Phd student Sophie researches the gut microbiota in Madrid
Seven weeks at a research center in Madrid. This is the everyday life of doctoral student Sophie Ivarsson after she applied for funding and was granted an exchange abroad.
The committee for Doctoral Education has, on behalf of the department management, drawn up a programme to strengthen doctoral students' opportunities for international and national exchanges. Doctoral students at the Institute of Medicine can therefore apply for funding to visit another university abroad or in Sweden.
One of those who has applied for and been granted funds for this is Sophie Ivarsson who is currently in Madrid, Spain since the beginning of October.
Sophie has a background in biomedicine with bachelor's and master's degrees from Lund University. She is a PhD student in Fredrik Bäckhed's research group at Gothenburg University and is in her second year.
- In our research group, we focus on the gut microbiota, and my doctoral project is about microbial metabolites produced by the gut microbiota and their impact on cardiovascular diseases.
In Madrid, Sophie works at the research center "Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC)". During the stay of a total of seven weeks, she works in David Sancho's lab, which specializes in the areas of immunology and cardiovascular diseases.
The reason for the trip to Spain, Sophie explains, is that there was already an established collaboration between Fredriks Bäckhed's and David Sancho's research groups, which opened up the possibilities for her to go there. Sophie works together with researchers in the lab and performs experiments for a joint project.
- If you are thinking of carrying out an exchange, talk to your supervisor and see if there are any collaborations with research groups abroad. Consider how such an exchange could benefit both you and your research project. For me, it was important that a potential exchange would benefit both my development and my PhD project, and at the same time contribute to our research group, at least to some extent, to ensure that the time is used efficiently.
One of the aims of the exchange in Madrid is to learn new techniques and methods. The plan is then to bring and establish these skills at the lab in Gothenburg. In this way, this type of experiment will also be able to be carried out at home.
- I would definitely encourage others to consider similar exchanges. It is both a fun experience to travel and a very rewarding experience to expose yourself to different environments, both at work and during your free time.
Text: Peter Tjärndal