Could you describe your career path since completing your master?

Briefly before the end of my master thesis project, I applied to the Life Science Zurich Graduate School of the University of Zürich and ETH Zürich. After finishing my master’s degree and being accepted to the LSZGS, I continued with my PhD studies in Neuroscience (protein engineering and systems neuroscience).

Why did you decide to pursue a Master in Experimental Biomedical Research and why did you ultimately choose the EBR Master program at the University of Fribourg?

Coming from a clinical background as a physiotherapist, I was looking for a program that would allow me to transfer into the field of fundamental neuroscience without having to go through an entire BSc. degree again. The EBR Master program was an excellent choice, because it offers specialisations in three domains (neuroscience being one of them). Since I was aiming to obtain a PhD in fundamental neuroscience, the focus on neuroscience lectures and the extensive hands-on experience during a full year spent on the master thesis project was a perfect preparation toward my future academic career.

What key takeaways experiences, or connections from the EBR Master have you found to be the most helpful after your graduation?

I was greatly influenced by my one year master thesis project. My supervisor/professor offered me a great deal of responsibility and trust. He allowed me to actively shape the project, was open for all kinds of scientific discussions and was a great source of inspiration.

Among the different lectures and courses, the data analysis related courses (Statistics in R and Matlab) as well as the Microscopy in Life Sciences have made an impact and were very useful for the everyday work during the master thesis and now during my PhD.

What advice would you give students just starting the EBR master program at UNIFR? More broadly, what advice would you give students who are either considering or starting a Master in Biomedical research?

I would suggest to study the curricula of the EBR and the available options. I would especially recommend this program to students who know what field of research they want to pursue and for students who want to continue in research. Since the master thesis project makes up a large part the EBR, I highly recommend to check out the research groups and their fields of research at the UniFR to identify possible labs for the master thesis project.

What were your career steps after finishing the EBR master program? Did the EBR network contribute to your professional achievements?

I believe the open and familiar environment at the UniFR allowed many close interactions between students, researchers, PI’s and professors. These interactions allowed the researchers to get an accurate image the students and their work. I believe this can be very helpful to the students, whenever they need a reference for a PhD application or anything else.

What was most memorable to you about your experience in the master’s program?

I have really enjoyed the small class sizes and the concomitant close interactions with the lecturers and professors. This really allowed the teachers to address the individual student’s needs.

What did you learn during your master thesis?

I have acquired a broad knowledge in the fields of immunology, cancer biology, cardiovascular and metabolic research as well as an in depth knowledge of many aspects of neurosciences. I have acquired practical skills in mouse brain surgery, optogenetics, chemogenetics, neuroanatomical and immunostaining techniques, microscopy, behavioral analyses, whole-body plethysmography and many more.

What was your project about

I investigated the functional involvement of a lateral hypothalamic nucleus in breathing and defensive behaviors in mice. To this end I applied many different techniques (see question above).

What advice would you give current EBR students?

Take advantage of the small class size and ask as many questions as you can. Don’t be shy to contact PI’s of groups that interest you and identify a project that you are passionate about.

How did the EBR master program contribute to your professional achievements?

It has been of great help for me to be accepted into my PhD program of choice. It has prepared me very well to the challenges encountered during my PhD studies.

Why did you decide to pursue a Master in Experimental Biomedical Research and why did you ultimately choose the EBR Master program at the University of Fribourg?

I have a Bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences and I knew I wanted to pursue medically relevant research. However, after my bachelor’s degree I felt that I still had a lot to learn. I was looking for a master program that was not only focused on a specific research topic but that would also give me broader knowledge on various subjects. I chose the EBR master program as it fit my career goals and it offered an in depth introduction to various areas in the field as well as a focus on a particular thesis topic.

What was your project about?

My master thesis project was on the role of caspase proteases in intracellular bacterial infections. I worked to set up a model that would be suitable to examine the role of various intracellular caspases on internalized bacteria.

What did you learn during your master thesis?

I learned to work with various types of cells and bacteria. I then extended this knowledge to learning and optimizing infection protocols of the host cells with bacteria. Finally, I learned to utilise various read-outs for my experiments from biochemical tests to confocal microscopy. This broad exposure gave me an advantage in planning and executing experiments at a PhD level.

Could you describe your career path since completing your master?

Since completing my master degree, I joined a PhD program in Infection biology at the Hannover Medical School (MHH), Germany. I am now a PhD student in the Department of Molecular Bacteriology at Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research. My PhD work focuses on the role of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa in infections of the human lower respiratory tract.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing a master’s degree related to experimental biomedical research?

I find it is important to realise that the biomedical field is intrinsically interdisciplinary. It lies at the intersection of medicine and biology and requires the combination of several disciplines from pathology to cell biology to chemistry and even physics and material sciences. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep an open mind when approaching biomedical research by collaborating and learning from various groups and disciplines to make your work more contextually accurate and practically relevant.

What advice would you give current EBR students?

I would say approach everything with curiosity and enthusiasm. There is a lot to learn from the courses and your thesis project. This may be overwhelming but I know from experience that it is manageable. Take it one task at a time and before you know it, you will be a proud recipient of a master degree!