An Interview with Charlotte Uetrecht
To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, CSSB group leader Charlotte Uetrecht shares some thoughts on her research and inspirations.
What do you do?
I head a group that conducts research on virus structure and biophysics employing mass spectrometry.
Why did you choose this field?
I have always been intrigued by the simplicity of viruses and the huge impact they can have on an organism as well as the precision mass spectrometry offers - these go well together.
What do you find most exciting about your work?
Nature keeps surprising me, no matter how well thought through a hypothesis and corresponding experiment, the result is often completely different.
What is your proudest moment/accomplishment?
When supervised students finish their thesis and/or publish their first original data.
Advice for the next generation?
Think out of the box and try new things!
Who are your role models or mentors?
My collaborators, former supervisors, and PIs in the field. In other words, my huge scientific network not a specific person.
Inspirational quote or personal motto:?
If it was easy, someone would have done it already
When you have free time, what are your hobbies?
Craftswork, gardening, metal music
For more information about Charlotte's research:
https://www.cssb-hamburg.de/research/research_groups/uetrecht_group/index_eng.html
For more information about International Day of Women and Girls in Science
https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day
