Science. One of the biggest forces propelling mankind to a prosperous future. For this, every minute of every day, thousands upon thousands of scientists are working tirelessly. Why is it then, that most of them are leaving their careers behind? Why is it that the scientists from the 1960s had spent lifetime working on the most pressing issues we face, while today’s scientists are leaving within a handful of years? Vugar invites everyone to understand one of the most overlooked aspects of the scientific community. Leadership, he argues, is no less important than the next great discovery. - Video produced by froehlichfilm.de - Vugar was born in Azerbaijan. He moved to United States for his university studies where he completed his bachelor’s degree in microbiology, and master’s degree in cell/molecular biology. In 2013, Vugar founded a company for developing a device for working with cells in research laboratories. Later he expanded to laboratory supplies and transportation.
In 2018, Vugar started his doctoral studies with Prof. Dr. Mario Zaiss at the Universitätsklinikum Erlangen where he studied the effect of alcohol consumption on the immune system. Since completing his doctorate in 2021, he has been continuing as a postdoctoral researcher and has secured his first research grant advancing and growing his project.

In 2019, Vugar was elected to the advisory board of German Society for Immunology-Young Immunologists working group and selected to serve as co-spokesperson. Vugar, together with the fellow advisory board members, helped to bring light to issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion in academia.

Driven by his subjective experiences Vugar is aiming to raise awareness about leadership in science and academia. He believes that if we, as scientists, would act and develop ourselves to become better leaders today, we will most certainly reap the benefits in the future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx