Every week one of our bloggers will introduce themselves to the world and talk about how much fun it is working in Science Policy. Today our team’s most talented photographer, Mario Rivero-Huguet, says hello from Montreal.
Mario Rivero-Huguet– Montreal
Born in Uruguay – the country of good tender meat and mate – I have always enjoyed studying and living abroad. Actually, my mother calls me the family nomad. Probably because I have studied all around the world including: Leipzig and the Universities of Monash and Victoria in Melbourne.
Like John, I am also a chemist with a Master’s degree in Nuclear Medicine from the University of Leipzig, Germany and a PhD in environmental health from McGill University, Canada. Before joining the FCO I worked for Canada’s International Development Research Centre within the Ecohealth division and the North America Commission for Environmental Cooperation in projects related to the heightened vulnerability of certain communities across North America to environmental pollutants.
Even though I loved both work places, being a Science and Innovation Officer challenges me to go beyond my areas of expertise and comfort – most of them life sciences related. For example, here in Montreal I am leading the advanced engineering sector including aerospace, space, robotics etc., and I can tell you that I needed to learn a whole new vocabulary and sector priorities. The other thing that I enjoy is meeting new people in different fields, learning more and creating new friendships.
On a more personal note, I love eating (not cooking) French food including cheeses and wines and in my free time I do a lot of outdoor sports – even in winter. I do run in nearby Park Lafontaine at -26°C, but that’s my limit. Since my early days I have had a passion for photography and even received the 1st prize at the National Heritage Photographic Contest – so I want to share this picture with you which I took during my Christmas break.
You can continue to follow my blogs here and follow me on twitter – @mriverohuguet
