DR KATIUSCIA DALLAGLIO, CHIESI
What’s great about being a scientist?
Being a scientist is the chance to discover new things, to continuously get surprised by nature and to help people with terrible diseases. I believe that science is one of the greatest opportunities to do something good for the community.
As a scientist, I got to do cool stuff like…
Extracting stem cells from human skin, growing them in culture plates and building a new skin from scratch!
Similarly, the possibility to establish primary tumour cell cultures after having extracted them directly from human tissues and reproduce the disease in models was such an amazing opportunity. This allowed me to study primary cell growth and behaviour and build up models for disease treatment and monitoring. I find it quite amazing how in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models of diseases or tissue homeostasis can help the scientific community in their therapeutic goals.
I knew science was for me when…
I understood that fighting terrible diseases like cancer and rare diseases was my mission. A very ambitious project, I acknowledge that, but it has been the driving force for all the projects I have run and all the work I am currently doing.
Science motivates me to…
Wake up every morning and work hard to overcome the continuous challenges that being a scientist means. Science is not easy, but the passion and the willingness to do something good for people that are less lucky than me is the best motivation ever!
I want girls to think about a career in science because…
I guess I want people to think about a career in science because it’s the coolest thing ever!
I think that girls that are passionate for science like me should pursue a career in science because they have all the strength necessary to overcome the challenges and failures typical of science and research. My suggestion for them is to take a look at their goals and start moving towards them, step by step, with resilience and humility. And I believe they should never forget that the scientific community is huge: we should take advantage of it, talk with people. A career in science means that you are part of a community; a family if you wish.
TEAM AT UMC UTRECHT
We get to work together and solve scientific puzzles with other strong inspiring women!
DR MEGAN FINCH-EDMONDSON, CEREBRAL PALSY ALLIANCE
The best thing about being a scientist is that every day is so different! My job is so varied and always changing, which means it’s never boring!
MS SOLENE RUINET, ESPCI PARIS
My curiosity is constantly aroused by stimulating questions. Each scientific issue is an exciting challenge that develops my creativity, rigour, communication skills, and many other useful qualities! Even when I go through difficult periods in my work, my motivation remains high because I know that my research will be beneficial for people’s health.
DR RENATE VAN DER MOLEN, RADBOUDUMC
As a scientist you can contribute to some of the global problems that exist, and there’s never a dull moment!
