What were your expectations for the Mentorship Program?

The ISSNAF Mentoring Program is designed to support the career development of young ISSNAF members. It was the first mentoring program I applied to, hoping to connect with an established investigator in the broad field of immunology to discuss transitions across scientific subdisciplines and career stages. This program offered a valuable opportunity to engage with someone outside of my training path and research environment and gain a fresh perspective.

How did this experience impact you?

I greatly benefited from my conversations with Prof. Alex Sette.

Our discussions touched on a wide range of topics including scientific identity, timelines, manuscript writing, lab management, and more. Most importantly, many of the insights I gained inspired me to set both short- and long-term goals, helping me to maintain momentum in my research and build strategies for developing future projects and funding applications.

Why would you recommend the ISSNAF Mentorship Program?

This program offers a unique opportunity for young ISSNAF members to gain insights from experienced researchers: with no set template, it is highly customizable to the specific uncertainties and challenges we face in our day-to-day professional lives.