Choosing to pursue a research career is one thing – staying in it and at the same time enjoying it is another. The scientific working field is one big pile of perseverance, prioritizing, dedication, competition, communication, and collaboration just to name a few. No two career paths are the same. Standing at the starting line, both direction, speed, obstacles, and length can seem unclear and unmanageable. Thus, it can be helpful to hear about others’ choices, failures, and successes to find your own path.
Associate Professor Marina Romero-Ramos from the Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University is happy to share her story, and in addition, give some of her hard-learned experiences away for young researchers to implement in their own careers.
So, are you a young scientist dreaming of a career in research? Keep on reading! You may find help creating your own path.
Marinas scientific journey
Marina grew up in a small village in Andalusia, the land of flamenco, living in a house just adjacent to the pharmacy and biochemical laboratory that her father owned and managed. She often joined her father there, and in the lab, she loved to look at the microscope preparations that he was analyzing, while she wondered about the medicines that were handed over the counter. She knew already she wanted to be a scientist. Determined, she began her studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sevilla where she volunteered as a research student in the Dept of Biochemistry. There, and fascinated by the brain, she developed her Ph.D. turning her scientific focus to neurodegenerative diseases and Parkinson’s disease in particular.
Her scientific journey has brought her from Sevilla to two different postdoctoral positions first at UCLA (USA), thereafter at Lund University (Sweden), and finally to Aarhus University, where she got her own lab – and became her own boss. Looking back, she has now a better understanding of which of her curriculum activities respectively has promoted and delayed her career.
Based on this she has gathered a list of advice as an inspiration to young scientists who dream of a career in research:
Marina's lab works on understanding the progressive changes related to the neurodegenerative process of α-synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson’s Disease. They study early pathological changes induced by the mishandling of α-synuclein using in vivo modeling of the disease, and behavioral tests, followed by an anatomical analysis of brain pathology and the different cell populations relevant to the disease using histological techniques. They also investigate the potential of novel neuroprotective strategies in different animal models of the disease.
Available projects
Marina's lab has available projects for Master's and Ph.D. students. Please contact Marina Romero-Ramos directly for more information, if interested.