Team – ThePaperMill

Scientists working for scientists

We are a team of scientists with more than 50 years combined experience as scientific researchers, and more than 20 years experience as science communicators and trainers. Our scientist’s perspective forms the backbone of all our editing and training solutions, so we focus, not just on theory, but on the tough experience of daily life as a researcher.

We believe that science training needs to move away from the individualistic, trial-and-error model of the past, towards a more collaborative, methodological approach. This approach must also allow for the human factor, taking advantage of our strengths as scientists, and helping us better manage our weaknesses and biases as human beings.

ThePaperMill was founded in 2013 and is based in Barcelona, one of Europe’s most active and fastest-growing hubs for scientific research and innovation.

Gavin Lucas PhD

leader, editor and trainer

Gavin is a scientist with 13 years of experience in biomedical research, and 9 years of experience as an scientific editor and trainer. He has a solid track-record as a publishing scientist, and has also helped publish hundreds of scientific articles and funding proposals for dozens of institutes in diverse fields. He has extensive experience as a trainer in scientific writing and other topics, and provides consultancy on scientific productivity and training at academic institutes and agencies. Gavin founded ThePaperMill in 2013.

Tobias Maier PhD

trainer

Tobias is Deputy Director of the National Institute for Science Communication in Karlsruhe, Germany. He has a PhD in biochemistry and a ten-year track record in academic research, funding acquisition and scientific publishing. He has extensive experience as a trainer at workshops for scientists on diverse topics, including scientific writing, online science communication, career development, leadership, and other transferable skills. Tobias joined ThePaperMill as a trainer in 2015.

Valeria Di Giacomo PhD

scientific writing manager

Valeria is a scientist with 8 years of experience as a researcher in academia, and 5 years as a project manager in industry.
She obtained her PhD in Biomedicine in 2014 and has extensive experience in scientific writing, with a track record of scientific publications. During the years, she enjoyed working in teams with diverse scientific and cultural backgrounds.
In 2020, Valeria joined ThePaperMill as Scientific Writing Manager, combining her passions for science and communication.

Irene Alda PhD

grants manager

Irene has 6 years of experience in academic research and a PhD in photonics from ICFO, Barcelona. Her research lied at the intersection between optomechanics and near-field optics. After graduating, Irene joined ThePaperMill as Grants Manager Coordinator and editor in 2020. She enjoys communication, teamwork, and management in a scientific setting.

Stewe Bekk

collaborating grant consultant

Stewe is a freelance consultant and project manager with 12 years of experience in handling and soliciting research projects at three top research institutes in Barcelona, within the fields of photonics, nanotechnology and biomedicine. Thanks to this track-record, Stewe has a comprehensive overview of the funding landscape, and of the evaluation criteria, expectations and language of the funding agencies. He helps researchers prepare competitive proposals, with a focus on ERC grant applications and collaborative proposals. Since 2020, Stewe collaborates with ThePaperMill as a grant consultant.

Malte Beringer PhD

collaborating grant consultant

Malte is a grant consultant and scientific editor with a PhD in Biochemistry. He has a successful career as a researcher in top-class laboratories at the University of Witten/Herdecke (Germany), The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia (USA) and at the CRG, Barcelona (Spain). Malte supports scientific institutions and individual scientists in the preparation of compelling grant applications to national and European (HEurope) funding programs. Through his work, he ensures that every proposal features the strengths of the applicants and of the project while adhering to the funder’s intentions, thereby increasing the chance of getting funded. Malte is a collaborator of ThePaperMill since 2018.