You are a biologist researching blood cancers – when did you develop an interest in science?
I grew up in Hungary, and when I was about 12 I read a book by the Hungarian Nobel Prize-winner Albert Szent-Györgyi, who discovered vitamin C. He wrote about how molecules regulate things, and that set my mind on biology. I also enjoyed hiking, and I originally wanted to be an ecologist or a forest engineer, but my parents didn’t think that was a good idea. So I went back to my molecules.
What inspired you to move to Ireland?
During my PhD in Hungary, which looked at how cells in our immune system respond to stresses like injury or lack of oxygen, we were always told about the importance of getting experience of research abroad.
I wanted to stay in Europe, and at the time Afshin Samali in Galway was looking for researchers…