Blogpost by PhD student Amalie Lykke Olsen

Embarking on my PhD journey just a few months ago, I never could have imagined that I would find myself presenting at the annual meeting of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine. As an affiliate of DANDRITE, this conference marked a big milestone in my short academic career. It was not only my initial experience attending such an event but also my very first time doing a real official presentation at other than just internal groups meetings.

The Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine is a strong gathering of four Nordic research centers (DANDRITE, FIMM, MIMS, and NCMM) and this year it was set to take place in Helsinki/Espoo, Finland. My first two days in Finland I attended the "Young Investigators' Meeting (YIM)," a program aimed at nurturing the interpersonal skills of junior scientists through soft skills training, and career development sessions. These sessions on Creativity, Science Communication, and Career Development were so valuable, providing us with tools and insights that extended beyond the laboratory. It was a great opportunity to grow our networks and reflect on our respective academic journeys – both the struggles and the victories.

The main meeting was later kicked off in a cozy old movie theater, where the opening keynote addressed by Professor Christopher Mason set the tone for the next few days. His ability to infuse humor and life into his research was a reminder that even in the world of cutting-edge science, a touch of lightheartedness really can make complex concepts more accessible. The following days were quite intense and filled with interesting presentation sessions organized by topics, selected flash talks, and engaging poster sessions. However, this was also combined with a gala dinner at the beautiful old Student House in the city center of Helsinki. It really gave us the opportunity to also unwind, forget science for a little bit, and enjoy the delicious food and good company.

On the final day of the conference, a postdoc from our research group had been invited as a speaker but was on maternity leave at the time. To my surprise and apprehension, my PhD supervisor, Professor Yonglun Luo, had asked me to fill in, a few months prior to the conference. With a limited academic background, having just finished my master’s and zero prior conference experience, the idea of presenting in front of such a prominent crowd was very nerve wracking to me. To my relief, everything went smoothly, and I was met with both encouragement and genuine interest from the audience. It was a great learning experience for me and emphasized that these kinds of presentations are not about testing your knowledge of your field but more about sharing your discoveries and fostering new ideas and connections.

I greatly appreciate having a supervisor that pushed me a bit out of my comfort zone and who has more faith in me than I at times have in myself. But also, all the attendees from DANDRITE, who I have had the pleasure of getting to know. Not only for including and encouraging me but also for the inspiration and enthusiasm they brought to their own scientific presentations. My first conference experience was packed with new impressions and experiences, and I learned that the academic community of the Nordic EMBL was filled with supportive individuals eager to connect and collaborate. I truly had a great experience, and I am excited to hopefully have more opportunities like this in my future PhD endeavors.

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