04/10/2026
Born stateless to political refugee parents, some would say I was not dealer the easiest hand in life. I grew up in a home shaped by a violent father, and eventually reached a point where I had no choice but to take him to court. At that time, I did not have the psychological strenght or the stability to continue my studies. My path was never a conventional academic one.
I have no PhD. I did not build a career within academia.
And yet today, I contribute to advancing research through my world, the reports I help shape, and the questions I continue to bring to the forefront.
For more than ten years, I have devoted much of my work to understanding the impact of micro- and nanoplastics and their associated chemicals on our health, climate and economy, work that ultimately led to my book, No More Plastic: How Plastic Is Harming Our Health.
Being nominated as one of the 2026 Talents of the European Women in STEM Awards, in the Science category, therefore means a great deal to me.
Because legitimacy does not belong only to those who hold titles or degrees. It also belongs to those who observe, question, investigate, connect the dots and dare to ask the questions others are not yet asking.
Women have been overlooked in science for generations. Making them visible today is also about showing the next generation what is possible.
Your path does not have to be linear to matter.
Thank you Women in Stem 𝔸𝕟𝕘é𝕝𝕚𝕢𝕦𝕖 𝔾Éℝ𝔸ℝ𝔻 for this recognition.
See you in Paris on October 22 for the ceremony.