What are your plans afterwards?
My contract ends in January 2018. Without the Enhanced Eurotalents programme, my stay at CEA would have ended in early June 2017, so it gave me the opportunity to stay longer, allowing me to continue my research and to have more time to find another position. After my stay at CEA, I would prefer to go to the private industry, for example, as a project manager, especially as I excel at project leadership and management. I would also consider becoming a Medical Scientist Liaison. Finding a position in France would be ideal for me and if not, central Europe would also be an option.
What do you think about life in France?
I love the quality of life in France very much, compared to the USA. For instance, I took a three-week vacation recently with my family and it was an amazing opportunity to decompress, recharge my internal batteries, and mentally prepare for the workload ahead.
Do you think there is a big difference in the way the French and the American scientists work?
Yes and no. There is no major difference in terms of research but I was struck by the way professional relations are apprehended. Communication is seen differently, but not in a bad way. I'm really happy with the teaching and scientific methods here in France.
What do you think about CEA's equipment and facilities?
I am very satisfied with the equipment I use for my research works. Most of the equipment we have in the lab is similar to what I worked with back in the US. We recently purchased more advanced technical equipment, for instance the qPCR machine, which I regularly use for gene expression analysis. I think what could be improved is the integration of the laboratory. I am pushing for more collaboration, both internal and external, so as to be able to access more equipment for our research, thus allowing us to perform optimal experiments for our projects. |
Microscopic image of primary human keratinocytes that have been exposed to solar simulated light and environmental pollutants. © CEA/INAC
Increased magnification of keratinocytes that have been exposed to solar simulated light and environmental pollutants. © CEA/INAC
Primary human keratinocytes exposed only to environmental pollutants. © CEA/INAC |