A visit that became a developmental experience

Doing my research exchange at the laboratory of our Visiting Professor Christopher Chen was one of the most exciting and memorable parts of my doctoral studies.

I met Professor Chen, or Chris as he asks his students and colleagues to call him, at Dutch and German Vascular biology meeting in Göttingen, Germany where I had the opportunity to present my work as a poster and to give a short oral presentation.

Chris was the keynote speaker and had his presentation at the same session I was assigned to. He has pioneered many things in the field of vascular bioengineering and made major contributions to the field of Notch in vascular mechanobiology.

I had never met him in person until the first day of the conference. That day, I unexpectedly met two close collaborators from the Netherlands who were traveling with a colleague from the US they introduced as Chris. Bear in mind that I had never met him in person, I just knew the work of Professor Chen, so I did not connect the dots.

I then enthusiastically introduced Chris to my poster, starting with “Are you familiar with endothelial cell biology? What about shear stress?”. He answered these questions humbly, regardless of his status as a world leader in the field. It was not until his talk, an hour before mine, that I realised who he was. It embarrassed me, but also gave me all the more reason to admire him and want to work with him.

Funding required perseverance and patience

After the conference, I contacted Chris as soon as I found a grant that could support me in making a visit to his lab. I was happy to hear he was open to the idea and wanted to have a meeting with my PI Cecilia Sahlgren, who he already knew, and me. We planned a project, I wrote a research plan, got it reviewed by members of my lab and, after a few weeks of intense work, finally submitted the grant application and then waited patiently. After a couple of months, I got a response: I did not get it. In fact, I did not get many other grants I applied for to fund this dream of mine of going to Boston for a research visit.

It was almost one year and many applications later, when I got the first positive response. I was awarded funding from an internal call at the research profiling area Solutions for Health at Åbo Akademi University. Then, soon after, I also got a positive response from Instrumentarium Science Foundation. It was then that this trip started looking like something real. I got to travel to Boston on the 1st of June 2024 with a salary covered by my PI’s InFLAMES funding and the rest of the costs covered by those two grants.

Great mentorship, friendly people

In Boston, I was welcomed immediately by Chris’s lab. I was paired with Jennifer Bays, or Jen, a postdoc with huge expertise in adherens junctions who was working, like me, in the role of Notch in the vasculature.

Jen was an incredible mentor, not only expanding my technical knowledge of molecular vascular biology and methods, but also improving the way I do experiments. I learned from her molecular cloning, lentiviral and CRISPR design, and the microfabrication of organotypic vessel-on-chips. This last technique I was also taught by my bench mate and other mentor, Alanna Farrell. Alanna shared with me so many tricks she learned over the years, becoming the expert she is at making and using these models.

Jen also always went the extra mile to help me when I needed it, even with the problems outside the lab. In fact, everyone did. It was the kindness and mentorship of so many lab members that made this experience so memorable. Chris has one of the most efficient and healthy work environments one could wish for! I learned a lot and made great friends during this trip.

In teh picture are from left to right Miika Kiema, PhD researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, Anu Priya Bharathi Rajan, PhD researcher at the University at Buffalo, Professor Rita Alevriadou, University at Buffalo, Freddy, Charlie Hayward, researcher at University of Utah, Romain Enjalbert, Postdoc at the University of Edinburgh, and Jordan Johnson, PhD researcher at the University at Buffalo. In the middle front is Professor Hanjoong Jo from Emory University & Georgia Tech.

A growing experience out of one´s comfort zone

This trip helped me grow. On my last day, my lab mates organised me a farewell party with my favorite snacks from Boston, some items from the university, and a card with messages that I will treasure forever. It was a great scientific experience, I learned many new techniques, participated in my first congress in the US, and it helped me be selected to represent Finland at the Global Young Scientist Summit.

It was, though, an even greater developmental experience. This was my first time working in a new lab and new country since I started my doctoral studies. An experience out of my comfort zone that made me more confident in what I know, but also humbled me.

I am forever indebted to Prof Chris Chen, Åbo Akademi, the Instrumentarium Science Foundation, and InFLAMES for making this possible. I hope my story motivates other people to plan their own research exchange, it is an experience you will never forget.