Student blogs

In the second year of the Translational Physiology and Pharmacology programme, we have two five-week long research projects  (internships) that we complete before our master’s thesis. I did my research projects in two very different labs, working with completely different topics. This blog will cover my experience in these research groups, and hopefully show you what an average day-to-day during the research projects look like! 

NeuroimAging Lab

My first research project was based in KI’s Aging Research Centre. There, I focused on iron’s role in healthy and pathological aging and on connections between brain stiffness and perfusion in the context of aging. 

My day-to-day consisted of analyzing brain images (T1 weighted, MRE and pCASL) using SPM (statistical parametric mapping), participating in journal clubs, conducting behavioral data analysis using SPSS/R and reading papers in the field. Since everything was computer based, I had a very stable work day. I knew I would get in at 9 and leave at 17:00. 

Receptor Biology and Signaling Lab 

My second research project was based in the FyFa (Physiology and Pharmacology) Department. There, I focused on GPR61, a G-protein coupled receptor, and its role in metabolism, which has yet to be established. 

My day-to-day looked very different here. I conducted a variety of experiments in the lab. I worked in a cell culture hood, learned how to take care of my cells (count them, split them and use them for cell transfection), conducted transfections, and learnt different methods such as BRET, western blotting and RT-PCR.  My day centered around my experiments, so while some days I would leave early, (around 15:00), other days I would be in the lab until 19:00. 

My thoughts on both experiences

To be honest, I didn’t expect to enjoy the lab as much as I did. I haven’t had the best lab experience in the past, so I felt quite unsure as to whether I would enjoy it. However, if anything, it made the day dynamic. I went from being in the cell culture lab, to analyzing data, to moving to the other lab, to reading papers, to lab group meetings – so there was a lot of variety. Although the topic was not necessarily my area of interest (I’m more interested in clinical neuroscience), this dynamicity made it a lot of fun. 

In contrast, in my first research project, I thought that the topic was very cool, as it was related to the brain and to humans! However, I did not get to take part in the data acquisition aspect, so it was a lot of being in front of a computer all day, which could become quite monotonous after a while. 

Main takeaway

Overall, both research projects were very interesting and different from one another, and it was the perfect chance to explore different aspects of research, and different methods, that I was curious about!