The 10 milestones and pitfalls of a researcher's career: the binomial between scientific research and teaching in favor of acculturation

The career of researcher is fundamental for the scientific evolution of Health. Naturally, there are moments of some sadness and injustice, namely regarding the basis that underlies the funding of research projects. But research is a gift and the ultimate brain lift, which generates and transforms knowledge into practical solutions, ensuring significant and sustainable advances in global health. In this thanking editorial to all authors and reviewers for 2024, I share my experience of how binomial research versus teaching was fundamental in my scientific acculturation. It is my goal that this reflection on milestones can inspire the generations of young people I have helped to professionalize. It is my vision for scientific acculturation that implies not only the technical learning of a set of scientific concepts, but also the internalization of a mindset that values critical thinking, cross-cutting curiosity in the area of knowledge, and the search for evidence and the application of the scientific method in problem solving.