Martina Catani

Meet Martina Catani

I believe that becoming a leader in the scientific community is increasingly challenging. Indeed, being an excellent scientist will not be enough. Scientific excellence must be combined with a broad range of skills that are difficult to teach theoretically but can be developed through practical experiences and opportunities throughout one's career.

Firstly, I observe that scientific challenges are becoming progressively more interdisciplinary. Given the central role and versatility of analytical chemistry, it is crucial for young scientists to cultivate interests across different fields. For instance, in the realm of omics sciences, researchers working on metabolomics and proteomics approaches need to integrate their knowledge of separation science and analytical chemistry with medical and biological skills as well as bioinformatics. It can be also envisaged that the integration of artificial intelligence into these disciplines will play a significant role in the future. To boost the confidence of young scientists in cross-disciplinary approaches, I believe that it is essential to stimulate interdisciplinary collaborations and to actively involve young scientists from the beginning of their career in research meetings with both academic and industrial partners. This exposure will allow them to grasp the complexity of modern science.

Another key point, in my opinion, is that one of the most important skills for leaders is the ability to communicate effectively with people. Since teams are composed of individuals with different mindsets, cultures and aptitudes, the development of good communication skills is fundamental to create a stimulating and productive work environment. Moreover, given the growing role of universities in the context of knowledge society and technological transfer, future leaders must also develop their communication skills to effectively engage a non-academic audience.

Finally, from the practical point of view, I strongly recommend that young scientists undertake a research period abroad. The possibility of working in a different environment and interacting with people from diverse cultural backgrounds is fundamental to develop many of the soft skills mentioned above.