The Dark Side or Research – Valerie: PhD Medley

Описание: The Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA, https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/), established in 2012 and supported by the European Commission, is a thriving organization of 11000+ members spread across five continents. With both geographical chapters and thematic working groups, MCAA members benefit from networking and training events all around the world about the most diverse topics, from Policy over Communication to Science and Business.

In August 2018, the MCAA brought four association members together in Edinburgh to perform science stand-up comedy during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a show aptly named “The Dark Side of Research.”

If you ask Valerie Bentivegna (  / vbentii  ) to describe herself in three words, she would say: tall, nerdy and clumsy (not necessarily in that order). Clearly not bound to one country – or side of the world – she was born in the US, grew up in Belgium, and has studied in France and Scotland. Most recently, she has completed a PhD for which she looked at the mechanical properties of cells and tissue and how these properties change during colorectal cancer. During this time, she has gained insights in herself, the life of a PhD student, and ways to survive in the lab as an inherently clumsy person.