In collaboration with Falling Walls Female Science Talents, Female Speaking Berlin for Berlin Science Week 2025
THE bEAR presents
BEYOND NOW
True stories from women shaping the future of science
Seven brilliant women scientists from around the world step away from their data and onto the stage
Each tells a true, personal story in just seven minutes.
Because when we listen to the human side of science, we see the future a little differently.
Meet our protagonists
Charlotte Berrezueta Palacios
Charlotte Berrezueta Palacios is an Ecuadorian physicist from the Galapagos Islands, currently pursuing a PhD at Freie Universität Berlin under Prof. Stephanie Reich. Her research focuses on low-dimensional materials, using Raman spectroscopy to study their vibrational and optical properties. Charlotte co-organizes an international conference in the Galapagos dedicated to empowering underrepresented researchers and young scientists, highlighting the remarkable potential of Ecuador’s aspiring researchers in nanoscience. In 2023, she received the Agents of Change Award for her work in fostering scientific collaboration and outreach. Charlotte Berrezueta Palacios is a part of the Falling Walls Female Science Talents Intensive Track 2025.
Charlotte’s story is titled:
Guanjin Wang
Dr. Wang holds a joint Ph.D. in AI and Digital Health from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Technology Sydney. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at Murdoch University, Western Australia, and was previously a Visiting Research Scholar at the L3S Center, Leibniz University Hannover. Her research focuses on developing advanced algorithms for learning from complex, imperfect data, improving model explainability, and designing human-centered AI solutions for marginalized communities, including Aboriginal communities in Australia. She believes AI is created by humans, should serve humans, and must prioritize human needs. Close collaboration with diverse communities is essential to ensuring AI solutions are inclusive and address real societal needs. Dr. Wang aims to lead a research group dedicated to advancing AI for social good, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and two-way learning, and developing human-centered AI that creates meaningful societal impact. Guanjin (Brenda) Wang is a part of the Falling Walls Female Science Talents Intensive Track 2025.
Guanjin’s junk journaling for a trip taken before the pandemic.
A junk journaling friends’ gathering.
Guanjin’s story is titled:
Hari Priya Pettugani
Born to a dancer and a mathematician, I was always drawn to nature’s beauty that quietly hides simple science. Growing up in this blend of artistry and analytics, I became captivated by the science veiled in nature’s beauty — driven not by accolades, but by the joy of uncovering its secrets.
Now, as an industrial PhD student at MOTH and the University of Basel, I explore quantum reservoir computing, finding artistic and visual expressions of quantum technologies in art, gaming, and digital graphics. For me, discovery isn’t confined to the lab — it’s in every step, rhythm, and question that connects the beauty of art with the wonder of science. This passion also led me to be featured in the NCCR SPIN article “Dancing with Pauli”, where I helped bring quantum concepts to life through dance, blending science and art in a poetic performance.
Dance hasn’t stopped either. I earned my classical dance diploma in college and still practice it alongside my research. Travel is my escape—I wander through countries listening to nature’s sounds, dancing in local spaces, journaling my thoughts, and filming short clips that turn trails into my stage. I realized science and art aren’t rivals—they’re partners, turning every experience into movement, sound, and story.
Regarding contact details, people can connect with me via:
Instagram: @priya_explicit
http://linkedin.com/in/haripriya-pettugani
Priya’s story is titled: From Daughter to Wife and Wife to WOman in Science
Poster presentation at a conference in Finland.
Priya in Switzerland.
Dancing on a Frozen Lake, Yes !
Maira Jimenez Sanchez
Driven by curiosity and sunlight, Maira is a PhD candidate in Experimental Medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Originally from Mexico, her research explores how UVB light—part of the sun’s rays—can communicate with the gut microbiome and immune system to reveal new, non-drug therapies for gut diseases that still have no cure.
Maira holds two Master’s degrees—one in Biochemical Sciences and another in Education—and previously worked in sustainability and operations for global companies like AB InBev and Danone. Her career bridges science, leadership, and empathy, reflecting her belief that knowledge should serve both people and the planet.
She has traveled to more than 30 countries, chasing stories, culture, and freedom. But as she says, “It hasn’t always been like that.” Through her journey, she learned that love isn’t everything—it’s balance. That the first kind of love we must nurture is for ourselves. And that true empowerment, especially for women in science, comes from embracing both strength and vulnerability.
Now living in Vancouver, Maira continues to teach, mentor, and inspire others to see science as a human story. When she’s not in the lab, she enjoys the outdoors, her family, and the company of her two chihuahuas, Coco and Gordita.
Maira’s story is titled:
Nereyda Y. Ortiz Osejo
Nereyda Y. Ortiz Osejo is a PhD candidate in Sociology at Texas A&M University, focusing on migration, race, and gender. With a master’s in International Affairs from TAMU and a Political Science degree from Universidad Francisco Marroquín (UFM), her research explores the intersection of demography and social inequities.
Nereyda’s work with New Sun Road reflects her commitment to reducing the gender digital divide and promoting sustainable development. She is passionate about empowering women in STEAM, as seen in her involvement as Communications Responsible in the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Guatemalan Chapter.
Her professional background includes roles as a design and development specialist at World Vision Guatemala and as a technical analyst at the Central American Sugar Association. She is also a proud Fulbright alumna and has received fellowships from the Mosbacher Institute and UFM.
Beyond academia, Nereyda enjoys training for triathlons and half marathons, having Guatemalan coffee, and volunteering in her community to support first-generation Hispanic families.
Nereyda’s story is titled:
Dr. Paola Carrillo-Bustamante, a Female Science Talent alumna.
Paola Carrillo-Bustamante
Dr. Paola Carrillo-Bustamante is a biomedical engineer and infectious disease modeler from Ecuador who spent years studying diseases like malaria and dengue, trying to predict how mosquitoes and immune systems behave. While leading a research group at the Max Planck Institute and coordinating global health projects in Berlin, she added an even more unpredictable system: motherhood.
Her nights of running computer simulations turned into nights of running an open milk bar, and the viruses in her models still spread slower than tantrums. Somewhere between C++ code and sleeplessness, she realized that the same curiosity fueling her science now helps her make sense of the beautiful chaos of raising children.
Paola moved to Europe more than two decades ago, loves to travel, and now raises her two sons in a joyful, multilingual home where four languages, countless questions, and the occasional scientific debate coexist under one roof.
Paola’s story is titled:
Hosts & Musician
Ilya Chester
ILLAY is a multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter from Tel Aviv, based in Berlin. She uses foremost her cello in an extraordinary way, creating rhythms and sounds, utilizing looping and sound technologies, creating haunting soundscapes and surprising effects. After a debut album of original songs, illay is working on a all-cello-orchestrated E.P of original pieces called Elements.
Esther de Bruijn
Esther de Bruijn (she/her) is a theatre educator, speaker coach, and co-founder of Female Speaking Berlin, where she works to advance gender equity by helping women* speak up and take up space. Trained in Theatre Education in the Netherlands and now based in Berlin, she brings a rich background in the performing arts and social-artistic projects to her work. Facilitating workshops, giving speaking trainings: there’s nothing that makes her more happy than seeing people step into their power and using their voices.
Alongside her coaching, Esther is an experienced moderator and host who thrives on creating spaces for dialogue and connection. She teaches theatre to young people, co-curates exhibitions, plays football in a FLINTA team, and loves spending time in nature. The core of her work is combining creativity, skill building and community.
Dyane Neiman
“I believe stories help us make sense of this chaos we call life.”
Founder & Director of THE bEAR | Producer & Co-Host of Beyond Now
Originally from Philadelphia, Dyane may be the most German-like American you’ll ever meet. A former theatre director and choreographer, she once told stories with moving bodies — now she tells them with moving words.
As a speaker coach for scientists, researchers, and leaders, Dyane helps complex ideas become clear, human, and memorable. Through her company Moving Speaker and as co-founder of Female Speaking Berlin, she’s trained hundreds of women and scientists worldwide to speak with confidence and authenticity.
Every third Friday, Dyane becomes the beating heart of THE bEAR , Berlin’s longest-running stage for true, personal stories: hosting, cheering, and inspiring Berliners to step up and speak from the heart.
Discover her latest passion project: truestoriesberlin.com
Say hello: dyane@thebear-storytelling.de
Veronica Louis
Veronica Louis’ mission is to create and support stories and projects that incite curiosity, communication, compassion, connection, and creativity. She is the creator of UnMaking Boxes, a movement that empowers individuals and organizations to break free from limiting beliefs holding them back. With a background in creative arts and communications, and over 20 years of experience leading fun and energizing workshops, Veronica brings people together through storytelling and interactive experiences. She’s been recognized for her public speaking, winning the 2024 German Toastmasters Table Topics Contest and the 2025 Berlin Toastmasters Speech Contest. With every interaction and event, she aims to spread energy and joy, while promoting kindness and love.
Say hello: veronica@unmakingboxes.com | Follow on LinkedIn
Dr. Inga Patarčic on stage at THE bEAR’s Berlin Science Week show.
Tuesday, 4. October 2025
19 hrs. Doors open
19:30 hrs. Stories begin
Show hosts: Dyane Neiman; Esther de Bruijn, Veronica Louis
Music: James Harper
Producers: Dyane Neiman, Esther de Bruijn
Light: Torsten Eißrich
The BEYOND NOW show is made possible by the enthusiasm of our storytellers, our team of volunteers and with our partners: Berlin Science Week, Falling Walls-Female Science Talents, Female Speaking Berlin, Moving-Speaker.com, Berlin Erleben Youtube Channel, Unmaking Boxes, Sales Chakra.
