Diasporas Roundtable

Saturday 8th, 16:00

In today’s international and collaborative research environment, scientific exchange and international mobility have a direct and beneficial impact on scientific discovery and career development. Consequently, many researchers settle in other countries while often maintaining strong links with their place of origin. Once in a foreign country, researchers might find an advantage to become part of their national community abroad, for cultural reasons and for working support. SRUK/CERU has always worked towards forging connections and strengthening our collaborations with other associations of research diasporas in the UK, with the aim of representing the interests of European citizens within the UK’s R&D landscape. This roundtable will gather representatives from scientific diaspora organisations to reflect on ongoing collaborations and to identify the benefits gained from the interaction and cooperation between these professional networks in the post-Brexit context.

Participants: 

Facilitator: Cristina Barrero Sicilia

Biographies:

Javier Pardo Diaz:

Dr. Javier Pardon Diaz is one of the coordinators of the CONNECTS-UK project. He currently chairs the SRUK/CERU EU Policy Committee. He has previously contributed to SRUK/CERU from different roles, including Director of Science Policy, Director of the Oxford constituency and Chair of the VIII International Symposium. He currently co-coordinates the Science Policy and Talent Attraction Commission of the Network of Associations of Spanish Researchers and Scientists Abroad (RAICEX). Dr. Pardo-Diaz holds a DPhil (PhD) in Statistics from the University of Oxford (UK) and a BSc in Biotechnology from the Technical University of Madrid (Spain). He currently works as a Senior Policy Manager at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on the design and delivery of UK research programmes alternative to Horizon Europe. He previously did an internship on Science Diplomacy at the Embassy of Spain in London.

Fernanda Bajanca:

Fernanda is the present Chair of the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), previously Vice-Chair (2020-2022), and Chair of the Policy WG (2017-2019). She has also been a member of the Advisory Group for the EC Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (2017-2020). Fernanda’s journey within the MCAA started after being awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship to develop her research project at King’s College London. She holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from the University of Lisbon and a diverse career path merging international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral activity. She is currently responsible for managing clinical research on a rare disease at a children’s hospital in France.

Diogo Martins:

Dr Diogo Martins is the incumbent president of the Portuguese Association of Researchers and Students in the UK (PARSUK). Dr. Martins is a Public Health medical doctor and leads the Snakebite programme at the Wellcome Trust, one of the largest charity foundations in the world whose mission is to support science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. He has previously worked at the World Health Organization and participated in the negotiations of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Ala Santos:

Dr. Ala Santos is a seasoned leader in healthcare innovation with nearly two decades of global experience in researching and commercializing new solutions in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, and med-tech. Her expertise encompasses rapid and point-of-care tests, as well as areas of cancer, cardiac, and infectious diseases care. Recently, Dr. Santos has also been focusing on sustainability in healthcare, specifically implementing sustainable angles in new medical/diagnostic product development and sustainable hospital operations.

In the last years, Dr. Santos led the New Technology Development team at Abbott Laboratories, where she developed a diagnostic platform for blood-borne pathogens screening. In her current role as CEO of the Polonium Foundation, Dr. Santos connects highly skilled Polish expats in science, policy, and subject matter expertise. In addition to her R&I leadership in a Fortune 500 company and non-profit executive roles, for over a decade Dr. Santos has been providing consulting services to startups and investment opportunity assessments for venture capital companies and individual investors. With her multilingual skills and passion for travel, Dr. Santos has a broad international impact and exposure.

Dr. Santos holds a B.Sc. from Robert Gordon University, Scotland, and M.Sc and Engineering degrees from Lodz University of Technology, Poland. Her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago was supported by an American Heart Association Fellowship, where she developed novel cancer metastatic blockers and cardiomyopathies diagnostics. Dr. Santos also held the presidency of Women In Bio (WIB) Chicago, where she currently serves as the Advisory Board Chair.

Nathalie Van Meurs:

Nathalie van Meurs (Ph.D. Cross Cultural Psychology) is Secretary of the Dutch Academic Network in the UK (DANinUK). Dr. Van Meurs a Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University. Her research interests focus on belonging, cultural values and navigating this complex, globalised world. She is an EMCC qualified coach and supervises various doctorates such as PhD, DBA, Transdisciplinary Doctorates and Doctorates in Public Works.

Facilitator: Cristina Barrero Sicilia

Cristina Barrero-Sicilia is the Director of International collaboration at SRUK. She has been an active member of SRUK since she moved to the country in 2015.Dr. Barrero-Sicilia currently hold a post as Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences (Genetics) at the University of Hertfordshire (UH). She has extensive experience in Molecular Biology/Genetics and Biochemistry, with a track research record in plant biotechnology and strong passion for teaching and tutoring both undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has built my research career in several international research centers in Spain (Alcala University, Madrid; Centre of Biotechnology and Genomics of Plants, UPM-INIA, Madrid), Germany (Max Plank Institute, Koln) and the UK (Rothamsted Research and University of Hertfordshire).