IntechOpen Program “Rising Stars”
IntechOpen's "Rising Stars" program features conversations with leading experts in various scientific fields. With the aim to inspire and guide the next generation of scientists, these interviews highlight personal stories, share valuable advice, and discuss essential skills for a successful career in science.

Interview Highlights
Ivana Vodopivec provides practical advice for young researchers, emphasizing the importance of open-mindedness, flexibility, and identifying a niche. She discusses key skills such as communication, teamwork, and networking. Ivana also addresses the challenges faced in the field of science and compares the research environments in academia and the pharmaceutical industry.

About Ivana Vodopivec, MD, Phd
Ivana Vodopivec is a Principal Medical Director at Roche who dedicated her career to developing new medicines for people with rare inflammatory and genetic diseases of the nervous system, including the retina. Ivana holds an MD degree from the Zagreb University School of Medicine in Croatia and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Zürich in Switzerland. She completed her neurology residency training and two clinical fellowships in Autoimmune Neurology and Neuro-Ophthalmology at Harvard-affiliated hospitals (Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary). She subsequently served as an Instructor in Neurology at the Harvard Medical School and an Associate Neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Ivana transitioned to biopharmaceutical industry in 2017; she joined Roche in 2020 after 3 years at Biogen. Ivana authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has been contributing to the scientific field as the Neuro-ophthalmology Section Editor of Survey of Ophthalmology.

Visit the Rising Stars Hub to get inspired: https://www.intechopen.com/rising-stars