Women in Science: M. Daniela Angione

When did you realise that you wanted to pursue a career in a science and technology field? What were your motivations to make this decision?
A career in science happened very naturally for me following my curiosity into understanding mechanisms of phenomena happening in the natural and technological world. Since I was 10 years old, I started reading the Scientific American and I still have an extensive collection at home of scientific journals. 

Give an overview of your professional path.
I obtained a master’s in chemistry (2007) and PhD in Chemistry of Materials (2011) from the University of Bari (Italy). I then moved to the University of Manchester (UK) for a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, and subsequently moved to Trinity College Dublin, as the recipient of the Technology Development Innovation Award (TIDA). I joined Adama Innovations in October 2018 as Strategic R&D Manager.

Provide a short overview of your job. What are your main responsibilities?
In Adama I am firstly responsible for the all the tasks related to the FLOIM project, including process development and managerial activities. I am also responsible of strategically driving the company’s activities into new profitable directions, by attracting funding and developing new capabilities.

What do you find the most rewarding in your job? What do you find the most challenging in your job?
What I love about my job is that never two days are the same, there is no time to get bored since the activities I am in charge of are very diverse and I face new challenges every day. The frustrating side of my day is when I need to deal with delays or sometimes with overburdened bureaucracy, but I am getting better at it. 

What is your role within the FLOIM project? How do you expect your work in FLOIM project to contribute to your career development?
Within FLOIM I am responsible for driving the research activities related to Tooling Technologies, specifically nano-patterning of mould inserts for developing optical gratings. I think working for FLOIM is exposing me to several new challenges related to processes developed for end users, and I hope it will increase my understanding of industrial manufacturing needs.

What would you advice to girl students that want to pursue a career in a science and technology field?
I would say to all young women to be resilient and passionate in following their ambition of a career in science. It is not an easy career path, but it can be very rewarding and inspiring, and you can make a big impact in the word.