. And to be honest, I never left consulting, I’m still doing it as a freelancer.

Since you were involved in research in the hospital context, in your opinion, what is going to be the next breakthrough in science?

Artificial Intelligence, for sure! The impact that is going to have in the healthcare field will be huge. It will mostly affect the imaging area initially, but then I can see it broadly applied in the clinical setting. It will change completely the way doctors work, it won’t eliminate jobs but adapt them instead.

Which are the main set of skills that you value in a member of your team?

Honesty and transparency. I like “doers”! And also, team members who are curious and proactive.


Ever thought about Health Economy as a career? We will post more career paths that you can pursue with a science degree! Stay tuned!








Cora works as the Business Developer (BD) director at the peptide drug discovery company Orbit Discovery, and she is the head of BD at ReViral.


































Cora holds a PhD in human virology. She was always curious about the translational science opportunities that could be out there. During networking events, she found the business development (BD) world. So, she started as a BD executive at Arrow Therapeutics (acquired by AstraZeneca). Then, she co-founded ReViral, an antiviral company focusing on respiratory viral infections and worked as a BD Director for drug delivery companies. She has since co-founded Oppilotech, a completely different challenge, which involves systems biology and bacteria modeling to uncover antibacterial and human targets.

How is the daily life of a business developer?

Every BD position is different. We can be involved in search and evaluation (S&E), licensing, strategic planning, and alliance management. With ReViral, I work on S&E, in and out-licensing opportunities, go to partnering meetings and conferences, and I’m also involved in the company's marketing department, and deal with investors. You must be quite flexible in a small company as a BD. Working with your team and also with external collaborator teams!

How to transit from academia to BD under the same field scope? Any advice?

You need to be able to network - it’s very very important! If it scares you, maybe it is not the best career for you. Apart from that, you need to be curious and resilient as in a PhD! For me, the transition occurred when I focused on a BD position where my background was a valuable asset; it may be a good way of approaching it!

Are you interested in creating your own BD company someday?

I did a little bit of that in the past, I mean working for a BD consultancy firm. I enjoyed it! Who knows, maybe one day… but I’m enjoying working within pharma/biotech right now.

How has the experience as co-founder of Oppilotech been? Why focusing on this area?

The team was already in the process of creating it when I joined. The opportunity appeared since I had experience in the anti-infective field. In this case, the anti-bacterial targets were uncovered based on a model created in academia, initially focused on bacteria modeling.

MBA or not?

There’s no right or wrong answer. You caught me on this! I considered it so many times... As far as I know, if you are going to do it, do it as early as possible because it requires a lot of time and effort. A lot of companies ask for an MBA in BD, but it is not mandatory. What I know is that, with an MBA, you acquire certain skills that should aid in career development.  And again, to network, it’s an excellent opportunity for that!

And a PhD? Is it crucial for BD?

If you don’t have an MBA, you need a PhD; otherwise, you’ll probably struggle in finding a position. Your scientific knowledge is very important for a BD position.

Which are the main set of skills that you value in a member of your team?

As I said, we deal with both external and internal teams. Regarding the external party, transparency, and willingness to collaborate - make sure everyone has the same goals as you and be open with them. It is as in every relationship!

Internally, teamwork is essential, be able to problem-solve together, and communication. I love working with energetic and curious teams especially if I can learn from them!


Ever thought about Business Developing as a career? We will post more career paths that you can pursue with a science degree!




Claudia is a biologist, but it didn’t take long for her to find her passion for the corporative side of science. Her story teaches us the power of mentorship!



With a BSc in Biology, Claudia always thought she would be a researcher working in her country.  She started with an internship in cancer research, but it didn’t take long for her to understand that she needed to get out of the country to get better opportunities. She also found a mentor, Mรณnica Bettencourt Dias (our first interview – see here!) - With the support of her Portuguese mentor she found a PhD abroad in the UK. Soon Claudia to started exploring the corporative side of science with experiences in consulting and as a business developer. Now, Claudia is the senior market strategist of a medical device company.

Claudia, what is the skill you most appreciate in young scientists or colleagues?
Be able to see the big picture and envision what the future might bring. It is important not to be narrow-sided and predict where current activities may be of use in the future.

In your opinion, what is going to be the greatest breakthrough in science in the next 20 years?
In my opinion, “the breakthrough” would be if we all started to think more holistically and create an environment where there would be more communication/connection between basic science and translational science. I don’t know if that will happen in 20 years…or ever! But it’s what I hope for.

What skills acquired during your PhD you found useful as a business developer and consulting?
A PhD gives you a lot of transferable skills. As a business developer, I think that my ability to project management was highly stimulated during my PhD.  As a PhD student, you must handle a lot of projects at the same time and be able in a short amount of time to come up with solutions and answers to a lot of different questions. That ability to changing your mindset from project to project is now very useful to me. As for consulting, I think the PhD prepares you for problem-solving. After some time, you start to understand that although different problems might have different surfaces, their solutions are similar.

On a bad day, how do you clear your head?
(Sign), I love sports! Lately, I have been doing a lot of body combat.














Welbert has 3 jobs, but it only takes away 1/3 of his energy.

Welbert de Oliveira Pereira is a biologist specialized in immunology.  His PhD was mixed between Brazil and the UK and it was focused on a liquid tumor: leukemia. Now, he works at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, ranked as the best hospital in Brazil in 2014. The hospital’ managers call him “human hybrid” since he is simultaneously a professor at the hospital’s medical school, a principal investigator and an innovation consulter.


Welbert at MIT (Boston, USA).

In the hospital, you must mentor a lot of young scientists! Which are the main characteristics you seek in a student or young researcher?
I have been supervising students for a long time now. What I seek in young scientists is their humbleness and work motivation. I don’t really mind if a student has some lack of background or comes from a different field and need to learn the basics. As long as they are humble and want to work/learn, they are welcome! 

In research it must be fundamental for you to collaborate with other universities or peers. Which are the main characteristics you seek in potential collaborators?
It is vital that people are very transparent about the role each part is going to execute and about what everyone seeks to attain becomes clear at the very beginning. A terrible experience that I had a couple of times (and now I strongly avoid) was starting a collaboration with researchers who didn’t have time and expected my group to perform all the hard work. It is also important that the collaborators complement themselves. So, I seek for honest, transparent, available people that complement me as a scientist.

If you weren’t a professor/researcher/entrepreneur, what would you be?
Being honest, I have asked myself that many times. Before applying to college, I was torn between biology and journalism. I love to inform people. So, I think I would have become a journalist if I hadn’t pursuit science. 

In a very bad day, what is your getaway or your escape?
I am a very balanced person. And I learned something very important during my PhD: I have three pillars in my life which are work, family and myself. So, work is important, but I only dedicate 1/3 of my energy to it. So, when stuff goes wrong I just focus on the other two: I go home, I cook for my family and wait patiently for a solution, so I can solve everything without going crazy about it. 

In the next 20 years which is going to be the next breakthrough in science?
For me, I think gene editing as a viable therapy will progress a lot in the next years. As well, it will be probably the case for wellbeing technologies so we can get old healthier.


Oh My Science! is trying to be abroad too. We started very well, don't you think? With scientists from MIT and from Brazil, right? How exciting is that? ๐Ÿ˜„ We promise, that it's only the beginning! Stay tuned for more!


Workshops, conferences, talks... Always a great moment to learn and network!


In continuation of the last post, where L. had the opportunity to attend a workshop on teaching in academia, this time we bring you some insights about the summer school on tumor progression that R. participated for 4 days.




The summer school took place in Caparica (Portugal) in a hotel with a great view of the beach. This event was organized by the ReTubi consortium members, which include iMM (Portugal), Institut Curie (France) and DKFZ (Germany), with the aim of sharing the most recent research on tumor biology, promote more collaborations between the labs from each institute and also researchers' exchange. Besides the SCIENTIFIC TALKS, the participants had the opportunity to attend 3 workshops on LEADERSHIP, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, and ETHICS, as well as a TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY (slide) and JOURNAL CLUB SESSIONS!

For the science part, everyone has its particular tastes so we're not going to bore you with signaling pathways, cancer metabolism and so on... (Although it was indeed veeeeery interesting! If anyone wants to know more about the talks, please ask us!)

However, the workshops on leadership, entrepreneurship, and ethics can be very useful for us to apply in our way to deal with our science, our bosses and colleagues and ourselves. So, we're going to share with you some driver-questions and answers:

  • What is a servant leader?
It seems a paradox combining servant and leader together, but the driving force is the key: the why, the purpose. Some characteristics: Empowerment, Standing back, Accountability, Stewardship, Humility, Authenticity, Forgiveness. 

Do you recognize all, or at least some of these traits, in your leaders, PIs, managers? Unfortunately, in science, it can be difficult... It's mainly because an amazing technical person (with lots of knowledge and papers, and very good on the hands-on) in order to be promoted often leave the technical skills behind and it is the soft skills that matters, especially people relationships!

  • What are the drivers of engagement?
This is related to the previous question. The golden circle involves the WHY, then HOW and finally WHAT. "People buy why you do, not what you do." (Simon Sinek, TED talk WHY) - and this is not only when you actually sell something, but it is also when you work in a team for a final goal when the leader is actually leading you and everyone turns to have the same GOAL. The drivers are IMPACT (recognition), AUTONOMY (responsibility/creativity) and NEED FOR BELONGING (bigger than ourselves). Do you agree? If you are working for a goal with impact, but having autonomy and feel that you are a member of the team and you matter, aren't these things that drive you to be with your team?

FreshBiz Game:"Changing the way you play life" - Leadership workshop.

  • What are the values for a good research?
Research integrity is also an essential key for science to move on. What is the point of sharing your results if they aren't answering a question (question-driven research!) or if anyone can understand or even reproduce them? Some values that we came up with brainstorming were: reproducibility, transparency, good design, solid story, innovation, collaboration, reliability, discussion, feedback, honesty, critical, clarity, trust,... Do you agree? The list could be infinite!

  • What makes you an author?
There are four items that should be respected in the journals when you are submitting a paper and you have to indicate the authors. Which are: having a substantial contribution to the work (doing the experiments, guiding, experimental design conception), drafting the work, final approval of the work and agree to be accountable for it. But fake authors are still being inserted on papers ๐Ÿ˜ž

And FRAUDS happen many times too, unfortunately. Do you know that journals are investing in more and more software and algorithms to detect them? Here, there's an example for detecting western blot bands that were used more than once in the same figure panel - How can researchers do this?! If you detect something, you can use PubPeer to anonymously report it, it's very important!!!

Hands-on exercise on article fraud with EMBOpress editors.

Hope you liked and learn something new! Please if you don't agree with something or have anything to add, tell us! It would be great to start a discussion on any of these topics!

Stay tuned for more on OH MY SCIENCE! ๐Ÿ‘



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