Interview with ČAD Board memberFelipe Martínez-Ramírez

In the next part of our mini-interview series, you can read an interview with Felipe Martínez-Ramírez, a ČAD Board member and a PhD graduate of the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Charles University.

1. Why did you go for your PhD and what are you doing?

After years of professional experience in the pharmaceutical industry, I realised I wanted to return to academia to follow the research-driven career path I had originally envisioned. The doctoral stage felt essential, not only as formal training, but as an environment where curiosity is encouraged rather than constrained. Even while working in R&D, I was always the person who wanted to dig deeper, read further, and question the scientific foundations behind every method or decision. Academia offered me the space to follow that instinct.

My research sits at the interface of analytical chemistry and bioscience. I specialise in LC-MS/MS and its applications within the OMICS fields (lipidomics, metabolomics, and proteomics) combined with computational approaches for mass spectrometry data analysis. In my current projects, I use 3D cell models and animal models to find out how bioactive lipids move through organs and how their downstream metabolites are modulated in different physiological and pathological contexts. This integrates chemistry, biology, and technology in a way that continues to satisfy my scientific curiosity.

2. What problems and challenges does doctoral study bring, what motivates you in your work?

The challenges of doctoral study are very complex, and they often overlap in ways that make them hard to separate neatly. In the Czechia, one persistent issue is that doctoral candidates are formally treated as students, even though our responsibilities align far more closely with those of early-career researchers. This mismatch can create uncertainty about our professional identity. Added to that is the well-known impostor syndrome: the feeling that we are not good enough, which can mask the reality of our capabilities and achievements. As an international doctoral candidate, I also encounter additional barriers, like bureaucracy, language, and a sense of disconnection, added to  the usual pressures and that in my opinion deserve wider recognition in discussions about improving doctoral education.

What keeps me motivated is the knowledge that I am building an academic career in a field I am genuinely passionate about. The process naturally brings both good and difficult days, but I try to let the bright days set the tone and remind me why this work matters to me.

3. Why did you join ČAD?

My involvement with ČAD began by a happy coincidence during a webinar on grant applications, where a former board member encouraged the doctoral candidates to join the Association. What resonated with me was the Association’s commitment to supporting doctoral candidates through challenges that are often overlooked, issues related to supervision, legal stay, or other structural barriers that can significantly affect our studies. Having previously served in a COST Action working group as a media curator, I knew I could contribute meaningfully to ČAD by strengthening its visibility and outreach through social media.