K: Hi Mila, please introduce yourself, and tell us about your scientific background and your current research.
M: Hello, my name is Mila Daoud. I'm from Syria, and I studied Pharmacy over there. But I always dreamed of doing a PhD, even though it felt almost impossible at the time. When the war in Syria began, I applied for a scholarship to study in Germany. The application process was logistically challenging, as I had to travel to Lebanon for the interview, while submitting university applications by post to Germany, which was extremely difficult under the circumstances. Despite these challenges, the effort was completely worth it.
I studied Biomedical Sciences at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, and I did my master’s at the University Hospital Bonn. Then, I received a competitive Bayer fellowship under Hamid’s support to pursue my PhD. Although I couldn’t be at Bayer physically due to the pandemic, Hamid supervised me and I completed my PhD with a first-author publication. Afterwards, he (Hamid) offered me a postdoc position, which is when I started working on the B-cell lymphoma project. It was a completely new direction for our cell death lab. It was technically challenging, but also incredibly exciting.
K: Who were your role models when you started your scientific journey?
M: Oh, good question. During my studies in Syria, one of my professors had a huge influence on me. She was passionate about science, highly motivating, and believed in her students. She became an important role model for me and inspired me to pursue an academic career.
K: What is your favourite thing about being a postdoc?
M: I honestly enjoy my postdoc even more than my PhD [laughs]. Without the pressure of writing a thesis, I can focus entirely on the research. I also had more opportunities to collaborate with other research groups, attend international conferences, present my work, and interact directly with principal investigators and clinicians. The collaborative nature of my B-cell lymphoma project within the CRC 1530 made the experience especially rewarding, and it has been one of the highlights of my scientific career.
K: What has been your biggest challenge so far and how do you navigate it?
M: Looking back, the biggest challenge wasn't other people's perception of me. It was my own self-doubt. When I first arrived in Germany, I constantly felt that I was less qualified because I lacked wet lab experience. Over time, I realised that people could learn anything if they are willing to put in the effort. The real obstacle was believing in myself.
What helps me navigate this now are my supportive friends who remind me of what I have achieved and encourage me to recognise my own accomplishments.
K: If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self or to early-career scientists, what would it be?
M: Trust yourself. Experiments will fail, and research can be frustrating, but believe that you are capable of learning anything and solving problems. Confidence is just as important as technical skills. I would also encourage young researchers to think about their future early, consider different career options, develop additional skills, and think about what they want to do after graduation rather than waiting until the very end.
K: What are your science or career goals?
M: Research has always been where my passion lies. So, my dream is to work in research and development in the industry. I am keeping an open mind between Germany and abroad.
K: Do you have any routines or rituals that keep you motivated and focused on your work?
M: I do a lot of volunteering work. It’s a great opportunity to apply the skills I developed throughout my PhD and Postdoc training. It gives me a sense of purpose beyond my own research, allows me to support students and contribute to scientific development.
For example, I am part of the German-Syrian (Deutsche-Syrische Forschungsgemeinschaft) organisation, where I mentor Syrian students, help them identify scholarship opportunities and guide them through the application process. I'm also involved with another organisation called Syrian Technocrats, where we are organising what will hopefully become the first research conference in Syria after recent political changes. This will be in August 2026. Seeing the impact of these activities reminds me why I enjoy working with people and building scientific communities.
K: That’s great! You are giving back. Do you have other interests outside of volunteering?
M: I enjoy spending time with my friends. I am also active in the alumni network of my scholarship programme. We organise activities such as hiking, kayaking, theatre visits and concerts.
K: Nice. How do you like your coffee?
M: I like my coffee black, no sugar, no milk (laughs).
K: Thank you so much for sharing your story with me Mila.
M: It was my pleasure. Thank you for inviting me.
This interview was conducted and written by Kristie Bariboloka, M.Sc
