After completing her PhD with Poul Nissen and Magnus Kjærgaard studying a bacterial P-type ATPase, Sara joined Daan van Aalten’s group as a postdoc to perform cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies of the enzyme O-GlcNAc Transferase. However, as a qualified diving instructor, Sara has also long been fascinated by the disruption of coral-algal symbiosis caused by mass coral bleaching events. In the face of climate change, how do we safeguard our coral reefs?

This question is what drove Sara to apply for a postdoc fellowship from the Villum Foundation to work at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in Japan. She plans to study the molecular pathways involved in the bleaching response and understand how the signal propagates and changes the structural architecture of the algal-coral interface. By joining OIST, the only institution worldwide to conduct structural biology on coral samples, Sara has been afforded the rare opportunity to bring together her scientific expertise and pastime hobby.

After 2 years in Japan, Sara will return to Denmark for the final year of the project in an excellent position to further develop her research career. However, the decision to move across the world with her partner and two children, ages 5 and 7, was naturally not an easy one to make. Thankfully, Sara has received excellent support from both the Villum Foundation and OIST. According to Sara, “even though this is a daunting step to take with my family, I feel safe and secure in taking it”.

The timing of the grant has also been instrumental in Sara being able to seize this opportunity. As she explains, “getting a grant now that supports both my project and me as a researcher motivates me to take a big step forward in my academic career at a critical time." Sara is aware that this funding has provided her with an opportunity that she, as an early-career female researcher with a young family, would otherwise not have had.

According to Sara, “the grant gives me the opportunity to take my family to the other side of the world and live out my dream of researching a problem that has been on my mind for many years. I am also convinced that my stay in Japan will further strengthen me as a researcher, enabling me to expand both my professional and cultural competences, which will be absolutely essential for my future career."

More information about the Villum International Postdoc programme can be found in the press release from the foundation:

https://villumfonden.dk/da/group/grantsubarea/villum-international-postdoc