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Ana Rita Agra de Almeida Quadros is a postdoctoral fellow at the Mass General Hospital and Harvard medical school. Currently, she is working in the Lagier-Tourenne Lab, focusing on studying mechanisms by which neurons die in neurodegenerative disorders. - specifically, diseases where there are aberrant accumulations of a DNA and RNA-binding protein called TDP-43 protein.
Learn more about Ana Quadros here.
<Education>
University of Coimbra
Bachelor's Degree: Biochemistry
VU University of Amsterdam
Master's Degree: Neuroscience
PhD: Neuroscience
Harvard University
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Ms. Quadros shares her journey from biochemistry to earning a PhD in neuroscience, emphasizing the importance of resilience, teamwork, and following one's passion in STEM.
<Key Questions>
What steps did you take to pursue this career path?
What skills do you utilize in the lab?
How did you overcome obstacles leading up to your current career?
What advice do you have for High Schoolers looking to pursue this career?
What steps did you take to pursue this career path?
<<High School>>
"I grew up in Portugal where I was able to select my intended major earlier in school. I ultimately chose to study biochemistry when I was 18 because I adored math and science from a young age."
<<College>>
"I then went to college to pursue a Bachelor's degree in biochemistry. Then, I went on to my first year pursuing a Master's in neuroscience. This was a multidegree masters program called Neurasmus, so I attended and received a degree from several universities:
1) Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
2) University of Bordeaux (France)
3) Charité University of Berlin (Germany).
Initially, I felt insecure about my abilities as I was not offered scholarships to attend this multi-degree program, unlike some of my peers, leading me to feel 'imposter syndrome.' However, I was able to persevere and focus on my own studies. This led me to earn a PhD in neuroscience!"
What skills do you utilize in the lab?
"I use a lot of technical skills such as measuring data, mixing solutions, and working with cells. Besides the 'hard skills,' I also have to use 'soft skills' such as writing scientific articles after experiments, giving presentations, and communicating with people to share and explain the outcomes of the experiments. Teamwork is especially important in my lab, as a lot of people frequently collaborate on one project."
Everyone faces difficulties in their life. How did you overcome obstacles leading up to your current career?
"I faced a lot of obstacles in my journey. For example, while I was applying to programs for my PhD, I had a chance to do an interview with a school. The interview went terribly, and I ended up being rejected. Still, I persisted and met great mentors who supported me through my journey."
"Motherhood also impacted my career. I had to find the right balance between being a mother and being a scientist. I felt as if I was not fulfilling my duties as a mother while I was working, and felt like I was not meeting the standards as a researcher when I was taking care of my child. Thankfully, I found a way to navigate this problem with therapy!"
As a woman in STEM, did you face any obstacles because of your identity?
"There wasn't a lot of discrimination I faced because I was a woman. In fact, I saw multiple organizations where women were leading! The only time I faced such problems was when I became a mother. The lack of facilities in buildings to support mothers was difficult for me. Also, it became hard for me to continue the schedule that I had before being a mother as I had to take care of my child. Both my husband and I contributed to our child as much as we could, such as my husband taking the maximum amount of paternity leave that was available, which was 3 months. He always supported me a lot in taking care of our child. There were times when my son got sick, which led to me taking much more time off than my husband because it was more difficult for him to do so. This led to my schedule overlapping with my child's schedule at times, which was challenging to balance out. Nevertheless, I eventually found the right balance between my work and family!"
How many women do you work with on a daily basis?
"In my lab, about 20 people are working with me. My boss is a woman too, and along with her, around half of the lab members are women. Fun fact: even my boss's boss is a woman too!"
What do you wish you knew before starting your journey into STEM?
"I wish I realized the importance of interacting with people sooner. Teamwork plays a big role in most lab environments. Accepting that there are going to be a lot of failures in your life is also important. Question yourself: What do I like? What brings me joy? Am I enjoying studying this subject?
What are some factors of your field of work that could interest high school students in pursuing it?
"I'd say being the first person to discover something is one of the best factors! Constantly learning new things, paired with the ability to learn and pass the knowledge to other people, can uplift you too. The impact you can leave in the scientific world is HUGE!"
What advice do you have for high schoolers looking to pursue this career?
"To be a neurologist like me, I think that you have to care about other people. Having lots of curiosity is also very important. If you want to earn experience and opportunities as a high schooler, take advantage of your school's programs! Lots of high schools and colleges offer programs for high school students that go unnoticed. You can also communicate with professionals and connect with them by reaching out to a lot of people."
What are some general life advice you have for high schoolers?
"High school can be difficult, but try to enjoy the moments. Trusting yourself is very important. High school is the time of your life to try new things! There are no significant consequences, and you have time in your life to explore. Don’t get too insecure about the future and other people. Just be you."
"Trust yourself. Do not compare yourself with others too much. Just be you."
Editor: Heather Kim
A huge thanks to Ms. Quadros for her time and effort put into supporting SciSapience. We look forward to her experiences, helpful advice and knowledge continuing to inspire and strengthen other high school students.
Learn more about Ana Quadros here.
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