This summer, we're all about making space in your work life for those things YOU consider a priority. So we've asked our University of Graz researcher community about aspects of their daily work life that they have developed a useful routine for - and aspects that still need a “research life hack”.
Interview partner:
- Tea Pavkov-Keller, Structural Biologist, Institute of Molecular Biosciences
Tea Pavkov-Keller's daily work:
“I'm an Associate Professor at the University of Graz. My research focuses on understanding cellular processes at the molecular level, and I am also trained in psychosocial counselling, which reflects how important I find well-being in academia.”
The "happy hack" that makes Tea more efficient/creative/motivated at work:
“I’ve learned that I work best when I clearly separate writing from communication: I reserve distraction-free blocks for writing and limit myself to checking emails three times a day. To stay creative and motivated, I love exchanging ideas with colleagues over coffee or lunch, taking walks to let thoughts wander, and dividing big projects into small, realistic steps that make progress visible and much more satisfying.”
And the challenge in her research life that she still needs a hack for:
“One ongoing challenge in my research life is balancing my curiosity with the reality of limited resources like time and infrastructure. There is always more I’d like to explore than is realistically possible, and learning to focus without losing that curiosity is an ongoing task."
What is your own happy hack? Let us know!
Find the full series of interviews here: How to hack your research life - Research Careers Campus Graz
(Interview: Johanna Stadlbauer, 29.06.2026, picture credit: Walter Keller)