What is your role in your university?
Working from Université Paris Cité, I am coordinating the Circle U. ERIA project, which stands for “Empowering research and innovation actions”. Co-funded by the European Commission under the Horizon2020 SwafS program and launched on September 1st, 2021, this project will steer initiatives with the ambition to strengthen and deepen research collaboration and innovation within the alliance for the next three years.
What do you particularly like about your work at Circle U.?
One of the exciting parts of my work is that I started my position at the very beginning of the project; After a year of great collaborative effort, we had the pleasure of seeing the first events take place, such as the UCLouvain sandboxes. Another aspect I like about our Alliance is that it has allowed me to meet many great colleagues from 9 different countries in Europe. Although we do not sit in the same office, we interact almost every day as a team and it is very rewarding.
Have you had any experience abroad?
As part of my graduate studies, I had the chance to spend a few months at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. I was also able to do an internship at the University of California San Francisco, in the United States. I have only good memories of these first exchanges and I can only understand the importance of such mobility to improve one's training as a student through international exposure.
If you had a sabbatical year, what would you do?
Like many colleagues in our Alliance, I like to travel to see the world. For a few years now, and especially during the pandemic, I have been hiking in the Pyrenees and other places in France. I think that for a year, I would love to discover other mountains at my own pace. Albeit we walk all day, it is a good way to rest, without the internet or my old phone!