Women in my family have always been resilient, successful, living their lives to the fullest. My maternal grandmother came to Athens as a war refugee from Constantinople (today Istanbul) in 1919—after having been separated from her parents. She had a full life and died at the age of 96 having supported her daughter to study Law and follow an academic career in bioethics. She also helped to raise her grandchildren, my two sisters, and myself, thus allowing her daughter to lead a successful academic career. I remember my grandmother always being a positive force empowering us to pursue our dreams. My mother, an orphan from father, was raised with limited financial resources, but was dedicated to get an education and succeed. She gained a high school scholarship to the United States and then returned to Greece where she studied law, received a PhD in Bioethics and built a renowned career in Europe as an expert in bioethics and policies. She died from cancer at the age of 58, passing the family torch to my sisters and me. She has truly been ever since my inspiration to live and work giving my best self and valuing every moment of it.

I followed an academic career, as a neuropsychopharmacologist and established an independent research program that focuses on studying sex differences in models of depression and antidepressant response. In the past year, I had the pleasure to be involved as a scientist expert in the European Union’s Research Integrity and Bioethics Unit. In this role, I myself have broadened my scientific horizons and reconnected to my upbringing in a house of lawyers who frequently discussed about advocacy and policies that safeguard the ethical conduct of the scientific enterprise. Thus, reflecting on my career I have to admit that I had the best role model that anyone can ask for: my mother. I hope I can be the same for my daughter, Dione.

In my career, I was fortunate to have met important women scientists who mentored and supported me. My PhD thesis advisor, Dr. Z. Papadopoulou‐Daifoti, a professor in the Medical School of Athens, introduced me, in 2000, to the novel field of sex differences in neuropsychopharmacology. During my career, in Greece I was always surrounded by strong and successful women, as female scientists have a strong presence in the Hellenic Society for Neurosciences. Later, in 2005 when I moved to Rutgers University in New Jersey for my postdoctoral studies having a Marie Curie fellowship, I was mentored by an extraordinary scientist that truly transformed my career, Prof. Tracey J. Shors. Anyone who has met Tracey knows that she is a remarkable woman, who has pioneered the importance of sex differences in neuroscience. Tracey is not only a true scientist but an inspiring mentor who motivates and transfers her enthusiasm for good science to everyone around her! This is how I want myself to lead my scientific endeavors. I was fortunate that Tracey connected me to a network of extraordinary women neuroscientists who became my dear friends and collaborators. To set the record straight, I did not live in a women‐only convent. I have always been surrounded by male peers and friends who have supported me in my personal and professional life. These peers have broken down past behaviors and consider women as equal partners in the scientific endeavor.

Earlier in my career, I did not face significant professional issues due to my gender. My experiences changed when I joined the Medical School of Athens, where I was recently promoted to the level of associate professor. My administrative duties involved my participation in committees at the Medical School, the National Medicines Organizations and at the Ministry of Health. I realized early on that as a young, “petite” woman, I had to be twice more convincing, well prepared and persuasive than my male peers, in order to express my professional opinion. However, I have learned to overcome these backward—thinking attitudes by being confident, well prepared, knowing my science well, and showing everyone firmly that I have an equal seat on the table. It is a skill that needs to be acquired, sometimes—like in my case—also inherited … Perseverance and Resilience.

In the last years, my peers elected me as the President of the Hellenic Society for Neurosciences and President‐elect of the Mediterranean Neuroscience Society, because they value my scientific path and my vision to most effectively support a vibrant scientific network for all of us in the Mediterranean area. However, I face the same challenges with my male peers primarily in securing adequate funding and occasionally I also face some conflicts. My message is for women and men scientists alike. We manage to overcome problems and thrive when we have strong networks of support around us: families, partners, friends, colleagues. Empowered we walk the walk.

I plan for an impactful future. To become a better mentor for the younger generation, expand my research and translate my discoveries to true gains for the well‐being of men and women. I put special emphasis on outreach efforts to disseminate science beyond the boundaries of academia and educate the public. For these efforts, I was recently honored to be invited to join the DANA alliance for brain initiatives as a full member. Currently, as principal investigator at the Medical School of Athens and as a member of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Preclinical Data Network, with the support of a talented and well‐trained team, we thrive to push forward the field of Psychopharmacology, with a strong focus on promoting women’s health. Employing multidisciplinary approaches and collaborations that encompasses Psychopharmacology, Neuroendocrinology, and Psychiatry, we seek to grasp a bigger picture and formulate new research hypotheses regarding sex differences in neurobiology and their effects on drug development. My scientific mission is completed by teaching and mentoring the next generation in the largest and oldest Medical School of Greece. Additionally, as a member of the “Greek Women in Academia Association” and as a L’Oreal—Unesco awardee, I advocate for women in sciences and academia.

Through my work, mentorship, and the visibility that my positions and awards have given me during the past few years, I hope that I will be able to build more effectively a supporting environment for scientific endeavor and innovation for the younger generation. I firsthand see the damage that takes place by the continuous scientific “brain‐drain” not only in Greece, but in the whole Mediterranean area. Conducting great science, and creating equal opportunities for women and men scientists to thrive is my mission.

我家的女性一直都很有韧性，很成功，过着充实的生活。我的外祖母于 1919 年作为战争难民从君士坦丁堡（今天的伊斯坦布尔）来到雅典，当时她与父母失散。她过着充实的生活，并在 96 岁时去世，她支持女儿学习法律并从事生物伦理学的学术生涯。她还帮助抚养她的孙辈、我的两个姐妹和我自己，从而让她的女儿在学术生涯中取得了成功。我记得我的祖母一直是一股积极的力量，使我们能够追求自己的梦想。我的母亲是父亲的孤儿，在经济资源有限的情况下长大，但她致力于接受教育并取得成功。她获得了美国的高中奖学金，然后回到希腊学习法律，获得生物伦理学博士学位，并作为生物伦理学和政策专家在欧洲建立了著名的职业生涯。她在 58 岁时死于癌症，将家庭火炬传递给了我和我的姐妹们。自从我受到生活和工作的启发以来，她就一直在给予我最好的自我并珍惜它的每一刻。

我从事学术生涯，作为一名神经精神药理学家，并建立了一个独立的研究项目，专注于研究抑郁症和抗抑郁药反应模型中的性别差异。在过去的一年里，我有幸成为欧盟研究诚信和生物伦理部门的科学家专家。在这个职位上，我自己拓宽了我的科学视野，并重新融入了我在律师之家的成长经历，他们经常讨论保护科学企业道德行为的倡导和政策。因此，回顾我的职业生涯，我不得不承认我拥有任何人都可以要求的最佳榜样：我的母亲。我希望我的女儿 Dione 也能像我一样。

在我的职业生涯中，我有幸遇到了指导和支持我的重要女科学家。我的博士论文导师，雅典医学院教授 Z. Papadopoulou-Daifoti 博士于 2000 年向我介绍了神经精神药理学中性别差异的新领域。在我的职业生涯中，在希腊，我身边总是有坚强而成功的女性，因为女性科学家在希腊神经科学协会中占有重要地位。后来，在 2005 年，当我获得玛丽居里奖学金前往新泽西州罗格斯大学进行博士后研究时，我得到了一位真正改变我职业生涯的杰出科学家 Tracey J. Shors 教授的指导。任何见过特蕾西的人都知道，她是一位了不起的女性，她开创了神经科学中性别差异的重要性。Tracey 不仅是一位真正的科学家，还是一位鼓舞人心的导师，她将她对科学的热情传递给她周围的每个人！这就是我希望自己领导我的科学事业的方式。我很幸运，特蕾西将我连接到了一个由杰出的女性神经科学家组成的网络，她们成为了我亲爱的朋友和合作者。坦率地说，我没有住在女性专用的修道院里。在我的个人生活和职业生涯中，我身边一直都是支持我的男性同龄人和朋友。这些同龄人打破了过去的行为，并将女性视为科学事业中的平等伙伴。我很幸运，特蕾西将我连接到了一个由杰出的女性神经科学家组成的网络，她们成为了我亲爱的朋友和合作者。坦率地说，我没有住在女性专用的修道院里。在我的个人生活和职业生涯中，我身边一直都是支持我的男性同龄人和朋友。这些同龄人打破了过去的行为，并将女性视为科学事业中的平等伙伴。我很幸运，特蕾西将我连接到了一个由杰出的女性神经科学家组成的网络，她们成为了我亲爱的朋友和合作者。坦率地说，我没有住在女性专用的修道院里。在我的个人生活和职业生涯中，我身边一直都是支持我的男性同龄人和朋友。这些同龄人打破了过去的行为，并将女性视为科学事业中的平等伙伴。

在我职业生涯的早期，我没有因为性别而面临重大的职业问题。当我加入雅典医学院时，我的经历发生了变化，我最近被提升为副教授级别。我的行政职责包括参与医学院、国家药品组织和卫生部的委员会。我很早就意识到，作为一个年轻的“娇小”女性，我必须比我的男性同龄人更有说服力、准备充分和有说服力，才能表达我的专业意见。然而，我已经学会了通过自信、做好充分准备、熟悉我的科学，并坚定地向每个人展示我在桌子上拥有平等的席位来克服这些落后的思维态度。这是一项需要掌握的技能，

In the last years, my peers elected me as the President of the Hellenic Society for Neurosciences and President‐elect of the Mediterranean Neuroscience Society, because they value my scientific path and my vision to most effectively support a vibrant scientific network for all of us in地中海地区。然而，我和我的男同事面临着同样的挑战，主要是在获得足够的资金方面，偶尔我也会遇到一些冲突。我的信息适用于女性和男性科学家。当我们周围有强大的支持网络时，我们就能克服问题并茁壮成长：家人、合作伙伴、朋友、同事。赋权我们走路。

我计划一个有影响力的未来。为了成为年轻一代更好的导师，扩大我的研究范围，并将我的发现转化为真正有益于男性和女性福祉的收获。我特别强调在学术界之外传播科学和教育公众的外展工作。对于这些努力，我最近有幸被邀请作为正式成员加入 DANA 大脑倡议联盟。目前，作为雅典医学院的首席研究员和欧洲神经精神药理学学院临床前数据网络的成员，在一支才华横溢、训练有素的团队的支持下，我们蓬勃发展，以强大的力量推动精神药理学领域的发展。注重促进女性健康。采用包括精神药理学在内的多学科方法和合作，神经内分泌学和精神病学，我们力求掌握更大的图景，并就神经生物学的性别差异及其对药物开发的影响制定新的研究假设。我的科学使命是通过在希腊最大、最古老的医学院教授和指导下一代来完成的。此外，作为“希腊学术界女性协会”的成员和欧莱雅-联合国教科文组织的获奖者，我提倡科学和学术界的女性。

通过我过去几年的工作、指导以及我的职位和奖项给我带来的知名度，我希望我能够为年轻一代更有效地建立一个支持科学努力和创新的环境。我亲眼目睹了持续的科学“人才流失”不仅在希腊，而且在整个地中海地区所造成的破坏。开展伟大的科学研究，并为女性和男性科学家创造平等的发展机会是我的使命。