Introduction
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When people think about PhDs they directly think about academia. And rightly so, a PhD is by definition a “title conferred by the highest university degree” (Britannica, 2019). Just like any degree, a PhD is directly linked to the institution that confers the title regardless of whether the project is developed in institutions outside the academic environment. However, nowadays there exist scholarship schemes which require the involvement of partners unrelated to academia. An example of such is our iPLACENTA project which is part of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Innovative Training Networks (ITN). Innovative Training Networks foster the collaboration of beneficiaries (institutions which host PhD students) from academia as well as the non-academic sector (in iPLACENTA’s case: universities, clinical research institutions and industry). Even if ITNs have been around since 2014 [1], not many people know about this interdisciplinary form of PhD.   ​

As we are both enrolled in this type of PhD, this blog is an opportunity to share our personal experiences of Early Stage Researchers in the private sector, and, specifically, what it means to be one at Mimetas. Chapter after chapter, we will explore the life-enriching experience that is doing a Ph.D. outside the academic world.

Everyone has a dream, a passion, a goal, a determination to do what they dream of. Some people aspire to be millionaires, others aspire to develop a new technology, others aspire to win the Nobel Prize, others aspire to have a family of their own and others aspire to have both an incredible career and an incredible family life. Over the years all these aspirations and/or these goals have changed and evolved and what used to be the aspiration of a woman can now also be the aspiration of a man and vice versa. For instance, 80 years ago, regardless of which country, it was unthinkable for a woman to choose a career over a family, not to mention to have both. Today, although not accepted in some countries, in many it has become completely normal and acceptable. However, that being said, I’ve been asked multiple times “Why are you always moving from one country to another? Do you not grow attached to people? Do you not love your family? Don’t you think it is time for you to settle down and grow your own family? Aren’t you tired of studying?”. ​

​In September 2018, after working as a junior doctor for 5 years at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, I completed my Obstetrics and Gynecology training. Then, I had to answer the question: What next, what could or should I do? There were two opportunities I had to consider.  
The first logical option was to start the job I trained for, as an Obs. and Gyn. specialist in Italy. But, as I love a challenge, and as I thought this would have been the safer option, I decided to pick the second opportunity, to apply for the iPLACENTA project as I thought that it sounded more exciting and rewarding in the long run. I then took the plunge and moved to London to commence this incredible experience as a PhD student at St George’s University of London. 

This blog post is about me and my personal experience on my way to uncover the black box called ‘bioinformatics’ or‘computational biology’. Many molecular biology researchers retreat upon hearing these words, because it is out of their expertise and also follows other rules than traditional lab work. I experienced that myself and I was one of them, until I took the risk to explore the ‘black box’.