Those who dream big will get rewarded; the only limits are in your head, believes Dr. Rosa Alba Pugliesi, a radiologist from Sicily, convinced as her own life shows.
It was her first winter in Germany -- freezing at –3°. She arrived without German knowledge, with no savings and not even a proper coat, something she would never have needed back home in Sicily, she said in a video interview with AuntMinnie Europe. But she had a dream and unwavering self-belief.
To make ends meet she started working first as an au pair, then in a beauty salon, financed her German classes herself, and eventually made it in Germany. In between there were many pushbacks and many challenges. But her belief remained, despite facing constant resistance, especially as a woman. She's part of the "Queens" network in Germany and wants to empower young women coming up behind her.
Now she's been named one of 18 international participants selected for RSNA's Introduction to Research for International Young Academics (IRIYA) program, received the Springer Nature Editor of Distinction Award for Abdominal Radiology, and in 2027 her ultrasound congress presidency in Germany kicks off.
Currently she's moving to Zurich, hopping between international congresses. Her research spans an impressive range, to name a few topics: AI in abdominal imaging, MRI for oncology, CT-guided lung biopsy, and even total-body PET/CT.
