Julia Fernandez-Rodriguez (University of Gothenburg)

Episode Transcript
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Intro/Outro (00:01):
Welcome to The Microscopists, a bite sized bio
podcast hosted by Peter O'Toole,sponsored by Zeiss Microscopy.
Today on the Microscopists

Peter O'Toole (00:14):
Today on the Microscopists, I'm joined by
Julia Fernandez Rodriguez fromGothenburg. And she talks about
how CTLS, core technologies forlife sciences, brings together
multimodal technologies totackle shared problems.

Julia Fernandez (00:27):
Core technologies for life science,
that that was a, crosstechnology. It it is not one
techno. It's not only imagingpeople. I love you guys.

How she thrives on multitasking.

I was already multitasking at that time, but
probably the psychologist didn'tknow anything about multitasking
at that time. And that's wherethey thought that I will be very
unfocused and that's really makeit difficult for me to go ahead
and to focus in on something.Say, okay. That's interesting to
know. But, that was me.

And those wild science parties.

We we were doing quite crazy things and
talking about the army and,like, you know, party and then
science, party, science.

All in this episode of The Microscopists.
Hello, and welcome to TheMicroscopist. Today, I'm joined
by Julia Fernandez fromGothenburg in Sweden. Julia, how
are you today?

I'm doing really, really well. Just as all
the Swedish do, I had to talkabout the weather, and it's bad
weather today. We have rainingand windy, and it's dark. But
for the rest, I feel okay.

Yeah. What what you're telling me it's dark in
Sweden, and we're recording thisin winter. You do surprise me.

Did you wanna switch off the light? Then you
will see her

at the It's dark.

Because right now I'm in the office of my
boyfriend and he have a huge, alot of light. But if I remove
this light, you will see thedifference. Anyway, yes. That's
the way. It's in wintertime.
Then next time, we have tochoose summertime.

Oh, then we could do it at 3 AM in the morning,
and it was

Oh, yeah. And you will get surprised for the
amount of light you will have inthat case. I will not actually,
I will have the sunshine comingbecause this is the east, and it
will be a bit problematic. JuliaYeah? You are not Swedish.

Really?

I thought that after 25 years in this country,
I was, but, maybe not. No. I amnot Swedish. I'm Spanish.

So when did you move to Sweden?

Let's it was actually in 2 steps. The first
step was in 97. I mean, I justfinished my PhD in 96. I did
that first small post doc in inSpain, and then I decide I have
to change. And I have 2, 2 pos 2possibilities.
1 to go to New York, and theother one to Gotham. And I

(03:03):
choose Gothenburg.

So why did you choose Gothenburg?

When I start to look at, Sweden versus the
states, definitely, I think Ifeel more European than
American, and this is absolutelya women friendly country, where
I thought that I probably willgo ahead, much better than if in
United States. Of course, it'scompetitive in a different way

(03:32):
compared to states, and Ithought that it was exotic to go
to come to Scandinavia. When Iwas here, I I have to admit
because, you know, I grew up inVenezuela in a tropical country.
Yep. Okay.
Yeah. Yeah. I I all my life, Ihave been traveling all over the
world. My parents moved toVenezuela when I was very tiny,

(03:54):
6 month old.

We we were you born in Spain and then went to
Venezuela?

Yes. I born in Spain, in Galicia Northwest, and
then my parents moved. I mean,Galicia was one of the most poor
areas of Spain where you have toimmigrate to to go somewhere.
And at that moment, to go toAmerica was the the best the
best, especially countries thatspeak the same language, and
that was Venezuela. Super richwith a lot of petrol and a

(04:19):
fantastic country.
Let's put it in that way. Yes, Igrew up in a tropical country.
That means I did not enjoy somuch snow or anything like that.
In the way that when I arrivedthis country, I was like a small
kid when I was snowing or I wasenjoying everything. My
colleagues, Swedish colleagues,they were shocked, absolutely

(04:40):
shocked.
Say, how she can enjoy that? Imean, it's it's it's raining or
it's snowing or it's dark orit's light. I mean, one of the
first time as you say, at 3o'clock in the morning, you open
the window and say, what? It's 3o'clock and it's sunshine? Then,
and and the summer is beautiful,of course, in in Sweden.

(05:01):
Then for me, it was actuallyyeah. And at that moment,
actually, I was married with aSpanish guy. And I thought that,
well, Europe is closer. Yeah.But, you know, when the ladies
decide to go ahead and dothings, well, some gentlemen
that do not understand.
And in the end, we divorce. Imean, it was it was, personally,

(05:25):
was quite threatening, andthat's why I say I did in 2
steps because I came back toSpain. I went to Spain, and when
I was there, just before weleft, my my boss here in Sweden,
Gunnar Hansen, he he told methat we we why we not write for
a Marie Curie grant for apostdoc, Marie Curie. And I told

(05:45):
him, why not? Okay.
Let's do it. Then I did, butthen I left because I didn't
feel well due to the divorce.And, and when I was in Spain, I
got to know that I got afellowship. And that was, I
think, the big change in mylife, actually. And I really,
really thankful to the EuropeanCommission to give me that

(06:08):
fellowship because that make abig change.
It will have been more difficultin Spain and more complicated to
do things. But to get thatfellowship allow me to come back
in 99 to Sweden Yep. With muchbetter position. Swedish Sweden
was the first country that madethat fellowship a contract, And
then I have a contract. It wasmy first contract after 33

(06:32):
years.
It took very long time before Ijust have fellowships and
fellowships and fellowships.United States and maybe, you
know, my my boss, Gunnar, hetold me, actually, when I
arrived, I don't know, I toldhim that you might be a wizard
because he told me, you are notgoing to leave Surya. You are

(06:53):
going to stay here. I'm quitesure of that. And, of course, at
that moment, I was stillmarried.
I said, what this man is talkingabout? Anyway, I managed to to
get a fellowship to stay and tostay and to stay, and I'm here.
He's right. At least for themoment, he's right. And that's
quite many years now.
I mean, 23 years, 24 years. Andthen I went there for a post

(07:16):
doc. I came here for a post doc,and I don't regret it to have
chosen Sweden.

But you're no longer post doc took another
another step, didn't it? So stepchanging direction.

Yes. I did. And when I finish, when I finish the
post the post doc, let's put itin this way, the Marie Curie, at
least the the the time in theMarie was, it was a discussion
as well that I had with my boss,and and and Gunnar told me,
well, there there are a coupleof possibilities. One of them is

(07:53):
that I will help you, try tocreate your own pathway as a PI.
And there is a the timing youare in is still in good timing
to apply the the first, grants,for people, for juniors, how to
speak.

Mhmm.

And I was almost in the limit. I mean, I I
I did it in 90 6. It's quite a

long time now. Long time. Too long time.

And it was, at the same time, the facility. I
mean, you know, it was thefamous era after the
postgenomic, you know, that theall the core facilities started
everywhere, included in Sweden.And there was a big foundation,
a private foundation, KwanWallenberg Foundation that have

(08:45):
gained money to, a consortiumfor different universities,
including Gothenburg Universityto create the core facilities in
the southwest area of Sweden,means Gothenburg and Loo. And
our facility, the imagingfacility, that's the one I have
here, Center For CellularImaging. We started actually

(09:05):
around 2002, and the projectstarted in 2,000.
And and we have to run for 5years getting money from this
private foundation, buyinstruments, pay people. And
after that, it has to be overtake over by the universities.
And then they told me, well,there is this possibility as
well where you could actuallywork in this facility, and the

(09:26):
person will run this facility isthis, group leader in the EMBL
called Tommy Nielsen that he wasgoing to come back to Sweden. He
is Swedish, and he was comingback after 18 years, come back
to his country. I mean, he hadbeen around the world doing his
PhD on things more than inSweden.
He still are now in Montreal,but never mind. And, he's

(09:50):
recruiting people. He want tohave 2 people. He wants to have
a physicist and a cell biologistto work in the facility. You can
apply that one.
Then I just look at thepossibilities, and I thought,
okay. This sounds good. I mean,my my postdoc was started with a
lot of molecular biology andcell biology, and I felt really,
really comfy on the cell biologypart and look it in the

(10:14):
microscope, explain in themicroscope. By the way, when I
was very tiny, I already got amicroscope.

So what was your first microscope then?

Oh, well, it was a tiny microscope. It was,
actually, it was the chemistrykit. I don't know why they had
the microscope, but there wasthe chemistry kit because I want
to be into the STEM and thescience, biology. That was
something that I loved. I wantto always be a biologist.
This was under the definitelywhat I want to do. And then I

(10:45):
asked my parents that I want tohave some something. I thought
that with of course, it was verydifficult to get light in that
little microscope to to seesomething, but definitely was
amazing. I mean, I did not havethe the lag that some kids have
now that, like, you do in yourfacilities or we do as well that
we left the kids to get in andplaying with these machines. Now

(11:07):
we did I didn't have that, but,I thought that this is what I
want to do.
And and I have to admit thatactually I want to be a marine
biology, not fundamentalbiology.

Okay.

Yeah. But in Spain, in Galicia where I was in
the universities, I did thecareer. The marine biology was
not defined in the way I likeit, and you have to do, like, a
zoology. And I love Sweden, andprobably Linnea was a great
person, but, you know, all thiscatalog of animals and plants, I

(11:44):
found that extremely boring togo through. And I say, okay.
No. I'm not going to do that.And and then, okay, the other
choice was fundamental biology.Then biochemistry was what I
found. Yeah.
Biochemistry and micro andmicrobiology. Birology. Virus
are as amazing creatures. I loveit. And I want to try.

(12:05):
I tried to. I try to do a PhDthere, but, in the end,
actually, I choose biochemistry,and this is what I did. And and
and not neither not to have donemarine biology, but sometimes I
remember that I actually want tobe more and it's not because of
Jacuzzo. Even so, I love him. Ithought that he was wonderful

(12:28):
and see him and water and allthese things that they created.
But, yeah, I mean, I think,after I start with fundamental
biology, more biochemistry, theproblem was always one of the
people was asking me, what doyou study? Biology. Oh, oh, is
that with the plants andanimals? And it was a bit
annoying as well. I mean, I hadto explain, no.

(12:49):
I do molecular biology and thisand this. And it was very
difficult that people understoodexactly

I think it is harder conceptually.

Yes.

I think I I I I a good way to think about this, if
you're in the back of a taxi andthe taxi driver asked you, well,
what do you do? It's never theeasiest answer in the world.
Even saying, well, I'm amicroscopist, and they look at
you thinking what you play withmicroscopes. And you you go back
to the the microscope you had athome or the microscope you had

(13:19):
at school, no comprehension.These are 1,000,000 pound
instruments and what you can dowith them.
And it's not just that as yousay, you're a biochemist. It's a
biophysics tool as well. Theyreally can watch the dynamics of
real time events inside livingcells. And it's very hard to
describe to a layperson, thecomplexity of what you're

(13:40):
looking at in an easy way tocomprehend because you know, not
many people go beyond what acell is.

But we actually play with microscopes, people.
We actually do that. I mean, ina way, we do that, and we love
it. And, of course, we play in aspecial way, but we actually we
actually do it. And, yes, it isnot so easy to explain.
I guess, I just decide to sayscientist. And and then, of
course, when other people lookat me and say, no. You don't

(14:07):
look like a scientist. And thenI say, okay. How a scientist
have to look like?
And I said, you look more like adesigner. I say, okay. I I
always take that as a complimentbecause because, you know, I
like jewelry and things andthat. I say you no. But I say
you don't look like scientists.
And then I always wonder, whatthe people think about

(14:29):
scientists will look like. Noone answered me that question.
Maybe they don't dare to answerme that question.

Maybe at the next Elmi meeting, we should all take
lab coats and go out for anevening meal wearing lab coats
so we look like scientists.

And, yes, I mean, we have to have, this kind
of but, you know, the smokingand steaming that they always
coming from the labs. I mean,they always think that we're
mixing things. It's like witchesand wizards and sitting there
trying in a way, maybe we are. Imean, but, definitely, no. Never

(15:04):
mind.
It's it's it was quiteinteresting when other people
doesn't, and then I sayscientists, and they and they if
I say that I study in cancer, Imean, or cancer, and then, oh,
wow. They sort of get that. Theythey don't need to explain them
much more much more than that.And, I don't have to tell them
that maybe I don't work incancer, but I actually use

(15:25):
cancer cells to to the tools toworking in the microscope. So I
don't have to yeah.
Never mind.

I'm just gonna take you back a step. And you
said how people say, oh, Ithought you were designer or
something like that. And if Idare say, you do dress more
flamboyantly than manyscientists that are quite
conservative. And I noticedtoday you're wearing a ring on
your left hand, I think. Yeah.

I do.

I did wonder if that was a watch. It's so big.
You can you can actually make ita watch face on it.

Yeah. Well, yeah, I actually was watching
was wearing a lot of watchesbefore, but now for some reason,
I don't know why. I feel always,annoying to have something in
the in the wrist, and I don'thave it. Just only the rings and
the earrings. And I need to wearit.
I promise you. If I don't do it,I feel naked. Literally. It's

(16:20):
like you will see that me if I'mjust touching. It's like, oh,
it's not the it's weird.
When I wake up in the morning, Ithink about what I mean, the
clothes I want to have, and whatdid go with the clothes. And it
it is, it is not a ritual that Isit in there watching what okay.
This and this, but it's sort ofthat I need to think about all

(16:41):
that, and it's it's part of me.I mean, and I think I hear
sometimes some people, oh, thislook fantastic in you. I will
never wear it, but it lookedvery nice.
I think it it fit withpersonality. I think everybody
will fit nice with thingsbecause when I see people that
are so grateful and smart andand you just wanted to do
something too, you can do betterthan that, It's superior to me.

(17:03):
I don't do anything. I don'ttell people. I'm trying to be
educated, but, definitelysometimes.
Yeah. I know that I do, and Ihave done always. I remember
when I was going to the facultyin biology, of course, reminding
all my colleagues' biology withthe, like, hippies or a bit
more, and I was more posh. Andwith car, I mean, it was just

(17:28):
like, okay. That was too much.
Or it, it was always a littlebit different, how to speak.
Yeah. But what to do is that'sthat's me.

So so staying on the the arts to a side of the
silence. The other you sent mesome pictures. I don't think I
have a single picture of youdancing. And yet you are a very
good dancer.

Normally, I don't take pictures of me when
I'm dancing. That's the problem.Yeah. I know. I know.
Actually, you are right where Iwas thinking about that. But
when I was given the pictures, Iwas in the train to Stockholm,
and I did not have too manythere. But, yes. That's right. I
I need some of them, but, youjust say, I like dancing.

(18:18):
I I love dancing. Even so thatthe when I started ballet many,
many, many years ago, I think Iwas too tall and then when you
are too tall, you look weirdreally weird compared to other
nice tiny girls. We were 5 to 6years old. And then I probably
looked weird compared to therest, and my then our

(18:38):
instructor, dancer, or trainer,whatever you want to call it,
but she was she wasn't a badperson. She was a bad person.
Dude, you don't tell a 5 yearsold girl that you you are not
good. You are not going todance. She told me that. I mean,
delivered. Yes.
Did she inspire

you to dance better?

Yeah. Maybe maybe that was, a but I have to
admit if someone is telling me,you are not able to do that or
you would or this no, that'sencouraging me to say, okay,
guys. You are going to see thatI will be able to do it.

So I'm I'm gonna go back now and defend your
teacher. Was your teacher a badteacher, or did you know how to
I I know you're not at the ageof 5. You couldn't do that,

but No.

No. Good good for someone like yourself. It's a
good trigger to get the best outof you. I've certainly had
teachers who told me I wasuseless, and I'm sure they knew
I would just rise to thecompetition Yeah. Because they
knew I was competitive.

Yeah. I mean, yes. I I think it did not the
problem is that, I I think Ihave a strong character and
personality. And even when I wasa kid, I always knew what I
want. Very clear.
If I compare to other kids,sometimes I was looking then
like, what the hell is going onwith these guys? I mean, and

(19:52):
other kids that they just crybecause I I was lucky in many
things. I mean, my I grew upwith my in Venezuela, and my
parents was close, but I wasliving with my uncle and aunt
that they did not have kids. Myparents have 3 small kids, and
then it was too much for them towork and to take. And then I was
living with my uncle uncle and Idid forever.

(20:15):
For me, it was like my parents.I love them, and they passed
away some years ago. And for me,it was horrible. But they
allowed me to be or helped me tobe who I am now. They gave me
all the freedom and and and andpay my career and everything to
where I am now.
But, yeah, definitely, I could,use this that they tell me you

(20:39):
are not doing well or you arenot good enough or whatever to
not, oh my gosh, depressed anddoing nothing of the other way
around. Okay? I will prove youone day that you have. Well, I
go the I don't know. Maybe youare too young.
You are too young. But when Iwas, they was doing certain
stupid things, at least inVenezuela and also they did in

(21:03):
Spain that they do thesepsychological tests to the kids.
When you are a small kid, theydo some kind of psychology test,
you know, you you have to docertain things, and then the
psychology will look at and tellyour parents what they think
about you. Well, they told themthat I will never make it to the
university.

To Julia, you have no idea how similar your
story is.

Oh, they told them that I will not make it. I
mean, I'm the first one in theuniversity from my family.
That's right. And go all theway, the only one could PhD,
but, they told that. And I Iremember that when they told
that to my parents.
And and for me, it was just likeif someone say something, but, I

(21:49):
I have never forgot because Ialways remember this, but, it
didn't bother me, and I saw,okay. I go, and you know why
they told that? Yeah. I mean, Irealized that I'm like that. I
cannot prove.
They thought that I was a veryunfocused person. You know, I
lie I'm talkative. I'm talkingto you, and I'm looking this,
and I check-in the paper that Ineed to do that. I take my

(22:11):
coffee. I'm thinking about thatafter this interview, I need to
do this and this at the sametime that I'm talking to you.
And for them, it was like I wasnot focused. And that's right. I
will have, sometimes I haveprobably people have that
feeling when they look at me,but the reality is that not it's

(22:32):
not true. I actually realizewhat is going on around me. I'm
very much getting the details.
I finish my task, my homework,and everything even if I'm
talking and I'm doing 2 or 3things at the same time. I was
already multitasking at thattime, but probably the
psychologists didn't knowanything about multitasking at
that time, and that's where theythought that I will be very

(22:55):
unfocused and that will make itdifficult for me to go ahead and
to focusing in something. Say,okay. That's interesting to
know. But, that was me.

That's a so give me that so my mom listens to
these podcasts. Let's say, oh,actually she watches them. She
doesn't think she watches them.And what you just said,
actually, she was told myparents were told when I was in
the primary school, middleprimary school. The final
summary was, well, it's likethis, you know, he won't be
going to university.

(23:26):
You know, no chance. And I Iwent up to high school in the
bottom set. In the bottom,bottom set. But that's what I I
kind of needed that. To to tolook around and go, actually, I
didn't feel as though I was notbright or not clever or not
intellectual.
I just didn't I didn't focus.And then I guess looking around,

(23:47):
I decided to focus and makegetting good results my game, my
competition. And then accelerateup and then then took my foot
off the gas again at some point,and then put it back on again.
So I've got to ask, you'veexcelled at microscopy and in
the core facility, which we'llcome to in a bit. So who told

(24:08):
you you were rubbish atmicroscopies, microscopy and
you'll never make amicroscopist?
Because here you are as a topmicroscopist.

No. I I don't know if someone actually
actually told me that. I don'tthink they dare. At some point,
I think I don't think I don'tthink my character and my
foreword, they're there anymoreto tell me you are ravishing
microscopy. You don't do it verywell in microscopy.

(24:35):
Actually, no. I think there, ithaving the other way around. I,
of course, I did a lot of I wasdoing a lot, microscopy already
on my post doc. I was the onlyone really working in a
confocal. I have to learn how towork in a confocal, Literally,
they they they the way they did,it was it was less than an hour

(24:58):
training.
I think it was half an hour,maybe. Mhmm. Where they just
show me you have to go to thekey. It was a Leica NT, very,
very old. Still with argonlasers and crystal argon lasers
and the stuff.
No sequential whatsoever. Theonly sequential was literally
switching off the laser. Istarted in the postdoc. I I and

(25:24):
then after started in thefacility, of course, at that
moment, you know, there was notmany training courses for
anything. We have to learn it bydoing it and make trials and
errors until you know what to door not to do.
Tomine also actually gave me thepossibility, and he's a real

(25:46):
cell biologist. And he's a cellbiologist that did a lot of lie
and electron microscopy, bothbecause, obviously, each as a
cell bio cell biologist workingin the secretory pathway, you
need to see vesicles that are 50nanometers, and you cannot do
that with, at least not before,with the microscopes that we
have. On line microscopy, youhave to go to EM. And he was the

(26:08):
one allowing me as well to enterin the world of the electron
microscopy, and I started to doboth light and electron
microscopy. And he was verysurprised of my hands because I
think I'm quite good doing thesethings.
And there was the same withexperiments. When I came to
Sweden, my English still is notfantastic now, but at that
moment was 0 as any goodSpanish. I think the new

(26:32):
generation is such much betternow in Spain with English. But
in my generation, we were 0 inEnglish. They thought, okay.
This post doc doesn't speakEnglish, come from Spain. They
thought that Spain was the thirdworld. You know? Africa, close
to Africa. Yeah.
More or less like that. And andsuddenly, when I start to do

(26:53):
experiments because, of course,for doing experiments, you don't
need to talk and you don't needyou're just prepared. They were
amazed with the results. Then II think enhanced and quite good
and then microscopy as well. II'm perfectionist.
I like colors. I like, to findthings, to discover things, and
I think the microscopy gave methe possibility to see and

(27:14):
discover these things that youdon't see when you do molecular
biology. That is so boring justto get them banned some things
in a gel. But, no. I think thereactually I got compliments more
than you are terriblemicroscopies.

I I I was teasing, Julia.

I know. I know. But I love it that. I know you.
I know you.
But, that was a good question aswell because I actually asked me
to think, did I get that? I gotsome ties. Yes. Of course, you
probably get some ties whenother people, some user tells
you that the you don't know whatyou're doing and it's, actually
the sample or the microscope isnot working fine and things like

(27:52):
this. But

But

No. I think the microscope, microscopy, I didn't
get the same thing as not goingto the university. That was a
bit too much.

I I'm gonna, switch it. You said your passion
for marine biology as an infant,and you sent me some pictures.
And this has nothing to do withyour studies.

Oh, wow. Yeah. No. Sense me. Oh, you look
fantastic in that background.

I the well, this is my new hairdo. Do you like
it? Yeah. You are in the middleof the crayfish. They're all
these crayfish.
Is it a paella or something?

Well, yes. Well, I will not call paella.

Your own dish or did you go out and eat this?
Sorry? Is it your own cooking oris it something Yeah.

It's my own cooking. This is part of my
hobbies. I mean, I love it. Ilove to cook. I think it's like
Yeah.
So Well, that's not my cooking.That's France.

That's not France. So many pictures of food
and I'm sorry. Drink. So many ofthem.

I know. I I

think and, actually, I I, obviously, I I
see you on Facebook as well.It's quite obvious you have a
passion for food and cooking andeating out.

Eating. I I like good food. Let's put it in
this way. And when I moved tothat's what I'm going to tell
you. I forgot.
My uncle and my aunt, they werecooks. They're chefs. They knew
how to cook. And and when I I Ilearned how to eat anything
since I was a tiny baby. I waseating anything, you know.

(29:25):
Normally babies, they want onlysausage and fried potatoes and
things. No, I have verysophisticated food all the time.
My palate was, very from theearly on and this to the the
good food, and I grow up withthat, with people growing with
good food, always thinking aswell, what kind of nutrients you

(29:47):
have in the food, and if whatyou get during the week, that is
balanced. I mean, I remembereven when I was in the
university in Spain, I was Ihave a car and I was coming home
to eat home. I mean, it was veryseldom that I was eating the
disgusting food that you get inthe faculties.
I was going home to do that. Butsaying so, because, I was a very

(30:11):
good student and very focused onthat. Even so, did someone else
say I was not going to do it andnot focus. I was. My uncle and
my aunt, they always told meyour job is to study and to
finish, and I was never cooking.
I promise you. I where now, whenthey pass away, I I feel really
bad sometimes that I could notget some of the recipes they did

(30:34):
and things that I have to comeup just remember. But remember
the smell and the taste, I triedto mimic what they did. But when
I moved to Sweden and and I say,okay, I have to cook. I have to
do the things.
In the beginning, many times, Iwas calling home. How do you do
this? What do they need in this?Slowly, they lose memory and

(30:57):
things. I could not do thatanymore.
And and then, I start to enter II I don't like to cook every
day. Let's put it this way. Butweekend, I mean and I love to go
in the Saturday to go and andbuy the food in the small in the
small, market, where people knowme now. The fruit here, the

(31:19):
vegetables there, the fish.Like, I was in Spain.
Unfortunately, I don't have thesame resources in many ways here
in in Gothenburg compared to ifI was in any other city in
Spain, but I have found theplaces where I can find the what
you have behind, I just wantedto say, I will not call paella.
Actually, paella is the is thepan. I guess you know that.

(31:45):
Okay. Now the dish is the pan.
And and just that the Balenciyanpeople doesn't get annoying with
me because they will say that'snot a paella. This is rice with
seafood. That's right. But, yes,you can say that is a paella
because that's the pan and, withrice and a lot of fish and
seafood and some vegetables.

And I I think you'll now use this as one of
your Zoom backdrops because itis a very good backdrop with
your head bang in the middle ofall these crayfish coming out of
you.

You you look fantastic. You have to have that
background.

So you we socialize. So you sent me this
other picture, which I need toget out the race side. Again,
glasses of wine. This time,white instead of red. So over on
the far side, I presume is yourpartner?

Yes. This is Martin. And as you see, first we
show food, now we show wine.This is actually a fiesta of the
wine in in in Spain, in Galicia.As you see is a white wine.
We have fantastic white wines inGalicia. I mean, Galicia is in
the northwest coast, so Spain,just above Portugal. And then, I

(32:54):
mean now with the climatechange, probably we will change
as well. The time, but the whitewine having always the best,
call, the one we are got now iscalled El Rosal. And this is a
small, tiny town that is justclose to a river called Minho,
and Minho is a river thatseparate the Galicia from

(33:17):
Portugal.
And we are just from that cityalmost, we can see Portugal in
the other side, and we arereally in close to, close to
also the ocean of the Atlantic.It's not really far away from
that, where it give a veryspecial micro climb. We talk
about the micro climb in York.Well, here, they also have it

(33:37):
with the slopes where all thegrapes come sitting there, and
then they give a special taste,to the wine as well for having
river and ocean coming. And,yes, and then with my best
friends, Antonio and Maria Jose,that, yeah, that are also
enjoying well, I guess that'swhy we are really good friends,
and I have all the group offriends as well I have that we

(34:00):
have.
And we go to that fiesta. It'saround 15th July. It's always
every year, and we go alwaysthere. Why we like it is not
only for the wine. In that one,I didn't dare to give you the
other one where we have, Ithink, 7 10 bottles of wine.
Well, we're not we were not 5.We were not 4. We were 8 people,

(34:22):
but never mind. You come by thebottles and and there is a
small, I don't know how you callit, cottage or small houses
where where they they they theyshow their wines, each cellar,
and then you can buy the thebottles and drink it. And this
one, it's not too big not toobig town.
It's very small, and and that'svery convenient because if you

(34:45):
go to the big ones, they becomea bit too tourist. This one is
not. It's more the people fromthe village and from surround
this and and become less crowdedand more, more like a village
fiesta than than a city. I loveit.

The, food food and the seafood especially
reminds me of where I first metyou. And I bet you can't
remember where we first met.

Okay. That's interesting.

The first time we met was Elmi in Gothenburg.

That's right.

Organized by

you were going to tell me another place. I say,
it has to be Gothenburg.

No. No. It was back at Elmi, which was in 2,000
and

4. 2,004. And,

see, actually, if you so is it so there's no food
you do not like. Would I beright in saying that?

Snails.

Snails. Okay.

But I have phobia from them. I can't just
not that's the only thing, And Iprobably regret it all my life,
but I cannot try becauseprobably they are very tasty. I
mean, in France and in Spain, weare quite good in preparing
them, but, it's superior. I cando that. I cannot even think

(36:01):
about to take the snail out andeat it.
I will just die before. That'sthe only thing so far.

Like, snails?

Snakes.

The one thing that I really don't like is
shellfish.

You don't like shellfish? No. My gosh.

I know. And now can you remind us where we went,
for the banquet dinner? The itgot them at Elmy.

Oh, that's right. But I have to say, and I
love her very much. That was adecision of Maria and Tommy
Nielsen. I was I said

you're not giving the 2 words.

Absolutely. I did not actually decide. At that
moment, we have, Maria meet 2different, she have to deal with
the Elmi, and I have to dealwith the facility because we
started the facility fromscratch. I know where every
machine is connected in myfacility because we started
exactly at that time. I mean,2003, 2004.

(37:01):
Okay. But that's good to know.

And I and in fact, I wasn't the only one that
didn't like it. I did anotherpodcast recently, and and he
said, oh, and I went to thisconference. Now where was it? I
said, I remember it. There wasonly 1 spin, thin, small piece
of bread that we could eat.
I didn't eat

Okay. Yeah. That was, yeah. Yeah.

I tell you what, I was the best mate of so many
people who wanted moreshellfish. So he's like, oh, can
we have something? They werejust it was a lovely location,
though, but but that was thefirst time that I think the
best.

Yeah. That's right. Because that's the West
Coast. I mean, obviously, I Ilove to be, I always said, of
course, if I move to one countryor to one place to another, it
have to be close to the sea. Thesea has to be somewhere.
West Coast is an ice coast. Ofcourse, a lot of seafood in in
Gothenburg. Not as much as inGalicia. I mean, Galicia is

(38:00):
crazy for that, but that's nogood to know. If I make a party
in Galicia, I don't worrybecause we also have one of the
best meats of the world.
Then, we we we can we cancompensate this equally.

And thinking of Elmi, I don't know where this
picture was taken, but it couldeasily have been Elmi. You sent
me a picture of you

Oh, yes.

And Kurt. Yes. So Kurt Andersen has also been a
guest on the the MyPostbusiness.

Love. That's what in the in, in Finland.

Oh, so it's a recent

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a recently one.
Yes.
Because actually for quite onelong time, Kurt Levas in the
Elms and, you know, he was notcoming to many. And I think that
was one of the first ones afterhe came back again to, to the
facilities with more focusing.

You have the heart behind you lit up in neon
lights. And I'm looking at youreyes. I'm looking at his eyes.
And if I was your partnerwatching this, I'd be saying,
what's going on? Because look atthat look.

It's love. I mean, we have it was a bit weird
thing all over the place, thelove. I don't know. They they
probably lose love. I don'tknow.
But we couldn't resist thetemptation.

Oh, back up.

And you know Kurt and me, well, we're crazy.
That's it.

I think both

love each other. My my boyfriend is not
jealous. That's a good thing.

I'm gonna ask you some really quick fire
questions.

Okay. Venezuela

or Spain?

Spain.

Venezuela or Sweden?

Sweden.

Sweden or Spain?

Spain. Oh,

there goes your Swedish passport.

I don't have Swedish passport. That's

why. Are you an early person?

I can I can never say Sweden, but
definitely?

I I I think I know the answer to this because
we're recording this for thoselistening in the morning. Are
you an early bird or a nightowl?

9. 9. I don't know. Well, yes. I prefer, I'm
much better.
My bio reading is much better inthe afternoon and in the
evening. I'm more productive. Iprefer to when when I was study,
I was preferring to go to 3, 4o'clock in the morning than to
wake up early in the morning. Ofcourse, sometimes I have to do

(40:26):
as well because you have fewtime to to prepare the exams.
But, definitely, nights, it wasslow, and, I mean, I still I'm
not as good anymore, and I guessthat's age.
But, yes, I remember when wewere party on Friday and come
back home after the breakfast.Breakfast outside. And and then

come back at the army parties till 3, 4 in the
morning, and then you're up at 7and back to conference. Night
after night. After I'm not sure.The the the latest generation
could even keep up with thatnow.

No. No. No. No. No.
I don't think they do.

They're far more sensible.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I don't know. I'm
not sure if it's sensible, theword, but definitely, no.
No. They cannot do that. I mean,even when we go out now we have
been out with younger people,they just tire immediately or, I
think they're drinking too fast.I mean, this is they have we
were, like, drinking on a car,of course, have, gintonis and

(41:26):
things, but I don't drink in thesame speed that they do. Then if
you drink in that speed,obviously, you are tired in
couple of hours, because theyare too drunk.

Not if you're British. Come on. We had a
culture of drinking fast. Weused to have pubs that close to
11, and then it was

Okay. Let's not enter in that and see what
happened in Spain, all theseplaces where we have all these
hooligans, English hooligans,English and Swedish and
Norwegian hooligans. I rememberonce when I Okay.

Well, just quick say, in years gone past,
hopefully not any

That that right. That's right. But, the
first time I went to CanaryIsland, in Tenerife, we were
okay. We told the guys that wewere going to visit certain area
because it's where the paths andthat, and they told me, don't
go. Because we're Spanish andsay, what do you mean?
No. No. No. No. No.
Don't go there. It's full ofhooligans from England, Sweden,

(42:18):
and Norway. And you know whynot? My boyfriend is Swedish.
I'm saying, okay.
Let's go let's go to somewhereelse. We don't go to the
Swedish. Now well, they theythey find it too cheap too cheap
drinks maybe. But, yes, we wewere doing quite crazy things.
I'm talking about the Elmi andthe, you know, party and then

(42:42):
science, party science.
The fur one of the first times Icame after the Elmi, with my
boyfriend, you know, I justarrived and sit in the sofa and
fall asleep, I don't know, 24hours in the road. He was
looking me and tell me, what'sgoing on with you? And said, you
don't wanna know. This is likeLas Vegas. You don't say what's
going on.

(43:03):
You always know that if I comeback from the army, I need to
rest a couple of days beforeTrue.

You party hard. And at the end of it, you could
keep it up until the end, andthen it's just a collapse.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's absolutely. I mean,
you can do nothing about that.
You just only have to rest.

So carrying on the quick fire questions. PC or
Mac?

Mac. Mac. Absolutely. My experience with
PC on Windows 95 was moretraumatic and, experience of my
life in computing. After that,no, Mac.

McDonald's or Burger King?

Neither. Oh, but you said you didn't

like you didn't dislike anything.

Okay. Oh, come on. But, you know, it will be
McDonald's, but I never eat theMcDonald's hamburgers. I I I
only take chicken hamburger. Idon't dare to eat the ham I'm
sorry.
I'm too portion the food. Myuncle and aunt, they were
preparing the the hamburger witha really good meat. It's just,
and sometimes I I have to admit,you know, when I when I came

(44:12):
here to Sweden and they give youfood and vegetables or
something, and when you come fora country like Spain where we
have sunrise tomatoes andthings, and they take, is that
good? And I have to say, yes.But and then they realize that,
no.
This, that's the same. I mean, Icannot eat the hamburgers for

(44:33):
either. But, yeah, McDonald'swill be the choice you have to
do.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee.

Good choice. Short or long?

Depends.

Okay.

I mean, short for the espresso or maybe for
the cappuccinos, but I I morethan long, I like double. I like
strong coffee. I mean, strongcoffee.

Pure wine? Wine.

I mean, absolutely. That that does not
have to be asked. Of course, Iwill drink if you see me
drinking beer, it's because thewine is undrinkable.

Yeah. I but yeah. Unless it's good wine, it's not
worth the effort.

Yeah. No. It's not Red or

white. Red or white, what's your preference?

Red. Red.

Chocolate or cheese? Cheese. Okay. And your
favorite food?

That's very difficult. I cannot tell you
actually what is my favoritefood. I love fish and
vegetables, but I cannot chooseone after the other. The only
thing it has to be good food.That's it.
If it's good food, every food isfavorite.

And you always said your your your least
favorite is snails. Gotta say,have you ever have you ever
tried snail racing? Remember atall, people used to get snails.
They used to

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So how how I do
that?
I have phobia to the guys. Yes?

So I remember this and thinking, if I took the
shell off the back of the snail,it might make it faster. But if
anything, it just made it alittle bit sluggish.

Oh my gosh. Did you do that to the animal?

No. Oh my goodness. Oh my gosh. Come on. I
can't believe that joke fell soflat.
No. TV or

book? Book, but later too much TV. It's like I
need my brain to relax and,sometimes books doesn't allow me
to do that. Well, I'm very upsetfor that. But yeah.

Do you enjoy any trash TV?

Yes. Sometimes I do.

Watch your trash TV. Go and watch

your Right now, for example, the Christmas the
Christmas stupid Christmas, thefields, you know, the the the
ones they always finish so wellwith the boy and the gate the
girl together and kissing eachother and loving forever with a
Christmas song in the back. Comeon. This cannot be more trash.

Okay. On that note on that note, what's your
favorite Christmas film?

Well, I'm going to tell you this. It is not my
favorite, and it's not aChristmas film, but it became a
tradition. And that's what HarryPotter and after, once Harry
Potter finished The Lord of theRings. I was going every
Christmas going home to Spain.And, you know, for a while, all
the Harry Potter films wascoming in Christmas time.

Okay.

My best friend's Antonio, the one you
said there, he's crazy for HarryPotter and lore he was he was, I
don't know, practically to seethe film 3 or 4 times, once
they're coming. Then for me, itwas a tradition. And actually, I
missed that one, and we aregoing to plan to see all the
hard reported fields. But sayingso, yes, love actually, we saw

(48:00):
yesterday. It's the field, ofcourse of course, that is one of
them.
But definitely for me, stillHarry Potter and The Royal
Marines is the is the traditionin Christmas time. And and it it
remind me to be with my friends.I think it's nice.

Okay. And what about just your favorite film of
all time?

My favorite film of all the time? I don't
think I have a favorite film ofall the time.

Okay. Star Trek or Star Wars?

Star Trek. I'm old. I'm a Star Trek. I love the
the the this old fashioned Ilove it. I love it.
And this when you see now thefield and you see we we actually
have had on a scanning electronmicroscope that I kept the
console because it's exactly

the same

as the console in the Star Trek. I can't

I've never thought of it like that.

Because when I saw that shit, this is a Star
Trek. I I couldn't I couldn'tthrow it away. Okay. It's it's
just a small piece. It's not awhole console, but, yes, Star
Trek.
I don't dislike Star Wars exceptthe the modern ones and and to
the old fashioned ones.

So last quick fire question. What's your
favorite color?

Any color. I love colors. Initially, I have
to say a lot of red color, but,as you see me, I always dress
colors. I need colors. Therainbow, all of them.

See, I just said side 3, but there you go.

Yeah.

Yeah. See, that's the difference. See, I think I
think microscopy colors. Youjust thought artistic colors.

Yeah. I mean, why did I have to choose a color
when I could have all the colorsof the work?

So you mentioned scanning electron microscope,
Justin. You sent me this image.

Oh, yes. Yes. I think yes. Because this

think I realized you were so into electron
microscopy as well as lightmicroscopy, but evidently, I I I
I I don't I I know you'retrapped back.

Well, I I I have to admit that was not me
were were doing that, but I wastaking the pictures. I mean,
that's when I were actually Iwas in Germany in over to to
check the microscopes, to chooseand to see how they performs.
What you see there, of course, Iguess, you know, this is an
ultra microtome. What you dothere is you're cutting,

(50:25):
sectioning, very thin thinsections of, in this particular
case, actually, it's, epoxyresin embedded embedded sample.
And then if you're having thesec

typically 70 nanometer sections, or were you
doing

70. Yeah. You can go less. Forty nanometer,
70, depends how you mount. Andin this case, they were doing
around 60 nanometers, 70nanometers.
And as you see, this is a bitautomated to capture, ribbons,
very long ribbons. And this is aspecial knife that is a bit
bigger that allow us to havewhat you see there in black,

(51:03):
it's a silica wafer. Then youjust submerge, catch the ribbon,
and then this is automaticallytaken because, of course, if you
try to do by hand, even if youare really good, you're shaking
and you will break everything.Then you have something to catch
it more out to make it.

And I I I just love for those who are
listening, I apologize, but itis worth seeing the fact that
this is held together by a paperclip, which all tech technology,
and it ends up with a paper clipfor that precision. And you sent
me another picture in this case.

Oh, yes. We were just checking this is the
Argo light, actually. We werejust checking the performance of
a microscope.

Why is the microscope in the back?

Yeah. There's that one. Yes. That one. What is
it?
This is that was the PS one, thePaul structural illumination.
The lirons and

the lirons. The lirons can see lira.

You can do a commercial. Yes. This is a size
microscope.

Yeah. So it's got 3,

like Yeah. You can actually see almost the logo
there. Yes. I mean, we were justtrying actually, her oh, I love
her. She's a fantastic girl.
She was only 22 years old, butsuper smart girl. I hope that
she's doing fantastic now. Ithink she's done PhD now in
France. She's back. But she washelping us with that.

(52:24):
You see, she still have the maska bit that you see was COVID
time. And then she helping us onthe image analysis and
processing and very, very smartgirl. I I was I I love to have
younger people in the facility.We have I have 3 people around
23, 22 that right now, some ofthem, they did not do their PhD.

(52:46):
They just went directly intocore facilities, more maybe
focus on image analysisdirectly, and they are super
happy and doing super well.
I mean, I'm happy for that.

I am going to jump about a bit. And I said, I
finished with a quick five. Ihave to ask you very quickly,
what's your favorite conference?

Elmi. I mean,

that's Okay. Okay. Missus president of CTLA.
Well life scientist. You couldchose Elmi over

CTU. No. Well, I I don't think I have it. You
didn't let me to finish. Myfavorite my favorite conference
as a microscopist, it is theLME.
My favorite com my my favorite,definitely, when I when I went
the first time in 2014 todiscussing about transversal

(53:38):
problems that we have in thefacilities, of course, is the
core technologies for for lifescience, the CTLS.
Unfortunately, we have not hadmany CTLS conference compared to
Almy, and and and then you areright. Then the the people on
CTLS is going to say, okay. Thepresident doesn't say CTLS. Yes.

(53:59):
But, ultimately, Elmi Elmi is inthe top and is in the soul for
many reasons. We even run theElmi for quite a long time in
Gothenburg as as but with CTLS,of course, it is my something
for what I I I felt that, I cando more than just the

(54:19):
microscopy, that that's whatwere done all this time, where
where you can, as you know, inmy facility, we have electron
microscopy. We have linemicroscopy. We have imaging mass
spectrometry. It's a multimodal,and that's in a way go with me.
And when I got to know about theCTLS, the core technologies for

(54:42):
life science, that that was a,cross technology. It it is not
one techno. It's not onlyimaging people. I love you guys.
I love you, and I love all myimaging colleagues, and I think
our, community have movedforward comparing to other
communities so beautiful.
But the idea of having all thesepeople, with different core

(55:06):
technologies and but with thesame problems. That when we talk
about more transversal problems,sustainability of the facility
or career path, everybody havethe same problem.

Yeah. No. I I I agree. So, obviously, I'm part
of CTLS. We've got in the UK, UKTechnology Specialist Network,
TSN.
Obviously, I've just realized,we are mister and miss mister
and missus president. Did yourealize that?

Yeah. Yeah. I know. I know. I was going to
tell you that that yes.
Yeah. Congratulations again. NowI can tell directly. Now you are
the RMS president. This is

They're tasking at live, baby conferences.

Yeah. No. Wow. No. I will not ask you that.
No. No. No. No. No.
I cannot ask you that questionthere in you.

Then who could who could ask such a question?

Yeah. No. No way. No way. How you can do that
question.
But, how old it is, the royalmicroscopy is quite old. No?

The let's say the old the society is oh goodness.
180, 185 years old?

Yes. Yeah. Nice. The one we have in the
Nordics is, 70 years, and Ithink the royal is even more is
even more. Yeah.
I mean

The the journal itself, the journal of
microscopy is the is the thefirst the longest standing
dedicated microscopy journalanywhere as well. And what's
really caused the impact factorsto start to creep back up again.
And there's a move in the UKactually that impact factors of
where you publish are not soimportant anymore. It's the
quality of the science you'republishing regardless of where

(56:35):
it goes. And so when theuniversities are judged and
academics are judged, it's nolonger on the the hierarchy of
the journal, but the quality ofwhat you published in a journal.
Mhmm. And that's really helping.So now the journal of microscopy
is becoming getting to more highquality publications because
people I don't know. I thinkthey want to be there. They

(56:57):
wanna publish in the journalwhere, you know, everyone in
microscopy used to publish andit's super quick.
Yeah. This this is

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Comparing to all of this.

Same volume of all, your nature methods and
stuff, which is awesome. But,you know, they get a huge volume
of stuff going in. Whereas theRMS journal microscopy is just
microscopy. Everyone on thepanel are experts. So things
just get turned over really,really fast.

But I I I envy you in UK in terms of the
microscopy in general. For lightmicroscopy and also for electron
microscopy, I think you'reworking you're working really
much as a community anyway. Youcompare to other communities. I
think France is the othercountry where I see as well that
they have a strong, butcomparing, I guess, is the

(57:49):
tradition in the country interms of microscopy,

where where

it made that, but also you just say that about
the technicians, you know, thetechnician scientists, so the
the the The

technicians commitment.

Yeah. This is like, CTLS but in UK, and I love
it because in a way but it'ssomething that we need to think
about in CTLS is this ishappening in other countries.
It's like the seed. CTLS havebeen the seed to people in other
countries to start thinkingmore. I I want to see in that
way and and try to do andobviously, the communities, if

(58:24):
you do in UK or in France or inSpain or in Sweden, people maybe
will be more open to participatein that because they see much
closer is in UK.
And and you and you discussingthe problems that UK have that
maybe Sweden doesn't have or theother way around as well.

Yeah. And for UKTS techno so UK Technology
Specialist Network, which isvery much a sort of UK CTLS, but
it's not just for life sciencescritically.

And that's I know. I know.

Physical and the arts. But it's really, yeah, it
complements quite nicely becauseoh, and that meeting will get
around 250 in Bath coming inthis coming year. CTS gets
around 300 people, but that'sfrom all over Europe. And I
think most of that 200 oddpeople coming to CTS couldn't
go, sorry. To tech to the TSNmeeting, couldn't go to CTS.

(59:13):
Yeah. And so I think there's athere's a home crowd, but then
you've got those like ourselveswho are looking after multiple
calls, quite senior in post,that need to look across
practices globally and haveinfluence over the politics of
core facilities globally aswell. So I think it it it they
each serve slightly differentcommunities, but they all

(59:36):
interlock interlock reallyclosely. And the the UK light
microscopy facility meetings,You know, they've been going
now, oh, well, I don't know. 16,17 years, maybe.
2006 or 7 was the first one wehad. But, again, it's had quite
a big influence back to ourfunders. So it's yeah. That that
is a very unique, authenticmeeting, whereas other meetings

(59:59):
like CTN, that's very European.Elmi European.
There's all sorts of

Julia Fernandez (01:00:05):
No. I mean, I think every there is a
complimenting here. Definitely,I I but it's also something that
they have to may think as wellto the European organization.
Thinking about if we have thismore community building in the
countries, how how we have to,the strategy for the next years,

(01:00:27):
how we have to do, and that wemaybe have to, have more
relationship with actually thesecommunities. And as you say,
maybe they cannot come to theCTLS in Bernal in 2025, but, and
but they go to UK, but there isa relationship there where we
because the important thing hereis that we don't fragment it,

(01:00:48):
because if we fragment it, andthen it would be more difficult
to do what you just said.
If we want to advocacy forsomething and suddenly in UK,
they say a and I say b and theother one say c, it's very easy
for the big guys up there totell you, oh, guys. You don't
even made your minds. You don'tknow what you want. This is what

(01:01:08):
they're doing in Sweden when wewant when we realize that, guys,
we need to work together, form anote, working all together to be
able to convince, the nationalgovernment to or the research
counseling to helping us and andbe a national infrastructure.
You you have to work together,and I think this is what we need

(01:01:29):
to do.
It's just thinking, notfragmenting, but actually
complementing.

Peter O'Toole (01:01:33):
No. Yeah. Well, obviously, fully agree. Yeah.
Sure.
I'm part of that. I'm part ofthose initiative.

Mister president's here.

I'd say, we are actually up to the hour mark.

Oh my gosh.

I know. Too fast. But I have to ask just 2
questions for some quickanswers. They're not quick
private. Is there anyone you'dlike to or is there 1 or 2
people you'd like to say whohave been your inspirations
besides your dance teacher whenyou were 5 years old?
Is there anyone in particularthat's inspired you to to be as
successful as you've been?

I have to say that the the bosses I have,
Gunnar Hansen when I was a apostdoc, Tommy Nielson after
when I start my career into thecore facility, and Jora Larson
that was actually the head ofthe core facilities where some
years ago, they have trust inme. You know, I can be very

(01:02:30):
crazy and have ideas, and I havevision that not everybody look
see immediately. And then whenyou tell them, except Tommy I
mean, I think Tommy have, haveteach me the vision. I mean, if
you have it, go for it. All theones, when you tell, we have to
do this, they look at me like,what?

(01:02:52):
Just let's do it. And and thenthey have left me to do it. Even
so that they were not sure ifthis is going to work. And I
just only tell them, you trustme that it's going to work. Then
I will not say that there arementors, but there is people
that have trust me and that haveallowed because if they they

(01:03:13):
were my bosses.
If they were not allowing mebecause, I mean, if I have that
view and that vision and I wantto do that and they don't allow
me, it I will it would be aproblem. And I think I think I
was just telling you before westarted that in 2008, in the
facility, Tommy left toMontreal, become professor there

(01:03:34):
in in in McGill University. And,he was the first manager of the
our facility. And I became themanager, but I was the manager
of myself on 10 microscopes.From 2008 to now, we have 8
people working.
We have 18 microscopes. We are anational facility in 2 different
infrastructures, and we are partof the Ourobioimaging. I think,

(01:03:57):
I have done a quite good job, toactually and I got actually, I
will not tell you the personthat say, but we were, in one of
the very, very first Eurow BioImaging meetings in 2 1009, when
there was a still preparedsorry, the preparatory phase for
the eurobioimaging. And therewas a professor here in Sweden,

(01:04:19):
and then he was there. He didn'tknow me very well, and he say,
okay.
That was 2,009. Tommy left in2,008 in the end. And then they
say, okay. And we are all wellexcept the facility in
Gothenburg because Tommy andalso have left. And we we don't
know exactly where it's going tohappen.
And then I was there, and I toldthem, don't worry about

(01:04:42):
Gothenburg. Just worry aboutwhat we need to do right now
here. Just don't worry aboutGothenburg. But that's what's
actually I will not tell you thename. The person after that
changed their mind, and and herealized that, and he loved me
now, and he knows Yeah.

And it sounds like, again, Tommy obviously had
a very big reputation, and theywere thinking about who could
step in. And if they didn't knowyou, you've shown that you can
more than step in. I think morethan actually, Julio, I think
you probably developed it in away that Tommy would would you I
think you you're different toTommy.

Yes. Yes.

And you develop it and and nationally led as
well. And I think maybe Tommyhas been a great inspiration, so
I think it's a good shout out.She was

also for inspiration, definitely. But for
me, it was actually a releasewhen he left that I could do
what I want. And the boss I haveat that moment allow me to go in
that way when I asked the onlyway is this. It's true that
before he left, told me he toldthe new boss, you need to trust
her. I mean, he he talk, healways have, and a very

(01:05:45):
responsible extremelyresponsible.
I guess this is part of myeducation. And Tommy always
acknowledged that. He said, Inever saw a person like that.
You you you are also loyal aswell. If you are my boss and I
have to work for you, I will dothat if you allow me.
And I will do even if you don'tallow me. You know what I mean?

(01:06:05):
Yeah. And for him, that was inthe work he was doing because he
did a piece in La Jolla,Estates, EMBL, very, very
competitive environments wherepeople is just fighting each
other in one way or another. Hereally, thought that that was a
bear to me that you don't havein others.

(01:06:26):
He also want me to have inCanada. That's why I took a
sabbatical. I was 1 year inCanada, in Montreal. But I
didn't like. I love the city.
Oh my god.

It's

fantastic. I'm in Montreal. I would love to
live there, but science wise,no. I was very disappointed on
my deal. I was verydisappointed.

Very different climate. But anyway, Julia, we
are over the hour, so we shouldstop there. But, Julia, thank
you very much. Thank you foreveryone who's watched or
listened. Please don't forget tosubscribe.
You can listen to people we'vebeen talking about previous
episodes and in future episodes.Julia, thank you very much for
today.

Thank you. Thank you.

You've been great. And actually there's bits
I didn't know about you, whichhas been really great to listen
to.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Intro/Outro (01:07:10):
Thank you for listening to The Microscopists,
a Bite Size Bio podcastsponsored by Zeiss Microscopy.
To view all audio and videorecordings from this series,
please visitbitesizebio.comforward/themicroscopists.

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