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Name: Ana P. C. Rodrigues
E-mail: arodrigues@salk.edu
Year of Birth: 1978
Place of birth: Aveiro, Portugal
City of residence: San Diego
Years in the US: 3
Undergraduate Degree: B.Sc. Honours Genetics (University of Leeds, UK)
Postgraduate Degree: M.Res. Bioinformatics & Ph.D. Chemistry (University of York, UK)
Current professional status: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Salk Institute)
Research interests: Computational Biology, including comparative genomics, expression profiling and structural bioinformatics
Best career achievement : My current position at the Salk Institute
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To be or not to be an immigrant in the US
What brought you to the USA?
I loved working and living in the UK, but after 8 years, I was itching to try somewhere new. I wanted to experience the research environment in the US, and San Diego was an obvious choice. It has a huge concentration of top-class research institutions and biotech companies, which provides great opportunities for both me and my better half (who’s also a scientist). It also has the added bonus of Portuguese-like weather.
Name the three most valuable lessons you have learned in this country (at work or not). I have learned the value of confidence, work ethic and productivity: 1. There is a fine line between humility and self-deprecation, which I am learning not to overstep. Confidence and assertiveness are positive American traits essential for success. 2. If you work hard you will have every chance to succeed. 3. But you must invest time and effort learning to make your hard work payoff – i.e., how to become (more) productive.
Are you planning to go back to Portugal? Why/Why not?
I do miss Portugal, but the world is such a big place… no plans either way!
What conditions (other than salary) do you have here that you do not have in Portugal?
I have top scientists, experts in any subject I can dream of, within walking distance of my office. In many cases, they are willing not only to listen to and discuss my work, but also to share their data. Access to anything I need to do my research, be it books, papers, computers, computer clusters, computer storage or flights to attend a conference. A bewildering amount of scientific seminars and symposia at my doorstep - the only problem with this is deciding which ones to attend.
What do you think Portugal is still better at?
I miss the food, friends and especially my family. However, it has to be the socialist structure of benefits and healthcare. As a European colleague once remarked about why he was returning home: “I want my kids to have the choice to go to university, whether I get cancer tomorrow or not”!
What would you like to see changed in the Portuguese educational system?
This is a very tricky subject, and having lived in three other countries with very different educational systems I do look back fondly on a lot of my own experience back in Portugal. There are two changes that I would particularly like to see: 1. Teachers and students being rewarded for excellence. Students showing excellence in a particular filed, must be recognized, challenged, stimulated and given a taste of success. The one size fits all system leads to a lazy just-do-enough-to-get-by attitude, which ultimately results in an uncompetitive unproductive workforce. 2. A formal program within the school to introduce students to the job market, through short internships and job shadowing. This would be particularly valuable if students were encouraged to experience a variety of work environments throughout high school and university.
The daily life in the US
| Favourite news from Portugal: |
My Mum |
| Favourite website/blog: |
BBC News |
| Ideal weekend program in your US city: |
Drive north on the Pacific Coast Highway and stop at a nice beach to sunbathe. Have friends over for a BBQ and play games in the garden. Catch a live music show by an up and coming indie band at the Casbah. |
| Portuguese neighbourhood: |
Point Loma |
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