We are pleased to announce that Dr Claudia Contini has been appointed as Postdoc and Fellows Champion for Life Sciences.

The new post aims to support postdocs and early career researchers in many ways, including representing their views to leadership, helping them set up social and career-focused events, accessing financial support from the department or faculty, and linking them to wider Imperial initiatives. Postdocs and fellows can you engage Postdoc and Fellow Development Centre (PFDC) and there is also a recently refreshed postdoc committee in place.

Dr Contini is currently a BBSRC Discovery Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences. Her research group interests lie in the field of bottom-up synthetic biology with a focus on the design of synthetic life-like systems that mimic biological properties and functions for biotechnological and biomedical applications.

We caught up with Dr Contini to find out more about her vision for the role and her plans to create a supportive early career community in the department!

Congratulations on your new role of Postdocs and Fellows Champion. Can you tell us a little bit about this role, what it means to you and why it is important?

The Postdocs and Fellows Champion ensures that the voices of early career researchers (ECRs) are effectively represented at departmental and faculty levels. This involves gathering feedback from postdocs and fellows and advocating for their needs, ensuring they are supported in their career development. It’s also about fostering a sense of community by staying in regular contact with postdoc representatives, facilitating networking, and actively contributing to initiatives that strengthen the ECR community.

Having served as the postdoc and fellow representative in the Department of Chemistry at Imperial for over three years, this new role feels like a natural progression for me. Throughout my time in this capacity, I’ve been passionate about creating a supportive environment where ECRs can thrive. Now, as a Lecturer and BBSRC Discovery Fellow, I am particularly aware of the unique challenges and opportunities that come with being a postdoc or fellow. I’m excited to continue this work and look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to build a stronger, more connected community for ECRs in the department.

What is your vision for the role and what you’d like to achieve?

My vision for this role is to foster a responsive and supportive community where postdocs and fellows feel heard, valued, and empowered. I want to create an environment where information and resources are easily accessible, and support is shared among peers. By facilitating open communication and regular feedback, I hope to ensure that our collective needs are addressed, allowing us to move forward together as a strong, cohesive group.

Ultimately, my goal is to build a network that not only provides practical support but also encourages collaboration, mentoring, and personal growth. I believe that by working together, we can create a more connected and informed early career researcher community that thrives both personally and professionally.

"My vision for this role is to foster a responsive and supportive community where postdocs and fellows feel heard, valued, and empowered. I want to create an environment where information and resources are easily accessible, and support is shared among peers" Dr Claudia Contini Postdocs and Fellows Champion

What field of research do you work in and what motivated you to work in this area?

My research group focuses on bottom-up synthetic biology and cell mimicry. We develop artificial cells as minimal model systems that replicate specific life-like behaviours such as cell motion, fusion, and communication. These systems provide a powerful tool for gaining insights into fundamental biological processes and structures. By overcoming the complexity of biological organisms and working with fully controllable systems, we can determine the minimal set of components required to achieve cell-like behaviours and properties.

Beyond gaining biological insights, these minimal systems have significant potential as innovative biotechnological tools.

By combining synthetic and biological elements, they can be applied across diverse fields, from biosensing and biomedical applications to environmental bioremediation.

Despite their simplicity compared to biological cells, these artificial systems reveal critical insights into the core processes that sustain life.

They also offer a versatile platform for designing novel, bio-inspired technologies and investigating biological principles in a controlled, systematic way.

What attracted you to working in Life Sciences at Imperial specifically?

The diversity of expertise and the collaborative environment. The department brings together scientists from a wide range of disciplines, offering countless opportunities to learn from others and engage in new, interdisciplinary interactions. This diversity fuels creativity and innovation, particularly in fields like synthetic biology, where understanding biological systems requires input from various perspectives.

"It’s the blend of collaboration, cutting-edge research, and constant learning that makes working in Life Sciences so exciting for me". Dr Claudia Contini

Being part of such a dynamic team allows me to push the boundaries of my research, while also contributing to a collective effort to solve some of the most pressing challenges in biology and biotechnology.

It’s this blend of collaboration, cutting-edge research, and constant learning that makes working here so exciting for me.

Tell us an interesting/unusual fact about yourself.

I’d describe myself as someone who’s always on the go and deeply passionate about my work. Curiosity is what drives me, and I love staying busy, constantly learning new things. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking and discovering new places, as well as experiencing different cultures. I’m also a big fan of podcasts, especially those that explore people's unique stories and experiences. I believe we have so much to learn from others, and these new perspectives often spark fresh ideas in both my personal life and my research.

A fun fact about me: a long, long, very long time ago, I was actually a Kung Fu and Tai Chi champion! The introspection and constancy I learned from these practices have been fundamental to building my resilience in academia.