Under Development

I was born in Bucharest, Romania, and my childhood was nothing short of eventful. I split my time between the city and a remote mountain village — where my father was born — during the months-long holidays. Much of this was shared with my younger brother. Ever since I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a scientist. I feel fortunate to have grown up in an academic family that also had a keen inclination towards the arts: most of our dinner table conversations revolved around debating research papers or literature. My father, Dr. Constantin Balaet, was a medical doctor, scientist, and professor, who also wrote numerous books of poetry—most of them dedicated to my mother. He was loved by many of his patients, colleagues, and students, all of whom we would regularly host or join at scientific and literary events. My passion for science was deeply nurtured, yet my interest in painting, photography, film, and writing was also encouraged. Looking back, having had this upbringing on the background of the unconditional love story between my parents — who remained happily married until my father's passing in 2018 — is a gift I cherish, and it brings tears to my eyes to recognise how blessed I was to have that start in life.

When I was 14, I was earning my pocket money by putting posters up in schools amongst other odd jobs (my parents never gave me anything for free) and stumbled upon a fair advertising UK exchange programmes. It was being held over the weekend in a very fancy hotel. My father kindly agreed to take me, and after seeing I was fluent in English, he signed papers on the spot that allowed me to travel alone. A few months later, I took the first flight of my life and moved to Brighton in the UK for a few weeks. I fell in love with the country and returned every summer to different cities, also on my own, all while continuing my schooling in Romania. During the academic year, I was a regular at mathematics, chemistry, and biology olympiads and contests; I also won national prizes for creative writing. Most days after school when I was not working the random odd job, I would shadow doctors of various specialties or help out in a local haematology lab. In addition, I did a lot of volunteering with the Youth for Youth foundation, an organisation aimed at promoting sexual health among teenagers in Romania. I completed a Natural Sciences profile at Gheorghe Lazăr National College at the age of 17 (1-2 years ahead of peers), attaining baccalaureate results that placed me among the top of my school and the country. I am particularly proud of my 99.5% in mathematics during a year when one of the hardest integrals problems ever was set in the exam.

Next, I moved to the UK and completed a BMedSc at the University of Birmingham. If I am to be honest, I did not find my footing there as I had hoped. I wasn't drawn to the clubbing or drinking university culture, made only a couple of friends, and spent most of my time either in the library or attending scientific conferences and meetings on weekends — usually those that were free for undergraduates. My university years were also marked by considerable financial difficulty, reduced food, lack of central heating, ongoing housing instability and regular illness. Yet I had an unquenchable drive to study and launch a research career. I secured every research bursary available at the university for extracurricular projects, and I joined Dr Joff Lee's lab, where I conducted in vivo experiments focusing on memory reconsolidation destabilisation. That experience cemented my commitment to academia; it nurtured my passion, sustained my drive, and gave me the confidence to be a researcher. During my time at Birmingham, I also founded and chaired a Psychedelics Research Society, organising the first lecture about psychedelics on campus since prohibition.

In 2017, I joined Imperial College London, and shortly thereafter began what would become a now almost decade — long collaboration with Professor Adam Hampshire. Upon arriving at Imperial, something clicked: the Clinical, Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (C3NL) felt like the perfect fit. For the first time in years, I truly felt as though I had found both my place and my people. I spent eight wonderful years there, forging lifelong friendships and professional connections, before moving to King's College London in 2024. During my time at Imperial, I also became a mother of two. These two companions are why it's all worth living; we share the wonders of the mind everyday and explore our planet during the many conference trips I am privileged to attend each year. One of the great perks of my job is the constant opportunity to travel, presenting and debating cutting-edge science around the globe. I feel very fortunate for where I am today. It has been a journey of struggle, sacrifice, and endless curiosity, and I cannot imagine dedicating my life to anything other than trying to understand what we are and why we are, through the study of the brain.