“There is always something to learn from everyone!”

In our series #WomeninScience, we will hear from the female scientific staff working on fastMOT, telling us about their roles in our project and their experiences of finding their career in science.

Meet our next guest, Laura Di Sieno, associate professor at Politecnico di Milano.

Please, tell us more about your background.

I’m Laura, an associate professor at Politecnico di Milano. I have a Master’s degree in Electronics Engineering and a PhD in Physics. My research activity is entirely focused on the development of new instrumentation and techniques for time-domain diffuse optics. Indeed, my work is devoted to introducing new technologies to improve time-domain diffuse optics instruments, and to making them more compact, reliable and affordable.

How did you find out what your path was after school?

I have always been very curious and, since I was a kid, wanted to understand how things work. The choice of an engineering faculty was pretty obvious but my problem was which engineering to choose. I started with a B.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering but then understood that electronics was my main interest. For this reason, I switched to Electronics Engineering for the M.Sc. When I started my M. Sc. thesis at the Physics Department on advanced instrumentation for biomedical application of time-domain diffuse optics, I completely fell in love with the research and this topic and… I never changed my mind (finally)!

Based on my experience, I would suggest to always be curious and honest with yourself, and put your heart and soul into what you love. I’m really convinced that only when pursuing your true passions with enthusiasm and effort, you can find the job you love and it will become an important part of your life.

What has been your most important learning in your career?

There is always something to learn from everyone! I learn something new every day (from science to soft skills), from students and undergraduates as well as from other researchers (but this is more obvious!). I think this is one of the aspects of my job I like the most.

Who is your personal role model and why?

I don’t have a single role model because I think that everyone has their own personality that has to be taken into account. Let’s say that depending on the role I play, I try to find out the model that best fits the situation and my attitude. As a scientist, I try to look at researchers who combine curiosity and intuition with a strong physical background that allow them to foresee the consequences of their intuitions. As a mother, I try to be a working-mum who balances work and family. I do my best to maximise the time I spend with my son doing activities together, but I also try to teach him that I have a job that I love and that takes up part of my time. 

Your advice to women and girls in science?

Never be scared or listen to rumours about how women in science are perceived. My opinion may be unpopular, but I have always worked in a typically male environment and I have almost never felt uncomfortable. Probably I was lucky, but I always found an environment where the inevitable difference in attitudes between the sexes was seen as a strength and the different way of looking at the world was a starting point for constructive discussions. Based on my experience, I would advise women and girls to focus on their job and not be intimidated by rumours. If you are prepared and passionate about your work, the gender difference won’t be an issue.

Thank you for the interview, Laura!

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