Catchup – Salon -The Personal Cost of Emigrating for Science

A weekly webinar to discuss careers and research topics. These sessions combine livestreams, guest speakers and group online chat to exchange ideas, challenge, influence, inspire and educate. In this session we talk about The Personal Cost of Emigrating for Science with guest speakers Sára Zsadányi and Dr Marianne Coleman.

Emigrating for science promises opportunity but often carries a hidden personal cost. Leaving behind family, culture, and familiar support systems can lead to isolation and a pressure to adapt quickly, balancing ambition with the emotional toll of starting over. As we explore this journey, we’ll consider the resilience needed to make a home in a new country and ask: at what cost do we pursue science abroad? Can we find balance between taking advantage of international opportunities? Our speakers share their experiences, and tips, and we hope you will also share yours.

Speakers

Sára Zsadányi is a PhD Student in the Sant Pau Memory Unit – Neuroimaging Core and Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Originally from New Zealand she moved to Barcelona, Spain to undertake her PhD. Her research is focused on neuroimaging of small vessel disease in Down Syndrome and autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr Marianne Coleman is a Research Fellow at the National Centre for Healthy Ageing in Melbourne. Marianne qualified as an orthoptist in 2008 from University of Liverpool. After some time in clinical practice, she completed a Masters in Research at the University of Liverpool and then moved to Glasgow Caledonian University to study visual distortions arising in amblyopia for her PhD. After completing her PhD she moved to the University of Surrey in June 2016 to train in health services research and then on to The University of Melbourne in 2020.

Programme

The format of the event is a 30 minute livestream where the speakers will each present their thoughts on this topic for 10 minutes each, the host will then ask questions and the livestream will end. The speakers will then join the online chat and interact with the audience, answering questions and giving those who attended a chance to share their thoughts on the topic.