Research track Neuroscience preparing for increased collaboration

PhD students and leaders at Research track Neuroscience

Every new PhD student at the Faculties of Pharmacy and Medicine chooses one of eleven research tracks. Here, junior researchers are given opportunities for interdisciplinary interaction in an environment that unites every aspect of research in the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy. The aim is to inspire new ideas and create networks, and in late October, twenty PhD students at the Research Track Neuroscience gathered at Gimo Herrgård for 24 hours of workshops and discussions.

“The doctoral years can be challenging at times, but must above all be fun and will hopefully build friendships for life. Uppsala University's investment in Research tracks is a valuable initiative to maximise each PhD student's experience, and who knows better what that requires than the PhD students themselves. Therefore we arranged a workshop with the aim to weld the group together and to give them space to plan for a common direction forward,” says Åsa Konradsson-Geuken, Senior lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy who together with Stina Syvänen, Professor at the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, lead the Research Track Neuroscience.

The workshop offered a mix of presentation exercises and conversations about what the research track shall in fact contain. The guest list also included specially invited inspirational speakers who gave perspectives on how a PhD student can deal with unhealthy work environments, how levels of salary and quality of life do not necessarily match and not least the diversity of career paths that a doctoral degree opens up.

“I bring so much home with me from this workshop. As a PhD student, it is too easy to focus solely on your own project. Here we got to practice on how to present our research to others, while at the same time taking part in their work. It was especially interesting to learn how others apply the methods I use which will be of great use. I also appreciated getting to know PhD students outside of my own environment and the opportunity to develop ideas about how to continue this collaboration,” says Sara Florén Lind, PhD student at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences.

The list of proposed activities includes, among many, lunch meetings, scientific discussions in the form of journal clubs, continuous exercises in research presentation and – a wish expressed by all participants – a specially designed PhD course in neuroscience.

“The meeting generated numerous very good ideas. Not least the suggested PhD course, and as we have all the competence required within Uppsala University, our goal is to achieve this in a near future. Next step is to present our plans to the Research Training Committee, while in parallel engaging all research track PhD students in the process. As the outcome from the workshop at Gimo Herrgård was great, we’ll definietly continue to gather this fantastic group of PhD students in similar constellations,” states Åsa Konradsson-Geuken.