Beyond the scientist: Dagmar Eleveld-Trancikova

29 March 2017

My name is Dagmar Eleveld-Trancikova and I have a double nationality. I am Slovak and Dutch. Currently, I work as a policy advisor research of the Radboudumc and scientific manager connected to RIHS and RIMLS. I live in Nijmegen-North with my husband and two children. We’ve recently moved to a new house with a view over a future lake.

What was your previous academic training, where did you study and why that study?
I studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Since my third year of study I was a volunteer in the research lab at the Cancer Research Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences where I later did my master thesis and PhD. During my PhD I have received an EACR travel grant and came to Nijmegen, to the department of Pathology, to learn immunohistochemistry. After my contract was finished I followed my heart and moved to Nijmegen. I got the opportunity to work on DC-specific proteins at the department of Tumorimmunolgy as a PhD candidate and postdoc. 6 Years ago it was time to change my career and I became a policy advisor/scientific manager at the former Research Institute for Oncology.
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? Can you tell us something about your child years.
I always wanted to be a researcher. I was fascinated by chemistry and wanted to study natural sciences. Later I wanted to contribute to medical research to cure diseases/cancer. My mother is a medical doctor specialized in clinical genetics, so as a child I have spent a lot of time looking through the microscope. During my high school I have participated in all possible chemical and biological contests. 
What is it that you would like to achieve in work in the next 5 to 10 years?
In my position as policy advisory I hope to support and facilitate researchers at Radboudumc to be able to achieve big steps in medical research and to be instrumental in formulating the clear policy and further developing the career possibilities of researchers, especially postdocs at Radboudumc.
Who is your great example as scientists? And please give a motivation why.
My great example is my first supervisor, dr. Marta Grofova. Especially for her enthusiasm, her never ending energy and optimism. Always finding the way to proceed with endless motivation. Performing collaborative research in a former communistic country was not easy.  But the most important, I value her for the unique way of guidance of young researchers. Unfortunately, she died of cancer during my stay in The Netherlands so I had only a short time to learn from her.
For what can we wake you up?
Mountains. Currently you can buy a T-shirt saying: “I do not need therapy, I just need to go to the mountains”. Very appropriate :) 
What is your hobby and how good are you at it?
I like to ski and dance. For Dutch I am a very good skier, for Slovak reasonable. Here in the Netherlands I miss the Slovak folklore dance evenements. 
What is your biggest irritation?
The strange habit of some Dutch cyclist; some people easily “team up” (read- take advantage of the others) especially on a windy day. They behave like a “kopman of a Tour de France team”, while I do not consider myself a “knecht”. I am an optimist and believe this behavior is only limited to cycling.
Who would you like to invite for dinner, if you had the chance?
Laurie Glimcher, cancer immunologist, recently appointed President and CEO of Dana Faber Cancer Institute.  Besides of her interesting research on cellular differentiation of lymphocytes and ER stress response, which I closely followed during my scientific career, she is considered a role model for young female scientists who are balancing career and family.