The Brightlands Rolduc Polymer Conference is all about Innovative Polumer Materials for Future Health. We had the opportunity to interview one of the speakers: Joaquim Miguel Oliveira BSc, PhD, Principal Investigator at 3B’s Research Group, University of Minho, Portugal.
Who is Miguel Oliveira and why are you doing the work you do?
My career started with a major accident at the age of 5; I got a stick in my face and later I realized that I almost had died. The doctor asked my mother why she had given me the stick and when I became older I wondered how it was possible that a small piece of wood could have killed me.
What makes you stand up every day and do your work with passion?
The study and the promotion went quite easily. Later I went to study tissue engineering and came into contact as a Phd with a prominent scientist with whom I worked together throughout my further career. In the beginning as a postdoc and later when I became Vice President of the 3B Institute, he still was important to me.
What was difficult in your career and what went easy?
The study went well. The most difficult decision in my career was the decision to stay in Portugal. I knew that a number of things would be more difficult because of this.
What do you want to give to the audience of the Rolduc Conference?
I dream a lot and my motivation is to realize those dreams and to transfer the ideas to help patients. We develped strategies for implants, fort treating meniscus and hernia. We developed devices to diagnose.
I hope that the audience in Rolduc can use our experience in materials and that they can learn from our knowledge.
For more information and latest news on the Rolduc conference visit the website.
