The Long and Winding Road to Mid-Career Academia

I am extremely excited to contribute to this series and I would like to thank Tamer for giving me this great opportunity. When I started my PhD in Italy at the end of the nineties, it was still the time when you felt intimidated by your PhD advisor and, in general, by senior colleagues when you meet them at conferences. I did not imagine becoming one of them in a few years. Indeed, I remember that the first scientific event that I ever attended was the EDBT Summer School in La Baule-les-Pins (France)1 in 1999. I was a first year PhD student at that time, and I was meticulously attending all the lectures, taking notes and working on them during my free time. I learned over the years that an equally important part of conferences are the social interactions, the networking activities and the hobnobbing. When a senior colleague pitches an idea to you, you can agree or not agree. It is time to fight back with proper arguments! All along during our careers, we strive to reach independent critical thinking.