Ana Barra, new doctor: "Perseverance and resilience are extremely necessary to do scientific research"

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When talking about Ana Barra, prof. Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky, a researcher at the Material Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), praises the young researcher's qualities. She just defended her PhD thesis at the beginning of the year and got a 'Cum Laude' for her work, entitled 'Chitosan-based functional composite materials containing carbon nanostructures'. The supervisor of her research was Paula Ferreira (University of Aveiro), and she also got the Co-supervision of Cláudia Nunes (University of Aveiro) and Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky, from ICMM-CSIC.

Why did you choose ICMM for your PhD?

My supervisor had a previous collaboration with Prof. Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky. Since my PhD research topic matched the research field of Prof. Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky, we continued the collaboration having him as my co-supervisor. Obviously, the excellence of ICMM also contributed for my choice.

How would you explain your research to a non-scientific audience?

My research encompasses the development of novel magnetic and electrically conductive materials for several applications. The design of these materials considers eco-friendly strategies and precursors to try to minimize their environmental impact.

What are the main applications of your research? Could you give us an example?

The functional materials are interesting for several areas such as environmental applications, the food industry, or the biomedical field. For example, the magnetic materials can be used for magnetic hyperthermia cancer treatments to eradicate tumor cells.

What are the lessons you learned here? which one do you value the most?

The main lessons I learnt during the PhD were the perseverance and resilience. In my opinion, these values are extremely necessary to do scientific research.

How do you think this experience will contribute to your training and your future?

During this experience of four years, I acquired many scientific and non-scientific skills that will certainly prepare me better for the future. I also built a scientific network with researchers from different countries, that I expect to continue collaborating with in the future.

What are your plans once you finish your PhD?

I am planning to do scientific research in academia.

Why did you become a scientist? Who have been your role models?

I always had curiosity and a deep interest in science, so, it was a natural process. The passionate scientists that I have been meeting throughout the journey usually inspire me and some of them can be considered role models.