Impressive. I don’t think I’ll be keeping it at lower than -70 so that makes sense.

I’m pretty sure that’s the consensus. Murphy is strong with these freezers.

Yes, I learned the hard way that you should always have sensors and an online alert system. These things always break down on Christmas Eve.

Will you be at ViBiom? I’ll be there in May 🙂

All this to say, the journey isn't linear. Not even close. It also can't be separated from our private lives. Sometimes life is overwhelming, and all you can do is keep your head above the water and accept help.
You will reap the rewards eventually. The end.

So it was with great joy that when I won the grant, I brought it here with me.
I won't pretend that everything is easy. The transition to faculty is daunting and scary, but my colleagues and friends here are supportive and motivating.
I'm so excited to start mentoring my very own PhD student. 11/n

That's when Aarhus University @au.dk came into the picture. I interviewed with the department of agroecology and flew over for a visit. I've never felt so welcome in academia. Moreover, I felt safe for the first time in months. I was offered a position before my ERC grant interview. 10/n

Throughout all of this I was applying for tenure track jobs. I had some interviews, but no offers. I had made it into the interview stage of the ERC, but in March 2024 I was almost resigned to finding some remote big data job and settling down in a small village in Bretagne. 9/n

Many think that life in Israel went on as usual in 2023 and 2024. Let me tell you, it did not. Even my family in Tel Aviv, arguably one of the safer areas, went in and out of the bomb shelter. I can't even imagine what it was like for those living even slightly farther north or south. 8/n

The ERC kindly extended the deadline by 2 weeks, so I managed the writing and admin by the deadline.
My second year in France was far from productive or happy, but I was blessed with good friends who supported me while I tried to be there for my family in Tel Aviv. 7/n

I felt like my world was collapsing around me. Nothing and nowhere felt safe anymore. Even going to work was terrifying.
A couple of weeks later, with a looming deadline and shattered confidence, I went to England to stay with my cousin. It was there that I felt safe enough to be able to focus. 6/n

worked on setting up preliminary lab experiments and finishing backlog papers.
A few months later, I decided to apply for an ERC starting grant application. It was a long writing process, but I made good headway. The deadline was supposed to be November 1st, 2023. Then came October 7th. 5/n

A couple of months later, when we thought the worst was over, my dad was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease. It's been almost 3 years since the initial diagnosis and only recently did the doctors find a medication that gives him some relief.
I decided to keep pushing anyway, and... 4/n

I got to France in the super hot summer of 2022, received an equally warm welcome from my hosts and lab members, and was so excited for the next two years.
A month into my stay my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately it was caught early, and I was happy to at least be able to fly home. 3/n

Many thanks to my colleagues and co-authors: Gary Trubl, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Erin Nuccio, Steve Blazewicz, and especially my hosts in France Graeme Nicol and Christina Hazard.

Funded by European Commission Marie Sklodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship DIVOBIS.

This road wasn't easy.