“ There must have been a mix-up” “ ...maybe there was another candidate named Julia, and they confused us - it is such a common name” “ ...maybe they had a stack of applications on their desk- then a gust of wind came - threw the stack off the desk- and suddenly the last application was the first - mine” “What happens when they find out?” These are some of the things I heard myself say on the phone, talking about my new position. It took some time until I realized how crazy that sounded. The following is not an article, but a summary of my thoughts.
Chilean Ob-Gyn starting a PhD at KU Leuven, Belgium.
31 YO, married, first kid on the way. You have been accepted, congratulations! - Now, what? Here are some tips to get you started with the non-academic aspects of your new project 10/7/2019 The Comfort Zone
The comfort zone is the psychological state in which you feel in control of the environment and everything is familiar. This zone includes the habits, the routines, the knowledge and the behaviors you are used to. Outside this zone, there is the unexplored or panic zone, formed by activities that produce panic and anxiety. Between these two zones, there is the learning zone, formed by the skills and abilities that are out of reach of the secure environment. Here is where growth and development take place. 26/6/2019 My First Congress in Kyoto
From attending lectures on extracellular vesicle (EV) research in dust to consuming smoked fish for breakfast; attending my first congress across the world in Japan was a surprising but amazing experience.
When I received an email with the confirmation of my abstract being accepted for a poster presentation for a congress I wanted to attend since I started working within the field of EV research, I was over the moon. I couldn’t believe I was going to attend a conference in Japan until the moment I stepped out of the plane. It was surreal. So, tons of coffee later to deal with the 9-hour time difference and the worst travel companion (my poster which was at my side the whole 24-hour travel time), let me tell you about me surviving my first congress. 14/6/2019 1st Network Meeting in TurinThe University of Turin hosted the first iPLACENTA Network Meeting on June 13th-14th 2019. Early-stage researchers (ESRs), supervisors and coordinators gathered in the Italian sun for fruitful exchanges, giving opportunities for ESRs to receive expert feedback on their projects and discuss new collaborations within the consortium. Their first scientific posters and oral presentations, judged by external advisors, gave a great overview of all the work already accomplished within the first months. Summary: highly motivated members, and plenty of exciting perspectives for the coming years !
* From « La vie en Rose », Edith Piaf
On the 4th of September 2018, after living for 4 years in Birmingham, my boyfriend and I left England and flew across the English Channel (or French, depending on which side you ask!) to start our new adventure in Paris. The first weeks, we were dazzled by the beauty of this city. Every corner you turn, you can admire the architecture of the flats all around, with those small chimneys that make you feel like you have been transported to Les Aristochats; the Seine is a breath of fresh air at the heart of the city, the trees run all across the streets and if it is a clear day, you can see everything turning to a pink hue at sunset. We discovered the joys of French cheese, with more than 400 varieties, and French boulangeries (bakeries), where I learnt my first important words “Je vais prendre une tartelette au citron meringuée, s’il vous plait”.
The 22nd of May is World Preeclampsia day, a pregnancy complication affecting more than 10 million women and newborns each year. On this special day, we would like to introduce you the iPlacenta network and its 15 Early Stage Researchers dedicated to modelling and understanding this pathology. Have a look at the video to discover more about who we are, and how our diverse backgrounds will be put together to fight placenta-related disorders.
Considering moving abroad for postgraduate education or more? Here is a step-wise guide that helped me through my journey. I am a 27-year-old girl who moved to Cork, Ireland from a small town in the heart of India. Since this was the first time I moved (not just out of the country but out of my parents’ house), I realized the difference between being an adult and taking responsibilities vs everything I had been doing until now. The following are a collection of stories and experiences that I have accumulated throughout the process. March and April saw some of our early-stage researchers already presenting posters and visiting international conferences, in France, Ireland, the UK and Japan! The training workshop on Clinical Complications in Maternal and Fetal Health took place at St George's University Hospital in London. It allowed the early-stage researchers (ESR) to engage with research-focused clinicians, non-academic professionals and representatives of patient groups in order to gain a better understanding of the potential translational outcomes of their research for the patients’ benefit.
It also marked the first physical meeting of the ESR team. There was lots of opportunity to discuss research projects, the many ways of collaborating in the network, and what it feels like to be a PhD student in an MSCA ITN! |
About the blogBeing a PhD student in a European training network is a life-changing adventure. Moving to a new country, carrying out a research project, facing scientific (and cultural) challenges, travelling around Europe and beyond… Those 3 years certainly do bring their part of new - sometimes frightening - but always enriching experiences. Categories
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7/8/2019
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