"IMDEA Networks gave me the tools I needed, such as the critical thinking to be able to pursue different types of research in my recent career"

Why, what, how and where: an alumna takes stock of her experience as a predoctoral researcher at IMDEA Networks

18 June 2024

We interview one of the members of our Alumni Network, Dr. Evgenia Christoforou. She obtained her PhD from IMDEA Networks and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid back in May 2017 and is now working as a Research Associate at CYENS-Centre of Excellence in Cyprus.

During her time at the institute, she was part of the Global Computing Group, led by Antonio Fernández Anta. Her research interests are on acquiring reliability in online untrustworthy environments with a special focus on micro-task crowdsourcing systems.

Why did you decide to pursue a PhD?

Pursuing a PhD was actually something that came naturally. After finishing my master’s thesis on a topic that I really liked, the opportunity arrived to do a PhD on a similar topic at IMDEA Networks so I applied for the position, I got it and well, the rest is history.

What would you highlight about your time as a PhD Student at IMDEA Networks?

Apart from the excellent research environment that IMDEA has, I would say that the international atmosphere, the really welcoming and friendly people at IMDEA Networks it was one of the highlights of my stay and all the international students you could talk to and connect with. I really felt at home.

Do you feel your time at IMDEA Networks prepared you well for your professional career?

Yes, in fact I would say that it did, because it gave me the tools that I needed such as the critical thinking of being able to pursue different types of research in my recent career and also my advisor, Antonio Fernández Anta, helped me a lot with thinking outside of the box which was something really valuable for me.

Have you moved into industry, academia or the research sector?

I am still doing research, I am a Research Associate at CYENS Centre of Excellence in Cyprus and I’m the project coordinator of KeepAnI a project that is trying to compact social biases by systematically and methodologically, identifying social stereotypes in artificial intelligence applications by leveraging on the power of the crowd and crowd sourcing.

Actually, this project, is almost finished and we are about to publish some very interesting results which I encourage everyone to go and check out on our website.