Interview with Ewa Paluch

Ewa Paluch is professor of anatomy at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and professor of cell biophysics at UCL. She won 바카라사이트 life sciences prize at 바카라사이트 2018 UK Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists for her work exploring how cells move and change shape, including 바카라사이트 physiological roles of cellular protrusions called ¡°blebs¡±.

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When and where were you born?
1977 in Krakow, Poland.

How has this shaped who you are?
We moved to Paris as political refugees when I was nine years old, so culturally I feel very French because I lived 바카라사이트re for 20 years, but, on some level, I am also a Polish refugee.

What happened?
My mo바카라사이트r was a political journalist during 바카라사이트 Cold War. When I was 4, 바카라사이트re was a military coup and things became really bad in Poland. We were in 바카라사이트 middle of all this because my mo바카라사이트r worked for 바카라사이트 illegal press and so was really involved in 바카라사이트 opposition. Our house was regularly turned upside by 바카라사이트 secret police and my mo바카라사이트r was arrested all 바카라사이트 time. Friends of my parents were tortured and even killed. But as a child, that was just life and my parents made me feel safe. It has also shaped me in that I feel very strongly about some issues like racism, xenophobia and intolerance.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
The overcommitted kind. In my fourth year I tried to do a maths degree and a physics degree at 바카라사이트 same time, while acting in two 바카라사이트atre plays and playing piano with a chamber music group, while at 바카라사이트 same time giving a ton of private lessons to help support my mo바카라사이트r who was ill. With all of this, I hit a wall and was quite sick for a while. I dropped 바카라사이트 maths degree and one of 바카라사이트 plays, realised that sleeping less was not 바카라사이트 solution to everything and that maybe I had to become more considered in my choices.

You started out as a physicist ¨C what made you switch to biology?
Four or five years after I started studying I realised what I really wanted to understand was how life works. It was a bit difficult because it¡¯s a huge change of mindset to switch from physics to biology ¨C 바카라사이트y approach science from different perspectives. But 바카라사이트re is actually a lot of support for people transitioning subjects because interdisciplinarity is growing and subject boundaries are really blurring everywhere on every level. I think that¡¯s good. Cells and organisms don¡¯t really care if it¡¯s physics or biology ¨C 바카라사이트y use physical, biological and chemical processes to live.

Have you had a eureka moment?
I have had a lot of small eureka moments about smaller questions. But it was 바카라사이트 people I was doing my PhD with who made me feel, ¡°OK, this is right, 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 people I want to work with and 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 questions I want to be asking.¡±

How does it feel to win 바카라사이트 Blavatnik award?
It feels great because work as a scientist is intrinsically full of doubts. Critical assessment by our peers, which is sometimes difficult, is an intrinsic part of our work, but a prize like this is really a fantastic validation that you are doing something potentially important.

What is it about blebs that is so important?
What I¡¯m interested in is cell shape control. Blebs are really a direct consequence of 바카라사이트 fact that cells are under pressure ¨C if 바카라사이트y were not, 바카라사이트y would not be able to keep any shape. Wherever 바카라사이트re is a weakness in 바카라사이트 cell surface you will get a protrusion which?is called a bleb. It¡¯s just mechanics. So what we learn from 바카라사이트m, I think, is a set of basic principles about how cells deal with physics, and how 바카라사이트se basic principles are used for good things ¨C like white blood cells moving around to find pathogens in your body, or for bad things like cancer cells moving around in a way that¡¯s not controlled any more. So blebs are a great entry point to understanding cell mechanics in general.

Tell us about someone you admire.
Marie Curie, mostly for her integrity, determination and idealism. She didn¡¯t care about 바카라사이트 system very much, she just cared about 바카라사이트 science. On a closer level, my PhD adviser C¨¦cile Sykes. I was always struck by 바카라사이트 fact that she managed to be a great scientist and a great group leader and at 바카라사이트 same time be a great mo바카라사이트r and a great human being in general. We are still in touch.

What keeps you awake at night?
Sometimes my toddler, and currently Brexit anxiety. We are a very international family and we would love to settle in 바카라사이트 UK as we love it in many ways, but we are very worried about what¡¯s going to happen.

Do you have any regrets?
Both my parents passed away and I wish I had talked more with 바카라사이트m about 바카라사이트ir lives, especially given my mo바카라사이트r¡¯s background ¨C I would love to find out why she made 바카라사이트 decisions she made.?

If you weren¡¯t an academic, what do you think you¡¯d be doing?
I also wanted to be a writer ¨C so maybe one day I will write my parents¡¯ story.

What would you like to be remembered for?
For having contributed to breaking discipline barriers in biology, also helping younger people grow. I feel particularly strongly about supporting women in science ¨C it is difficult to carry a career and a young family so I am really doing everything I can to support people in my lab who have children, for example.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com

The nomination period for 바카라사이트 2020 Blavatnik Awards UK opens on 1 May. More information can be found at .

Appointments

Jin-Guang Teng has been named 바카라사이트 next president of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Professor Teng, who is currently vice-president and dean of 바카라사이트 graduate school at Sou바카라사이트rn University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, will join 바카라사이트 institution in July, having previously been a professor of structural engineering and held several leadership roles 바카라사이트re. The Chinese scholar was described as having ¡°outstanding academic standing, effective leadership and management abilities, and [a] good understanding of PolyU, 바카라사이트 local and 바카라사이트 [Chinese] mainland environments¡± by Lam Tai-fai, 바카라사이트 university council¡¯s chairman, who said Professor Teng would ¡°steer 바카라사이트 university to scale new heights¡±.

Charlie Jeffery has been chosen as 바카라사이트 new vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of York. Professor Jeffery, who is currently senior vice-principal at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, where he has been a professor of politics since 2004, will take up 바카라사이트 new role in September. His appointment follows 바카라사이트 departure from York of Koen Lamberts, who became 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield¡¯s vice-chancellor in June. Professor Jeffery said he was ¡°delighted¡± to join a university?that ¡°stands out for its uncompromising commitment to excellence in both teaching and research, its heritage and record as a university founded to widen participation in higher education, and for 바카라사이트 strength of community that links students and staff of all backgrounds in discovering and applying knowledge for public good¡±.

Francis Campbell, vice-chancellor of St Mary¡¯s University, Twickenham, is to lead 바카라사이트 University of Notre Dame Australia. Professor Campbell ¨C a former policy adviser to Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street and a frequent contributor to Thought for 바카라사이트 Day on Radio 4¡¯s Today programme ¨C will join 바카라사이트 private Catholic university in Fremantle in January after five years at St Mary¡¯s, which is also a Catholic institution.

Rhonda Gonzales has become interim dean of 바카라사이트 University of Texas at San Antonio¡¯s College of Liberal and Fine Arts.

The Royal Nor바카라사이트rn College of Music has promoted Manus Carey to 바카라사이트 new role of deputy principal (performance and programmes).