First of all, can you tell us more about yourself? Where are you from, and what are your hobbies?

I am Mexican. I came to Europe around five years ago and have lived in various countries during this time. I like swimming, hiking, running, and sports in general. I also enjoy reading, pottery, and trying new things every once in a while.

And your university background?

I did my master’s degree as part of the Erasmus Mundus program, funded by the EU. The double-degree MSc in Nanotechnology took me to Leuven for my first year and to the beautiful Alps in Grenoble for my second year.

Why did you choose this career path? What interests you about science?

I wanted to push myself to explore other areas of science that I found interesting. I like solving problems in general, and I thought that a PhD would be an amazing opportunity for me to develop not only academic skills, but also management, organizational, and many other soft skills.

Can you tell us more about your research project?

My project is a combination of fundamental and applied research. I first focused on understanding interfacial phenomena in all-aqueous polymer systems, and then on further developing different applications for these systems in biomedical and other fields.

Same question, but for people who don’t understand a thing about chemistry (#MultiSMARTfordummies).

Inside the body, there are many levels of organization and compartmentalization. Some of them are still underexplored and involve separation phenomena that occur simply because many molecules are present within the same volume. I want to better understand how these separation phenomena can be described and exploited.

What will your research bring to people and to society in general?

Fundamental research is always difficult to sell to society in the short term, but it represents a step toward the advancement of certain fields and ideas that could eventually grow from it. In the future, my ideas could be useful for applications in biomedicine and for better understanding how compartmentalization takes place in living systems.

How do you feel about being part of an MSCA Doctoral Network project?

Being part of an MSCA Doctoral Network was one of the best decisions I could have made. It has allowed me to be part of such a diverse and multicultural group, attend conferences, exchange ideas with researchers from different backgrounds, and grow both professionally and personally.

What are your plans after the defense of your thesis?

For the moment, I would like to take a gap year, travel around the world, and immerse myself in new cultures. Afterwards, I could consider continuing in academia, moving into industry, or exploring other alternatives.

Do you have a recommendation or advice for future potential MSCA fellows?

I would simply say that it is completely worth it and fulfilling, so go for it.