“This job is never boring. It allows us to travel the world, to meet incredible people, and to work on exciting projects. Every day is different. I have the chance to work with an amazing team on multiples projects combing a diversity of technologies which are constantly evolving. The intellectual stimulation is endless.”

“My fascination with how a single fertilized egg can give rise to the billions of cells in a human body, combined with my background in clinical medicine and basic biology, steered me towards a career as a scientist specializing in stem cell research.”

“I am the first in my family to get a PhD, but both my parents are medical doctors. Growing up, I was always hearing about human health. We also had a microscope at home, and seeing things up close sparked my love for science. Like many scientists, I was also fascinated by the space and the universe, but I quickly realised that becoming an astronaut would be too difficult for me. Wanting to understand what keeps us healthy and how life works ultimately led me to study stem cells.”

“Being a doctor, it is very satisfying to keep pushing the envelope and experience that over time we are now able to treat conditions for which 15 years ago there were no options.”

“When I was young, I lost people close to me to cancer, including a classmate who was just 11 years old. Those experiences sparked a strong desire to make a difference and work toward changing these outcomes. I joined a lab focused on hematopoietic stem cells, but during my time there, we began a new project on mesenchymal stem cells. I was blown away by the immense potential of stem cells and regenerative medicine and I decided to pursue it further.”

“It is rewarding when our research and development team overcomes one by one the challenges in the process of conducting therapeutic research and when we receive words of support from patients, families and caregivers for the results.”

“I am a strong supporter and advocator for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights. As an out gay faculty, LGBTQ+ representation in science and my field is important to me.”

“I’m excited to use my role as a scientist to advocate for policy decisions that support funding research focused on sex as a biological variable.”

“Science is the only frontier that never ends and is continuously evolving. There is no limit to human curiosity.”

“Overseeing the tremendous progress in the different areas of stem cell research--from basic research to translation into applications--as well as interacting and educating the public and stakeholders on stem cells research is very satisfying and exciting for me in my current position as Managing Director of the German Stem Cell Network (GSCN).”

“I had a flair for science since my school days and I knew since then that I would opt for a career in science.”

“When I heard about induced pluripotent stem cells in college, I was captivated. The ability to transform human tissue into stem cells and then into whatever cell type you're interested in...that seemed like science fiction to me!”

“I am very much invested in mentoring. In my lab, I strive to foster an inclusive and collaborative learning environment to develop and empower next-generation leaders in science and innovation.”

“I would advise students to focus on mastering the basics of cell culture and studying the history of the field. However, it's also crucial to stay updated on the latest literature and opportunities in stem cell research.”

“I find it truly exciting the new tools we develop can open up brand new areas of research so we can ask really big questions that were just not possible before.”