Soapbox Science 2025

Soapbox: What is your day-to-day scientific-superpower and how does it help you with your work?

Sarah Franceschin: If there’s one thing I’ve learned over these years as a scientist, it’s that science cannot exist without setbacks. In fact, these setbacks are essential steps in the journey of scientific research, as they help us understand the correct path to reach a solution. To be honest, they can sometimes feel like mere obstacles, and it’s easy to get frustrated.
Resilience has become my everyday superpower—it helps me stay focused on the goal. It allows me to embrace unexpected challenges rather than letting them drag me down. I’m still learning, still refining this skill, but I can already see the difference it makes in my daily work life.

Soapbox: What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career in science, particularly young women who may be hesitant to enter the field?

Sarah: My advice is simple, but it’s not always easy to follow: “carve your own way”. People should not let others’ opinions and prejudices interfere with their own career. Unfortunately, many cultures still hold onto stereotypes that keep women away from science. It’s easier said than done, but ultimately, this decision, whatever it may be, should come from personal and authentic expectations, rather than societal stigma. In the end, this authenticity is one of the key-ingredients for a successful scientific career.

Soapbox: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place? Sum up your expectation of the Soapbox Event in three words.

Sarah: I am extremely happy to be part of such a stimulating event. The challenge of communicating science to a broad audience is extremely important and fascinating to me. If I had to sum up the Soapbox Event in three words, these would be: fun, curiosity and conciseness.

Soapbox: During your journey as a scientist, what challenges have you encountered along the way? And if you had the power to alter one (or more) aspect(s) of the scientific culture, what would you change and why?

Sarah: Some research fields in science are unfortunately quite competitive. On the one hand, this comes with the advantage of achieving rapid progress. On the other hand, it also brings significative challenges for the researchers. The pressure of “publishing before someone else does” can easily become part of a scientist career. This is really unfortunate, as it can compromise not only one’s mental health, but also the quality of the research — doing science on a rush is risky. I’m pretty sure that if I could change something about science, it would be exactly this.

Soapbox: Did you choose a scientific career or did the scientific career choose you? Can you tell us about your journey into the world of science and what inspired you to pursue your particular field?

Sarah: I would say that my case falls somewhere in the middle! To me it was clear since the beginning that I wanted to pursue a doctorate, and therefore I was actively looking for opportunities. Ultimately, I chose a position with a project that was already defined by my supervisor in terms of research questions. In the end, what was important to me in taking the final decision, was sticking to what I knew I enjoy and to my curiosity of learning new things. I strongly believe that curiosity is another of those key-ingredients for a successful science career!