Help Janan relocate to Paris for postdoctoral job

Why Paris? 

Before you read about me and why I'm asking for funds, I thought it'd be important to emphasize what a big career opportunity this is for me. It may, at first, seem as though I am asking for a nice and cozy trip to Paris and on the surface my achievements may appear to come with considerable ease. My PhD, thankfully, was very successful. But it wasn't an easy ride at all. As with all PhDs, there was of course the financial challenge (which somewhat improved when I was able to supplement my scholarship with a casual income during the last year of my candidature). There were obstacles and challenges both within and outside of my PhD which I endured, but I won't detail those out here. Despite these challenges and the isolation that comes with this journey, I persevered, because this is my life's work and purpose. Getting this postdoc in Paris is the result of lots of stress, heartache, gray hairs, coupled with my sheer determination, passion, and drive to succeed. I'm asking for your help in getting to a place where some of my scientific idols have been, and to hopefully make the same impact they have on science.

 

Who is Janan?

I am a multidisciplinary scientist, specializing in artificial intelligence (AI), mathematics, statistics, and bioinformatics. I am a passionate scientist who is absolutely determined to make a significant change to our world and improve it in any way I can. I also dedicate a lot of my time to volunteer work, and have spent time mentoring primary and high school children in programming.

I'm just finishing up my PhD at the University of Melbourne. My PhD involved the application of AI to ophthalmology. For a complete list of my works during my PhD, please click here. In addition to my scholarly work, I was one of the ten grand finalist in the 2020 University of Melbourne 3-Minute Thesis competition. I was also fortunate enough to be awarded the RB McComas Research Scholarship in Ophthalmology for my candidature. I have also been the Chair of the Early Career & Student Statisticians (ECSS) Network as well as the ECSS Conference 2021. During my candidature, I've also worked as a casual Research Fellow, which involved the development of AI software for cancer research.

 

The Need

I have been very lucky (and humbled!) to be offered an two-year AI-based postdoctoral opportunity at the Paris Brain Institute/Institut du Cerveau. My postdoctoral work will involve the application of AI to melanoma. This opportunity allows me to continue my work in creating automated medical diagnostic and prognostic processes to improve patient quality of care.

While I am incredibly excited, there is the cost of relocation from Melbourne to Paris. My scholarship and casual income during my candidature provided me with a livable income during my studies, but it was not sufficient for me to save a substantial sum to help with the move to Paris.

Furthermore, there are some challenges with the move. While I am trying to establish many things before I arrive (e.g., bank account), it seems things will only really start rolling once I arrive in Paris. This leaves me a little vulnerable until I start receiving my paycheck. For example, I am trying to lease a long-term apartment, but this will not be feasible until I receive a couple of paychecks and have a couple of pay slips to include as part of my lease application. This means I'd need to lease short-term apartments (i.e., for the first 2 months so I can get those pay slips to then use to lease a long-term apartment) in the meantime. For the short-term lease, I'd need to make an upfront payment. 

I am asking for donations (or even loans which I can pay back over time) that'll help me transition from Melbourne to Paris.  

 

Expenses

I am predominantly asking for help with paying for (a) short-term accommodation, as well as deposits for short- and (eventually) long-term accommodations to help me get settled in Paris, and (b) some living expenses until I can start receiving my paycheck. Prices are shown in both EURO and AUD.

(1) 4150 € / AUD$6640:

This covers:

(a) Short-term lease. This includes 2-months rent (1070 € each month) and 750 €  for deposit. 

(b) Deposit for long-term lease. This is 1200 €  plus 60 € service fees and charges.  

(2) 1250 € / AUD$2,000:

This is to cover living expenses until I start receiving a regular paycheck. 

 

If you have anything to spare, I'd really appreciate it.  

Thank you for reading this and I hope you have a great day.