Beyond the Lab Coat - Aleksandrs Voļperts (Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry)

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
Honestly, I do not remember wanting to be anything when I was just a kid. My interest in this began when I was a teenager, but becoming a scientist was never on the table for sure.

If not, what was your childhood dream job?
My father was a repairman specialising in copying equipment, and I suppose I wanted to be someone who could fix various devices, such as a TV or a cassette deck. Actually, I realized that this dream has partially come true; I cannot fix everything, but I try.

What inspired you to pursue science?
I suppose it was a young biology teacher, Eleanora, who worked at my school for a relatively short period, who sowed the first seeds. She was vastly different from the old soviet approach to teaching and interaction with kids.  

Was it a person, a moment, a book, or something unexpected?
No, in hindsight – yes, it was a person. I really took to biology at that time, even getting a crash course on genetics for schoolchildren. It was long before online, I got my tasks by conventional mail.   

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
We are a rare breed, driven by enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge. Search for truth, search for facts. It became a part of me and probably always was. Dig until you find the answer, if you can. This kind of occupation offers the opportunity to travel around the world and meet some of the smartest and most intelligent people of our time, including Nobel Prize winners.

Share what keeps you curious, motivated, or fulfilled.
The mentioned desire to be on your tiptoes all the time, perhaps. And you have to be creative, which is the best.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
“Just a theory” myth – some people are dismissive of scientific theories, thinking that it is something unproven and just hypothetical. Nope, sorry, theory is the highest degree of scientific knowledge, at least for now.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
To me, the most unexpected thing was (and still is) that I have to somehow manage finances and budgets. No one ever prepared me for that when I was a student.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
That is definitely music for me. I come from a musical family, and it has been in my blood since childhood. I played guitar in several bands throughout my lifetime, and we have had our albums issued by German and French record labels, which are available on Amazon worldwide.

If science were a movie genre, what would your research be? (e.g., thriller, comedy, sci-fi...)
I suppose an endless rom-com series, where there are heartbreaking discoveries of non-working ideas and malfunctioning equipment, a revolving door of characters who come and go, as students do, but in the end, everything somehow works out right and everybody is happy and smiling.

What is your favourite movie?
It would be Big Fish by Tim Burton. I really love how it highlights the fine line between reality and imagination, and how deeply it delves into human nature.

What's your favourite book?
Here, it is challenging to name just one, so I will name two. The first one is from my younger years: The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – that left a lasting impression many years ago, I suppose. I have reread it a dozen times. The other one is very different: The Black Obelisk by Erich Maria Remarque, which explores the consequences of war and how it changes people forever. The horrifying truth that is told there, “The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic”, was and is incredibly valid nowadays.  

Beyond the Lab Coat - Paul Berger (Tampere University)

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
Yes! I was 6 when we landed on the moon. I immediately said I wanted to be a scientist doing things like that. I appreciate the scientists and engineers at NASA as much, if not more, than the astronauts who rode their machines to space.

What inspired you to pursue science?
I come from a family of engineers. So, it was more a matter of which science. I took Biology, Chemistry and Physics in that order. I loved Biology, and I loved Physics too. Probably because I took Physics last that swayed me into my field today.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
One is only limited by their imagination and their perspiration to get it done.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
We’re not weak, nor or we detached from the rest of the public, like in Dilbert. We can channel Dilbert when amongst ourselves, but we are not all nerds. Walter White from Breaking Bad is my hero. Never underestimate “Heisenberg."

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
Hard to answer. The Laws of Physics predict a lot of phenomena. Perhaps, dispersion correcting optical fiber or negative capacitance transistors.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
Formerly volleyball, until injured. Now, photography, especially coupled with travel.

Photo by Paul Berger 

If science were a movie genre, what would your research be?
All of the above. There are accidental discoveries, egos, backstabbing, lots of drama. Deadlines and urgent needs, like Apollo 13.

What is your favourite movie? 
Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

What's your favourite book?
To Kill a Mockingbird.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Lourdes Blanco Salgado (AIMEN Technology Center)

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a singer and traveling the world, but as I grew older, I realized I didn’t have much talent for it and that my true calling was in science. I’ve always been fascinated by understanding how things work, finding explanations, and answering what I didn’t understand. At school, I realized that science not only answered questions but also created many new ones, and that completely hooked me. I wanted to understand the world around me.

What inspired you to pursue science?
What inspired me was that constant curiosity and the feeling that the answers I received at school were never enough. I felt there was so much more to discover and that science was an open door to deeper knowledge. I was fascinated by how something small or invisible could have such a huge role in how everything works.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
What I love most about being a scientist is that every day is different and always brings a new challenge. The process of finding solutions, testing, making mistakes, and trying again is what makes the job so exciting. Also, being able to meet and work with such a diverse and collaborative team, both at AIMEN and with partners from other projects, is incredibly motivating and enriching. It teaches me something new every day, both professionally and personally.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
I’d love to break the myth that scientists are all a bit crazy or that we spend our lives locked in the lab with no contact with the real world 😄. Science is full of very different, creative, and passionate people. I’m also very happy to see more and more women in science, and to know that science has no gender, country, or religion; it’s born from curiosity, and that’s universal.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
I’ve learned that in science, nothing ever goes exactly as planned. You always have to be ready to improvise and have plans B, C, or even D. What seems easy sometimes gets complicated, and what seems impossible can suddenly work. It’s all part of the process and understanding that has taught me the importance of patience, resilience, flexibility, and, above all, teamwork.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
I have many different hobbies and interests. I love decoration, both interior design and gardening, and I really enjoy escaping to the countryside where I grew up, walking or cycling, breathing fresh air, and disconnecting with my family. In autumn, I love going mushroom picking, and I’m also passionate about taking care of the vineyards and making Ribeiro wine. And of course, I love getting together with my friends to talk, laugh, and simply enjoy the moment without rushing.

If science were a movie genre, what would your research be?
If science were a movie genre, my research would be a mix of thriller, comedy, and surrealism. There are tense moments, funny ones, and sometimes situations so strange they feel surreal. I always try to approach things with a sense of humor, both inside and outside the lab. Although I sometimes feel like I’m living in a Marx Brothers movie.

What is your favourite movie?
I really love movies and I have many favorites from very different genres. If I had to choose one, it would be Little Miss Sunshine, because it brings back such good memories. It’s my “vitamin movie”. It’s one of those films that always lifts my spirits.

What’s your favourite book?
My favorite book is The Tree of Knowledge by Pío Baroja. I like it because it blends reflection and reality, showing the inner search of a young man trying to understand the world and his place in it. I relate to that need to question everything and look for answers.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Andrew Cook (Beneq)

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
I have always had an interest in how things work and an enquiring scientific curiosity. Since the age of 12, I wanted to become a PhD in science, and I was most interested in Chemistry. And at the age of 27 I realised that goal when I got my PhD from the Department of Chemistry at Aberdeen University.

What inspired you to pursue science?
What inspired me to pursue science was a search for answers to questions about how things worked, and also my enjoyment of science fiction TV shows and movies.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
What I love most about being a scientist is that there are days when you are presented with a challenging problem and it is the process of find a solution or a range of solutions to solve that problem. I have had many different jobs in science during my career from Academia (as a postdoctoral researcher) to working in Industry. Each of these has given me a new and interesting challenge to overcome.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
Is it possible to travel to a planet in another solar system.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
I’ve learnt to expect the unexpected, if something can go wrong it will, if something unusual will happen it probably will. It is our ability to adapt and come up with new solutions to these unexpected events which drives science forward.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
My main non-science based hobby is golf, I try to play at least once a week (I’m still not very good 😉)

If science were a movie genre, what would your research be? (e.g., thriller, comedy, sci-fi...)
If science were a movie genre, it would definitely be a comedy because if it can go wrong it will.

What is your favourite movie?
I have many many favourite movies, but I would probably have to say the original 1977 release of Star Wars: A New Hope (but really any of the original trilogy). I do enjoy most science fiction/fantasy films, such as the Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Trek series of movies.

What's your favourite book?
Again as with movies, I have many many favourite books by authors such as Stephen King (Firestarter being one of his best), Roald Dahl (Revolting Rhymes again being a favourite), Simon Scarrow (Eagles of Empire book series about roman legionaries in Roman Britain) as well as the Harry Potter Book series and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books to name a few.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Hamed Pourkheirollah (Tampere University)

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child? If not, what was your childhood dream job?
As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a policeman or a pilot. Later, around the age of 10–12, I wanted to be a professional football player! But during high school, I realized how much I enjoyed mathematics and the electrical parts of our physics courses. That curiosity eventually led me to study Electrical and Electronics Engineering at university.

What inspired you to pursue science?
In our culture, higher education is deeply valued, partly thanks to our ancient Persian literature, which celebrates knowledge and learning. One of my favorite verses by the poet Ferdowsi says: “He who has knowledge has wisdom, and education makes even the old feel young.” I’ve always been inspired by that mindset and wanted to keep learning and growing through science.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
What I enjoy most is trying new ideas in the lab and seeing how we can improve things step by step. It’s also incredibly motivating to work with smart people from different projects and meet talented students and researchers every year, that energy keeps me curious and inspired.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
There’s this idea that scientists aren’t good at sports! I’d love to break that stereotype! I play amateur football in my free time, though I admit it’s still a challenge to fully convince people otherwise!

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
One of the most surprising things I’ve learned is that the peer-review process isn’t always fair or helpful. Sometimes reviewers’ comments can feel arbitrary. I think the whole review system could be improved, maybe by paying reviewers to ensure more thoughtful and constructive feedback.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
Definitely playing amateur football. It’s my favorite way to relax, compete, and stay active.

If science were a movie genre, what would your research be?
I’d say scientific, of course! Maybe with a touch of thriller when experiments finally work after days of troubleshooting.

What is your favorite movie?
I’m a big fan of mafia classics like The Godfather, Once Upon a Time in America, and The Irishman. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci are legends. I also enjoy Tarantino’s films like Pulp Fiction and The Hateful Eight. However, recently, I’ve been watching a long Finnish series called “The New Day” to improve my Finnish language skills!

What’s your favorite book?
Animal Farm by George Orwell, a timeless story with layers of meaning that still feel relevant today.