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Jul-Sep | 14 Business Personal best
GREAT GREEKS ABROAD
Wonder
Woman
NASA reSeArcher, iNNovAtor iN regeNerAtive mediciNe, AwArd-
wiNNiNg ScieNtiSt. eleNi ANtoNiAdou tellS 2boArd thAt She
doeS Not feel like A “woNder-child”. eveN though She iS juSt
26 yeArS old. | ΕρΕυνήτρια τής NASA, πρωτοπορος των ΕξΕλιξΕων
τής αναγΕννήτικής ιατρικής, ΕθΕλοντρια, πολυβραβΕυμΕνή
Επιςτήμονας. ή ΕλΕνή αντωνιαδου δήλωνΕι ςτο 2boArd πως δΕν
αιςθανΕται καθολου «παιδι-θαυμα». κι ας Ειναι μοNo 26 Ετων.
What are you involved with at the moment? extraterrestrial life would be very pessimistic.
I am currently involved with some experiments The artificial trachea that you created as part
in bioscience that are being conducted at the In- of your postgraduate studies in collaboration
ternational Space Station and I had the oppor- with your fellow student, Claire Crowley, led to
tunity to instruct the astronauts, while I am also the first fully functional artificial organ trans-
experimenting with using stem cells from am- plant. Do you believe in a future of ‘Transplants
niotic fluid to create artificial organs and ther- without Donors’, as you named the company
apies for newborns. you co-founded?
Your CV states that taking your first astronomy Over the next decade, we will be able to create
class when you were 15 directly contributed to a series of organs with low functional complex-
the fact that today, you are a Research Associate ity through artificial methods, using stem cells
in the Biosciences Division at NASA. What do in the laboratory. This is an alternative route for
children need to make their dreams come true? organ transplants. Regenerative medicine and
I do not think there is a secret recipe, but cer- tissue mechanics are two fields that will change
tainly, developing certain traits results in open- the status quo regarding transplants, therapies tive therapies and when I founded my company;
ing our horizons: faith in oneself, constant alert- for neurodegenerative diseases, chemotherapy plus many, many more. However, the fact that I
ness and determination. I will share what I like and many more. have managed to be myself, stay focused on my
to call the key to success, and this is something Of course, you must realize that you have goals and believe in my potential in a world that
I learned in kindergarten through an allegory: achieved much for your age: 26 years old. Do continuously tries to compromise this has been
what would happen if we hit a tree a thousand you feel like a “wonder-child”? the most beneficial to me. I consider my largest
times in many different places? Absolutely noth- I do not feel like a “wonder-child” in the least, sacrifice to be the fact that I follow the lives of
ing. However, if we hit the tree a thousand times I just try to view all difficulties as an integral my family, friends and loved ones from afar, as
in the same place then it will fall down, and what part of the journey. I live in a state of constant I am unable to share their joys on a daily basis.
seemed impossible at first, will become reality. rebooting; I do not stay rooted in my success- Who played the most instrumental role in
You have stated that you wish to become a es, or in my failures. That is why I always have your life? Who were inspiring, and who gave
NASA astronaut and work on exploring life new problems to solve and I encounter fresh you fortitude?
in space. Are you confident there is life on challenges that help me develop and evolve. I have been fortunate enough to have had impor-
other planets? Over the last ten years you are away from your tant teachers and professors, such as my 94-year
The life of an astronaut certainly excites me, es- home, what has been most beneficial for you, old English teacher and my awesome parents,
pecially because I experience the difficulties and and what has been your biggest sacrifice? who gave me the resources to carve and follow
joys of their training up close; I am still a dream- There were many times over the past decade that my own course. Beyond inspiring and motivat-
er even though I recognize that the selection of I have experienced small victories, such as when ing me, they also helped me confront a sense-
astronauts also involves geopolitical aspects. I was privileged enough to help children in South less, yet very common, stereotype that is imposed
According to the new data obtained through America who had fallen prey to the black mar- on young people: that failing at some point in our
the Keppler Mission, our galaxy contains about ket organ trade, as well as when my research life makes us a failure. This makes failing into a
400 billion stars with 1.6 planets in their orbits. on artificial organ transplants was successfully harsh determining factor of one’s entire being.
Not believing in the possibility of some form of applied to patients who could not access alterna- We must not associate our results with who we
136
GREAT GREEKS ABROAD
Wonder
Woman
NASA reSeArcher, iNNovAtor iN regeNerAtive mediciNe, AwArd-
wiNNiNg ScieNtiSt. eleNi ANtoNiAdou tellS 2boArd thAt She
doeS Not feel like A “woNder-child”. eveN though She iS juSt
26 yeArS old. | ΕρΕυνήτρια τής NASA, πρωτοπορος των ΕξΕλιξΕων
τής αναγΕννήτικής ιατρικής, ΕθΕλοντρια, πολυβραβΕυμΕνή
Επιςτήμονας. ή ΕλΕνή αντωνιαδου δήλωνΕι ςτο 2boArd πως δΕν
αιςθανΕται καθολου «παιδι-θαυμα». κι ας Ειναι μοNo 26 Ετων.
What are you involved with at the moment? extraterrestrial life would be very pessimistic.
I am currently involved with some experiments The artificial trachea that you created as part
in bioscience that are being conducted at the In- of your postgraduate studies in collaboration
ternational Space Station and I had the oppor- with your fellow student, Claire Crowley, led to
tunity to instruct the astronauts, while I am also the first fully functional artificial organ trans-
experimenting with using stem cells from am- plant. Do you believe in a future of ‘Transplants
niotic fluid to create artificial organs and ther- without Donors’, as you named the company
apies for newborns. you co-founded?
Your CV states that taking your first astronomy Over the next decade, we will be able to create
class when you were 15 directly contributed to a series of organs with low functional complex-
the fact that today, you are a Research Associate ity through artificial methods, using stem cells
in the Biosciences Division at NASA. What do in the laboratory. This is an alternative route for
children need to make their dreams come true? organ transplants. Regenerative medicine and
I do not think there is a secret recipe, but cer- tissue mechanics are two fields that will change
tainly, developing certain traits results in open- the status quo regarding transplants, therapies tive therapies and when I founded my company;
ing our horizons: faith in oneself, constant alert- for neurodegenerative diseases, chemotherapy plus many, many more. However, the fact that I
ness and determination. I will share what I like and many more. have managed to be myself, stay focused on my
to call the key to success, and this is something Of course, you must realize that you have goals and believe in my potential in a world that
I learned in kindergarten through an allegory: achieved much for your age: 26 years old. Do continuously tries to compromise this has been
what would happen if we hit a tree a thousand you feel like a “wonder-child”? the most beneficial to me. I consider my largest
times in many different places? Absolutely noth- I do not feel like a “wonder-child” in the least, sacrifice to be the fact that I follow the lives of
ing. However, if we hit the tree a thousand times I just try to view all difficulties as an integral my family, friends and loved ones from afar, as
in the same place then it will fall down, and what part of the journey. I live in a state of constant I am unable to share their joys on a daily basis.
seemed impossible at first, will become reality. rebooting; I do not stay rooted in my success- Who played the most instrumental role in
You have stated that you wish to become a es, or in my failures. That is why I always have your life? Who were inspiring, and who gave
NASA astronaut and work on exploring life new problems to solve and I encounter fresh you fortitude?
in space. Are you confident there is life on challenges that help me develop and evolve. I have been fortunate enough to have had impor-
other planets? Over the last ten years you are away from your tant teachers and professors, such as my 94-year
The life of an astronaut certainly excites me, es- home, what has been most beneficial for you, old English teacher and my awesome parents,
pecially because I experience the difficulties and and what has been your biggest sacrifice? who gave me the resources to carve and follow
joys of their training up close; I am still a dream- There were many times over the past decade that my own course. Beyond inspiring and motivat-
er even though I recognize that the selection of I have experienced small victories, such as when ing me, they also helped me confront a sense-
astronauts also involves geopolitical aspects. I was privileged enough to help children in South less, yet very common, stereotype that is imposed
According to the new data obtained through America who had fallen prey to the black mar- on young people: that failing at some point in our
the Keppler Mission, our galaxy contains about ket organ trade, as well as when my research life makes us a failure. This makes failing into a
400 billion stars with 1.6 planets in their orbits. on artificial organ transplants was successfully harsh determining factor of one’s entire being.
Not believing in the possibility of some form of applied to patients who could not access alterna- We must not associate our results with who we
136
