“Anything can become your path if you do it with enthusiasm!”
In our series #WomeninScience, we will hear from the female scientific staff working on nanoSCAN, telling us about their roles in the project, what inspires them about their work and their experiences as a woman in science.
Meet our third guest, Alessia Candeo, Assistant Professor at the Department of Physics of Politecnico di Milano.
Please tell us more about yourself and your background.
Hi, I’m Alessia. I studied physics engineering at Politecnico di Milano, where I also got my PhD in Physics. With my expertise in Photonics, and after a brief start in ultrafast and non-linear optics, I directed my attention to the development of spectroscopy and imaging technology for the non,invasive study of biology and cultural heritage. My path led me to live for three years in Oxford as a Scientist at the Central Laser Facility, but currently I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Physics of Politecnico di Milano.
How did you find out what your talent was?
I loved too many different subjects in school, so it was not an easy decision! However, I like to think that my special talent is to put a lot of effort and enthusiasm in anything I do. Anything can become your path if you do it with enthusiasm!
You get to travel and meet fantastic and inspiring new people from whom you learn a lot. But that is not all. I also have the opportunity to teach and give back to society.
Can you share a specific experience that made you grow?
My internship at the Ecole Normale Superieur in Paris, in the Neuroscience Department, was really special. It was a full immersion in a completely different environment where I learnt a lot of new things from a totally different subject: biology. There, I had to work with live samples that you have to breed and feed, which is not that common for somebody who studied physics. Not to mention that it was also my first time living abroad, discovering a different society.
What is it that makes your job special for you?
You never stop learning, and not only from a scientific perspective, but also in many other ways. I have the chance to work in a highly multidisciplinary field, where I can apply the technologies we have developed to a wide range of fields, ranging from biology to cultural heritage, which are subjects I have always been interested in. You also get to travel and meet fantastic and inspiring new people from whom you learn a lot. But that is not all. I also have the opportunity to teach and give back to society. Additionally, I have the honour of being involved in outreach activities, such as the Summer School in Kenya at the National Institute for Optics and Lasers in May, which provides immense personal growth from a human perspective.
What do you think is needed to get more young women interested in science?
I believe that introducing children to science and technology at an early age is crucial to sparking their interest. However, I don’t think there is one single factor that solely determines their engagement. Also, many successful women made it through because they are quite exceptional, and this can sometimes make them seem rather distant. I think we need more relatable female role models who represent the norm, making it easier for others to identify with them.
What was your biggest challenge of working in science so far?
Balancing it all is crucial. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day, and research involves many tasks, including administrative duties, securing funding, training students… You really have to learn to pause and take care of the personal aspects of life.
Thank you for the interview, Alessia!
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