MICCAI 2021 Daily – Thursday

27 DAILY MICCAI Tell me one of the great things that you discovered in California that you didn’t expect. I found almost everything here that I expected. One advantage that we have are the resources. We have the latest technology. It’s competitive, but it’s easy. You need to write grants, like in Europe. Here, science flows more easily. You can speak with people. If you have an idea, you can find grants. You can find resources to develop this idea. In America, things go easier? Not all the time, you need to work hard. I am lucky now to have found this place. I can only compare it with Spain. Spain is a little bit complex. The ideas there should be super revolutionary to get a grant. It sounds like you are a woman with a lot of dreams. What is your biggest dream? My biggest dream is to go back to Spain. To try to do what I’m doing there, and more. I am going back soon. You are going to fulfill your dream! Not the whole dream but part of the dream. My dream is to learn more about this science and be close to my family. It’s hardbeing inanotherpart of theworld. Where is your family now? In the Canary Islands. Tell us about the Canary Islands. Were you born there? Did you grow up there? I was born there in Tenerife, in a small town. Then I went to university there, University of La Laguna. To finish my Bachelor’s degree, I moved to Madrid for three years. After I finished my Master’s, I went back again to Tenerife. I did my PhD in Tenerife. There, it is nice. You have family and friends. The weather is amazing. The people are super, super smart. I have an idea for you. What if MICCAI 2026 or 2027 were in Tenerife. We are all coming! Alright, I can organize! It is a really great place! I added one more dream to your list! Okay! [ laughs ] How will you convince us to come to MICCAI 2027 in Tenerife? There, we have many things! In Tenerife, we have the Astrophysics Institute. It’s one of the best in Europe. It’s super competitive in physics and engineering. Also, the islands are in a great location because it’s in the middle of America, Europe, and Africa. Your final message to our readers? Everyone needs to be curious! For all women, we still have a gap with women in science. We have the same intelligence, the same abilities that men have, to do whatever you want. And always follow your dreams! Thursday Estefania Hernandez-Martin