Andreia Maia, PhD

What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned?

Everyone communicates differently. Instead of judging those differences, I try to be curious about them. Good leadership, to me, means listening, being patient, and always being open to learning.

What do you consider to be your most important career achievement or milestone?

Completing my PhD was a huge milestone for me. It taught me resilience and confidence. Receiving awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship, was very meaningful and reminded me that hard work truly matters.

What do you aspire to accomplish in your career and why? What obstacles will you overcome?

If my research can help even one person, I will feel fulfilled. If it can help many, that would be incredible. Research is challenging and competitive, but I’m willing to face setbacks and uncertainty because I believe in the impact of this work.

Describe an amazing opportunity in your STEM career.

Training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School has been an amazing opportunity. Being surrounded by inspiring scientists motivates me every day.

How was AWIS helped you professionally and/or personally?

I’m a recent member, but I already value being part of a community that supports women in STEM. Having access to mentorship and leadership development is very important in such a competitive field.

What is your favorite word? (only one word)

Ocean.

How do you define it?

The ocean is powerful and sometimes intimidating, but it also makes me curious. It reminds me of cancer, something we may fear, but that we can better understand through science.

What are you currently reading or listening to?

I’m currently reading The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, along with other books. I also enjoy podcasts about politics, comedy, and random topics.

Raised in Cartaxo, Portugal, Andreia Maia, PhD, studied Biochemistry (BSc), Molecular Biology and Genetics (MSc), and completed a PhD in Biomedicine/Immunology, focusing on CAR-NK therapies for pancreatic cancer. She is now a postdoc at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | Harvard Medical School, developing in vivo CAR-T and CAR-NK therapies for solid tumors. Andreia is passionate about advancing cancer immunotherapy, mentorship, and building inclusive scientific communities.