Hi Ivana! I know you're from Slovakia-can you tell me a bit more about it?
Yes! Slovakia is a small country in the heart of Europe, similar in size to the Netherlands, but with about a third of the population. The country is divided into regions around the largest cities. You can travel from west to east in about seven hours or from north to south in two. The country is long and narrow, unlike the wider Netherlands.
What is your favourite aspect of Slovakia?
The best thing is how close my family is to home. We all live in the same region, so that sense of community is very important to me. I also love nature-Slovakia is full of beautiful landscapes and is great for hiking and skiing. We also have a rich history with many castles, I think the largest number in the whole of Europe.
That sounds wonderful! Now can you tell me something about your area of expertise?
My expertise lies between organic chemistry and biocatalysis-I focus specifically on developing innovative strategies for designing and using enzymes. Currently, we are working on enzymes with new building blocks-non-natural amino acids-that could offer totally new functions. This would allow enzymes to be applied in areas where natural enzymes were previously limited.
What impact do you hope to make with your work?
My goal is to contribute to more sustainable chemistry. With issues like pollution, climate change and environmental problems like the recent floods in central Europe, it is clear that much of this stems from human activity. We need to see the bigger picture and become aware of sustainable alternatives to traditional chemical processes.
That is an important mission. What sparked your interest in science?
My godmother, my mother's sister, who is a primary school chemistry and biology teacher, inspired me a lot. I spent a lot of time with her when I was young, and she really brought out the passion for these subjects in me, something I am very grateful for. I also had great mentors-teachers and professors-who reinforced my passion and helped me discover what I loved most. I was very lucky to have that support during my childhood.
That's really inspiring. What do you like to do in your free time outside of work?
Well, as a mother of a toddler, I don't have much free time, but I like to stay active. I do yoga and love swimming when I can. I used to swim competitively when I was younger-it stemmed from my active childhood. I also love running; recently I took part in the Dam tot Damloop, where you run from the centre of Amsterdam to Zaandam, which was really fun. I enjoy listening to all kinds of podcasts on topics such as welfare, politics and history. Currently, I'm even making a podcast with some PhD students for the European network BiocatCodeExpander, where we discuss research, the life of a PhD student, and interviews with scientists.