The 3rd IRTG 2251 annual meeting was held in Dresden Germany

Last week, the new IRTG Spokesperson of King’s College London, Rocio Sancho, came to Dresden to meet other coordinators, scientists, and students. Her visit included a speech on „Stem cell fate decisions: new therapies for diabetes“ and a role model workshop.

After finishing her degree in Spain, Rocio came to London in search of a multicultural, big city with a great science and research environment to do her postdoc. She joined Axel Behrens‘ lab, where she focused in studying adult stem cells and cell fate decisions. Currently, she is leading her own lab (Pancreas cell plasticity and regeneration Lab) at the Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine King’s College London.

The IRTG Role Model workshop is tailored to the needs and interests of female students by inviting experts from inside and outside academia. Visiting researchers can give advice to students and prepare them for the challenges in their career path. Rocio’s workshop was one in a series of seminars. She answered the students‘ questions, but also talked about her personal career.

Rocio encouraged the female students to become a PI if that would be their goal. She mentioned that based on her colleagues with kids she realised that being a PI and having a family is totally manageable: “Some start early in the morning and go home at 3 p.m. to be with the kids, like my mum did.  Some opt for working from home as another option. And last but not least, childcare facilities are accessible.” Rocio had one last advice for her students: "You have to like what you do. Don’t focus on the negative things so much; focus on the positive. Everything will work out in the end.“