Krisztina Ötvös at the EB Research Institute in Salzburg, where she works on translational research for Epidermolysis bullosa. Photo: Bianca Plörer, DEBRA Austria
About 13 years after leaving UPSC, Krisztina Ötvös looks back on a career driven by scientific curiosity, a desire to take on new challenges and a commitment to doing high-quality science. For her, every career move built on the scientific thinking and transferable skills she had developed before.
Every day, Krisztina Ötvös works alongside clinicians and researchers to develop better treatments for Epidermolysis bullosa, a rare inherited disease that causes extremely fragile skin. It is a long way from the plant developmental biology she studied during her postdoctoral years at UPSC. Yet she sees a clear thread connecting every step of her career.
"I never had a fixed plan," she says. "I am really a challenge-driven person, and I always wanted to enjoy what I was doing."
Throughout her career, Ötvös was motivated by doing high-quality science and taking on new scientific challenges.
Joining UPSC as a postdoctoral researcher was one of those challenges. Supported by a fellowship from the Carl Trygger Foundation, it was her first international postdoc and an opportunity to experience a highly regarded research environment. She also remembers the collaborative atmosphere, where group leaders always kept their doors open for discussions.
"We really did good science there and I'm grateful for my supervisor," she says. "I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It is such an international community, and I still cherish that experience."
Life outside the laboratory also became part of that experience. She remembers running around Nydalasjön, spending time at IKSU and, perhaps most importantly, meeting her partner in Umeå.
Finding a translational direction
After leaving UPSC, Ötvös continued her academic career with another postdoctoral position at the internationally recognised Institute of Science and Technology Austria, another internationally recognised research institute, attracted by the opportunity to continue doing research at the highest level. Although she enjoyed academic research, she gradually realised that what motivated her most was seeing research move closer to practical applications.
"At some point, I realised that what motivated me most in academia was doing the science itself and seeing it translated into practical applications," she says. "I realised that I would really appreciate something more applied - something with a stronger translational direction."
That realisation eventually led her from academia into drug discovery, later to a biotechnology company developing next-generation sequencing (NGS) products and workflows, and today to the EB Research Institute in Salzburg, where she works on translational research for Epidermolysis bullosa.
Looking back, these career moves may seem like major changes in direction. Ötvös sees something different.
"There is a pattern," she says. “I always build on what I had before. What I learned stayed with me - and the thinking stayed with me.”
Building on previous experiences
Moving from plant biology to diagnostics, biotechnology and rare disease research meant entering completely new scientific environments. Rather than leaving her expertise behind, Ötvös learned to build on the scientific thinking and skills she had already developed, knowing they would remain valuable regardless of the research field.
"When you enter a room full of experts, you really feel that you don't know enough," she says. "But I always thought: 'I don't know enough yet.' I knew I could learn what I needed to know."
Rather than trying to become the foremost expert in every discipline, she learned to contribute a different perspective.
"While my background isn't in dermatology, I can come at problems from another angle and bring ideas that complement the team's expertise," she says.
She believes many researchers underestimate how transferable academic training really is.
"In academia, we learn methods, data analysis, communication and project management," she says. "You coordinate collaborations, mentor students and develop new ideas. Academia actually provides a lot of transferable skills."
Her advice to researchers considering a change in career or research field is simple:
"You shouldn't be afraid of changing fields because you’re not starting over. You never lose what you had - you build on it."
Learning to lead
Building on previous experiences also meant growing into leadership. As her career developed, leadership became a natural extension of her scientific work. It started with mentoring students and colleagues before she eventually led a product development team.
"When I had a team, I realised that leadership is about making sure people know what to do and have everything they need to execute their work," she says.
For Ötvös, leadership is another skill that can be learned and refined.
"You learn a lot from others - and also a lot about yourself," she says. "You realise that not everyone approaches things the same way you do. You have to listen to feedback, even when it's not easy."
She is currently expanding these skills through a leadership development programme.
Research with a direct impact on patients
Today, Ötvös finds her greatest motivation in knowing that her work has the potential to improve patients' lives. Sharing a building with the patient clinic creates a close connection between research and the people it aims to help.
"We actually see the patients," she says. "You see that if you are successful, you can make a real difference to their lives. This feeling... it's just everything."
Her current role brings together many of the experiences she has gained throughout her career. The interdisciplinary nature of Epidermolysis bullosa research allows her to draw on both the scientific thinking and the research and development mindset she developed throughout her career.
Ötvös hopes that her own career path will encourage young researchers to stay open to different opportunities and to define success on their own terms.
"It's okay if you don't want to be a PI," she says. “Success in science can take many forms. You have to be honest with yourself about what gives you energy. If you find that, you will find your way."
Krisztina Ötvös was a postdoctoral researcher at UPSC from 2010 to 2013 in László Bakó 's research group. She is currently Senior Research Scientist at the EB Research Institute in Salzburg, Austria, where she works on translational research for epidermolysis bullosa.
For more information, please contact:
Krisztina Ötvös
Senior Research Scientist at the EB Research Institute
E-mail:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ötvös-biologist