Roxana Radu
Roxana Radu
Roxana Radu
MCAA Management
MCAA Romania Chapter Interviews: Connecting Research and Researchers. Episode 2: From Leap of Faith to Green Chemistry and Academic Leadership
Welcome to the second edition of #MCAARomaniaChapterInterviewsConnectingResearchandResearchers - a series dedicated to highlighting the journeys of exceptional scientists, fostering cross-border collaboration, and mapping out the realities of building a sustainable research career. In this episode, we connect with #DrSabrinaPatriciaState, a university lecturer and Grade III researcher whose career perfectly captures the spirit of international mobility, resilience, and academic mentorship. Moving from Spain to Romania, Dr. State shares with sincerity and passion her personal and professional journey—from taking a bold leap of faith into a new research ecosystem to securing a career-boosting #MSCAITNfellowship. She opens up about the realities of navigating academic culture, the power of making unexpected global connections, and the dedication required to overcome institutional hurdles in green nanotechnology.
The conversation centers on four key pillars of a successful research career:
⛳ The Catalyst of Excellence: Dr. State highlights how securing a prestigious MSCA-ITN fellowship at POLITEHNICA Bucharest acted as a definitive career accelerator. The fellowship not only paved the way for her PhD summa cum laude and her current dual roles as a university lecturer and Grade III Researcher at IMT Bucharest, but also provided vital international collaborations.
⛳ To increase research visibility, Dr. State emphasizes active networking through conferences, training schools, and proactive digital outreach. She notes that meaningful global partnerships and "nice stories" are often just a click away through platforms like ResearchGate and direct emails.
⛳ Navigating Academic Culture: Offering advice to early-stage researchers, she stresses the importance of self-worth and emotional resilience. She advises peers to avoid the trap of constant comparison, celebrate others' success, and master the art of responding calmly to tough evaluations or critical feedback.
⛳ Overcoming Institutional Hurdles: Dr. State candidly addresses the demanding administrative and bureaucratic workload embedded in the Romanian research ecosystem. While acknowledging that structural policy changes lie in the hands of lawmakers, she shares her personal strategy for survival: countering overwhelming paperwork with rigorous organization and a deep sense of professional accountability.
Let's dive in. 🏂
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Dr. Roxana Radu: To start, could you give us a high-level overview of your current research focus, and looking back, how has the MSCA fellowship specifically acted as a catalyst for your career trajectory?
Dr. Sabrina Patricia State: The MSCA fellowship clearly boosted my career. I have always been a good student, but I strongly believe that in life you need to be the right person in the right place.
When I moved back from Spain to Romania, a decision made truly for love, it was very hard to enter the research world because I haven’t had any previous contact with it. I really wanted to do a PhD, but I didn’t know how to start. In Spain, before leaving, I gave up a PhD fellowship to come to Romania with nothing in mind. I searched online, and on Euraxess I found a fellowship that I couldn’t believe my eyes, an ITN-Marie Curie fellowship in Chemistry at the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest. Having a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree with honors in Chemistry from the University of Zaragoza, this was the perfect match. I went to the interview with all the emotions in the world, and I want to thank the commission for selecting me among the other candidates, because the competition was strong.
The PhD focused on the electrochemical deposition of metallic alloys involving green electrolytes. Through this fellowship, I had the opportunity to meet amazing researchers and, most importantly, amazing people. We spent a lot of time together during training schools, conferences, and short stays (Jonkoping University, Sweeden and TU Delft, The Netherlands), and we became good collaborators and friends.
The Marie Curie fellowship opened the gate to new opportunities and new collaborations. After finishing my PhD, with Summa cum laude, I noticed that having received this fellowship contributed to obtaining a position as a lecturer at the Faculty of Medical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest. Now I have my own course in Materials Science, with more than 200 students. Also, I’m currently a researcher (Grade III) at the National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnology-IMT Bucharest. My research is based on the experience gained during the PhD. I’m focusing on nanomaterial synthesis from green electrolytes, namely deep eutectic solvents, with biomedical applications.
I think this fellowship represents a label of excellence and defines you as a good researcher while giving recognition to your work.
Dr. Roxana Radu: Your work has clearly made an impact in your field. Looking back, what specific strategies have you found most effective for increasing the visibility of your research, and how can we leverage our collective expertise to identify new collaboration opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed?
Dr. Sabrina Patricia State: Publish your work, participate in conferences, meet people, and try to create new connections. The research world is small, and only a few people work in each field, so it can be difficult to meet researchers working in complementary areas. But I think participating in conferences and training activities is one of the best ways to do it.
However, you may be surprised to find that researchers are often willing to collaborate even through emails. When I was trying to find partners to write a proposal and needed someone from a specific field, searching on ResearchGate was a big help. There, I found researchers’ work and then reached out to them by email. I was very surprised to see them accept the collaboration and build new partnerships this way.
Nice stories can be just one click away
Dr. Roxana Radu: What are the top 'tips and tricks' or unconventional pieces of advice you would pass on to early-stage researchers to help them navigate the transition from being a student to a peer in the professional network?
Dr. Sabrina Patricia State: Some advice, I think it is hard to give. Everyone has their own path, and I think you should stop comparing yourself and your work with others. Competitiveness is good, but I think it is important to be happy for other people’s success and not frustrated.
Evaluation may be tough, and you will find people who disagree with you. I think it is important to learn the art of answering calmly and being less reactive when someone attacks your work. No one is perfect, and I don’t think we even have to try to be.
Dr. Roxana Radu: Every researcher faces institutional or ecosystem-wide hurdles. Based on the difficulties you’ve confronted—whether in funding, administration, or policy—what is one viable solution you would propose to stakeholders to fundamentally improve the research environment for everyone involved?
Dr. Sabrina Patricia State: That is very tricky. Researchers, professors and so on, if they are highly educated it doesn’t mean they are good managers or good people. In this field you can find people who may try to make you feel less. I think it is important to remind yourself that just because you have reached this stage, you are great.
Applying for proposals and dealing with all the administrative parts can be frustrating and overwhelming. I was feeling very bad reading the comments of reviewers about my publications and the comments of evaluators regarding my proposals. But I am trying to improve from the feedback. In the end, after applying all the reviewers’ comments, you see that the paper has improved.
The administrative workload is incredibly demanding; the regulatory environment in Romania requires meticulous and continuous documentation at every stage. I think this is something that definitely should be improved. Unfortunately, this depends less on our efforts as researchers and more on administrative procedures and legal frameworks. I think the solution is to avoid postponing the paperwork and try to be more organized. While administrative tasks aren't my primary strength, my strong sense of responsibility ensures I always deliver and get the job done.
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