Emma describes the process of finding a postdoc as “a bit like a matchmaking process”, with a little bit of good luck and timing added into the mix.
Whilst the three labs of interest to her at Max Plank didn’t have any postdoc positions advertised, Emma took the time to approach each one and express her interest in future opportunities; by contacting the labs a year before finishing her PhD, she was able to secure her preferred postdoctoral position.
Arriving in Germany and not speaking the language presented some challenges, although with more than 50 per cent of Germans speaking English, the biggest adjustment turned out to be getting used to most things being closed on a Sunday.
Emma said coming from Melbourne, it was a culture shock to find virtually everything was closed on a Sunday. “It’s now a day that I treasure,” she explains. “Sundays are about relaxing and recharging.”
Not long after joining Max Plank, Emma was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, among the most prestigious and generous awards in Germany. It’s something which was a great source of pride, to secure funding for her research independently.
Emma’s current research is focussed on understanding the various roles blood vessels play in the bone. Changes in the blood vessels, and the endothelial cells that line them, can lead to impaired haematopoiesis (defective bone formation). She is working to understand the role of different transcription factors in bone endothelial cells using techniques including single cell RNA-sequencing, confocal microscopy and flow cytometry.
Having identified some candidate regulators of bone endothelial cells, this year her research will focus on understanding exactly how blood vessels interact with the bone environment.
