Event Title: I’ll Take the Lead as a Scientist. Life and adventures of two young researchers in the ultra-small and ultra-fast world of nanosciences

Where: Room D Seminar / Conference, San Geminiano Complex via San Geminiano, 3, Modena

When: 29 September 2023, h 9:00 PM  -10:00 PM

Curated by: Caterina Chiari (Unimore), Claudia Cardoso (Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR), Vincenzo Grillo (Ist.Nanoscienze – CNR) Department of Physical, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR

Two young scientists, Caterina Chiari and Claudia Cardoso, will illustrate their lives as cutting-edge researchers in the field of ultrafast electron microscopy and materials design. During this meeting, they will describe in detail their professional choices and share some of the most exciting aspects of their research. In conversation with Vincenzo Grillo, they will talk about both what they love about their career and the challenges they have faced along the way. The presence of a group leader will provide a complementary perspective on the pursuit of gender equality in science. 

This event is organised as part of SMART-electron (www.smartelectron.eu) and by MAX (www.max-centre.eu/), two pioneering research projects funded respectively by the European Union’s FET Open programs and EuroHPC Joint Undertaking. SMART-electron aims to develop an innovative technological platform for the ultrafast modelling of electron beams in space and time. New concept phase modulators will allow scientists to shape electron beams with maximum flexibility. MaX (an acronym for “MAterials design at the eXascale”) is a European centre of excellence established with the aim of driving the evolution of simulation software in materials science through the closest interaction with current and future computing technologies. 

SMART-electron and MaX are adopting various initiatives to address the issue of gender and inclusivity in scientific research, including the Women in Science dialogue series, featuring young female researchers. Despite progress towards achieving gender equality over the past decades, women are still underrepresented in scientific research: only one-third of global researchers are women. 

One of the goals of this Science Café organised by SMART-electron and MaX is to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of women scientists and to shed light on the challenges and obstacles that may contribute to gender disparity in the field. 

By providing a platform where scientists can speak and be heard, SMART-electron and MaX aim to inspire the next generation of young women to consider a scientific career and help close the gender gap in the field.