"After PhD" views: Adrián del Valle
Adrián del Valle defended his doctoral thesis "Simultaneous Fluorescence and Atomic Force Microscopy to study mechanically-induced bacterial death in real time" on Sep. 18th, 2020.
- How did you hear about the institute IMDEA Nanociencia? Tell us more about the beginning of the story…
My interest in immersing myself in the research world arose when I was in Belgium during my master's project that I did at the ICV-CSIC. Until then, I had not heard about IMDEA Nanociencia. Despite being a Chemical Engineer, I ended up doing my doctorate in a field far from mine, such as biophysics, due to the attractive project that my director Cristina Flors proposed to me. I found a great opportunity to start my research career and expand my knowledge.
- How was the working environment at IMDEA Nanociencia? What was your most positive experience at this place?
The atmosphere is magnificent. Most workers are under 40 years of age, so there is a very comfortable climate for those of us who came from spending our entire lives studying and were not so familiar with the work environment. My research group made my adaptation fast and that is something that is appreciated.
The greatest satisfaction was when, after multiple inconveniences and missteps, I was able to successfully perform the first of many experiments. At that moment I knew that I had already travelled more than half the way.
- What is your next stage? Tell us more about your career expectations now.
Well, it is something I do not know yet. The research world fascinates me, especially at the level of diseases, such as the fight against cancer.
However, I have the spirit of an engineer, so I do not rule out going back to industry to design equipment and chemical operations.
