Magdalena Strugaru is a postdoctoral researcher at the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM).
In the following interview she explains her professional career in research and the challenges she faced.
- What is your profession and how long have you been in the world of research?
I work as a postdoctoral researcher. I have been in research for 11 years.
- Why did you choose this profession and what motivated you to do it?
I chose this profession out of a passion for mathematics and an enthusiasm for using it for problems that have not yet been solved.
- What challenges have you encountered during your professional career?
For me, the biggest challenge is balancing my professional life with the needs of my daughter.
- What motivates you most about the PIXIL project? What is your contribution to the project?
I find the idea of integrating artificial intelligence techniques into the exploitation of "green" resources, such as geothermal energy, very interesting. These are two relatively new fields and combining them is a real challenge. My work focuses on numerical methods for partial differential equations and the use of deep learning to reduce computational costs when interpreting experimental data.
- Do you think there are still gender differences in the research environment?
Yes, but no more so than in other areas of the labour market.
- What message would you give to women who want to go into research?
Research is a world of both challenges and extraordinary opportunities. I think it is important to set your own goals in this world, work with passion and enjoy the journey.