Dr. Sylvain Ferrandon, a research scientist and lab manager at the Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, shares his immigration story as a scientist from France coming to the US for a postdoctoral fellowship. We learn from Sylvain about the structure of the French education system, the factors that led him to look for research opportunities outside of France, and the qualities that make the US such a desirable place for scientists to work. He describes how he looked for and landed a job in the US and he paints a vivid picture of his first week upon arrival in Cleveland, Ohio. Through his story, we are introduced to some of the very real challenges international researchers in the US face, including meeting visa/work authorization renewal deadlines, overcoming language barriers, and building a credit score. Sylvain also explains how he found and created community. We discuss the benefits of diversified backgrounds in science, and the trends we predict for international researchers in the US. Interwoven in this conversation are Sylvain’s unwavering love of learning, his tangible excitement to explore the world, and his deep admiration and respect for the sacrifices made by international scientists to do research in the US.

Some helpful links:

Cleveland French Community

Columbus French Community