"I love how easy it is to turn an idea into something real with code"

Jana Zeller did her Bachelor's in Informatics at KIT, where she did her thesis project in the AiMat research group. She received the ZEISS Women Award 2023 which honors outstanding female students in the Digital and IT sectors. Jana left KIT to do a Master's at Oxford University and is now a ELLIS PhD student at the ETH Max Planck Center for Learning Systems.

What is your relation to the AiMat group and KIT? What was your role and position in the group?

During my Bachelor's at KIT, I first got involved with AiMat through my Proseminar on Natural Language Processing. I really enjoyed it, so I stayed—first as a student researcher ("Hiwi") and then for my Bachelor’s thesis, where I worked on text-conditioned chemical property prediction. That project ended up winning me the Zeiss Women in Tech award. I only left AiMat when I moved to Oxford for my Master’s.

What inspired you to study computer science and/or to pursue a career in computer science?

In school, I went to quite a few hackathons for students, and I loved the team spirit and how easy it was to turn an idea into something real with code. I was fascinated by the fact that you could shape the digital world around you. After school, I took a detour and did a volunteer service in something completely unrelated, but I realised pretty quickly that I missed doing maths and coding. That was the final push I needed to decide to study Computer Science.

In what ways has the research group or KIT supported your career development and personal growth?

AiMat was my first real contact with research, and I immediately liked the collaborative environment—it reminded me of the teamwork I enjoyed at hackathons. That experience really motivated me to pursue a career in research, even though I don’t work on chemistry anymore. What stuck with me is my interest in multi-modal learning.

"Go for the things you want: Apply for that opportunity, speak up in research discussions, and contribute your ideas even if you’re unsure"

What challenges have you faced as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field, and how have you overcome them?

I think everyone pursuing an academic career experiences imposter syndrome at some point, and being one of the few women in the room doesn’t make it any easier. Your mind will try to convince you that you don’t fit in because you don’t look like or have the same background as your peers. But the reality is that women in these spaces didn’t get here because they are women—they got here despite the biases, the fewer role models, and the systemic barriers. When I’m struggling I try to remind myself of my personal journey, and how proud I can be of myself for making it this far.

What advice would you give to young women considering a similar path in STEM?

For me, a big part of navigating STEM as a woman has been finding the balance between talking about feeling overwhelmed or like you don’t fit in, and still going for the things you want—applying for that opportunity, speaking up in research discussions, and contributing your ideas even if you’re unsure. It’s definitely easier said than done, but learning to recognise imposter syndrome and not let it stop you is really valuable. Finding groups where you feel supported and valued also makes a huge difference. For me, AiMat was one of those places, and being in a team that encouraged curiosity and collaboration gave me a lot of confidence.