My interest in physics began during high school. My passion for photonics, however, was inspired by three remarkable individuals I was fortunate to meet throughout my career: The first, Professor Čtyorký, has been my thesis supervisor, mentor, and collaborator for over 20 years. Next, Professor Jelínková served as an example of a successful female researcher, demonstrating that it is possible to balance a top-tier research career with family. Lastly, Professor Faist, a true icon in the field, stands out for his brilliance, approachability, and humanity. His passion for science and our motivating discussions have had a lasting impact.

As a professor and research team leader, my primary responsibilities include steering the direction of the team, managing and supervising its activities, and representing our work within the broader scientific community. I facilitate knowledge transfer, foster innovation, and ensure the team’s sustainability by seeking funding opportunities. I consider it my utmost responsibility to uphold the highest standards of quality and scientific integrity in all aspects of our work.

I once had the ambition to save the world; over time, I tempered this as an unlikely goal. However, recently, my group successfully demonstrated a new, tiny-yet-powerful photonic gas sensor for environmental monitoring. I believe this innovation has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to addressing global challenges. Creating something that can be genuinely useful to humanity stands out as my greatest accomplishment so far.

The biggest challenge I have faced is balancing my career role with motherhood. That said, transitioning from a postdoctoral researcher to a faculty position was also a significant hurdle. What certainly helped was perseverance, self-belief, and many long days and late nights of hard work.

A career in STEM is the right path for you if you truly enjoy your work and feel passionate about it. Surround yourself with people who value and respect you, and don’t waste your time on those who don’t. Your passion and determination will guide you to where you belong.

I hope to make an impact through meaningful, high-quality research: I want to be an advocate for safeguarding research quality and scientific integrity, as our scientific community needs this now more than ever. Lastly, I want to highlight that researchers are multifaceted individuals and human too — they can have passions, hobbies, and interests outside of science. Not all of us wear white coats, thick glasses, and have messy hair. And some do, and that’s perfectly okay!

Jana Jágerská
Professor, Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Born in Slovakia / Resides in Norway
Educational Background: MSE in Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic; PhD in Photonics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland