In academia, postdoc positions are generally temporary positions, meaning that postdocs face uncertainties in terms of their career and personal life. At TU/e, there's the TU/e Postdoctoral Association (PDA), and for the latest episode in our podcast series Science is here, host Barry Fitzgerald is joined by PDA board members Maria Pastrama, Francesca Toso, and Willem van Hoorn to chat about the association and the postdoc experience.
Postdoctoral researchers play key roles in research projects such as doing research, publishing scientific papers, helping to guide PhD candidates, managing sub-projects, and writing grant applications. However, such a position is typically temporary in nature and seen as a mere steppingstone to the next position in an academic track.
The TU/e Postdoctoral Association (PDA), which was established in 2020, has the interests of the TU/e postdoc community very much at heart. They seek to give postdocs the opportunity to establish a strong and personal network, in addition to offering training and workshops. Most importantly, they also provide support when it comes to the next career step, whether it's in the academic world or elsewhere.
In the latest episode of the English-language podcast Science is here, host Barry Fitzgerald spoke to three members of the TU/e PDA board. First up is Maria Pastrama. She is a postdoctoral researcher in the department of Biomedical Engineering and vice-chair of the board. Second guest is board secretary Francesca Toso, who is a postdoctoral researcher in the department of Industrial Design. And the final guest is Willem van Hoorn, co-founder and TU/e advisor for the TU/e PDA.
Listen to the full conversation between Maria, Francesca, Willem, and host Barry Fitzgerald in the player below. Of course, you can also listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast platform and search for 'Science is here'. And don't forget to subscribe to the channel so that you receive immediate notifications once new episodes are available!
