𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀: 𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 Domenico Azarnia Tehran
While still in Berlin-Buch, the afternoon saw Birte visiting Domenico, Postdoc at the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP).
He's been working right next to Inmaculada Martinez Reyes whom we met in our last episode.
Domenico is a neurobiologist researching how neurons and astrocytes drive brain ageing. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿.
A mass spectrometer to identify and analyze the chemical makeup of substances by measuring the mass of molecules plays an important role in Domenico´s research, which he explained during a lab tour.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿?
It is a powerful tool that helps me understand what is inside my samples, all the components and structures, and therefore what is behind my data. It´s a bit like digesting my samples.
Before being a Boost Fellow, I used to hand in my samples and got back the data. Now, I am responsible for the full experimental cycle from beginning to end, from sample preparation to data visualization, so I feel I am a more proficient user of this instrument.
This visit also gave two PhD students, Anjalinna KUGATHAS and MEI Wu, the chance to present their posters for the European Synapse Meeting.
Since Anjalinna´s position is funded by Domenico´s KT Boost grant, he and Birte talked about his experience in supervising, the challenges, and how he takes on that responsibility.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 – 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿?
I got this chance only with the Boost Fund, allowing me to fund a PhD student on my own for the first time. So in the beginning it was challenging. I supervised Master's & Bachelor's students, but this is short-term. Supervising a PhD student, you are responsible for a project and the “scientific life” of a person.
I learned a lot from my PhD supervisor, who, in the first year, supervised me closely regarding my experiments – and gave me the freedom to explore. Both are important.
A good supervisor is also a mentor. You need to explain how the academic system works, the good and the bad, so that they can make informed decisions. As a supervisor and mentor, you need to understand the rules of the system, and also be able to question them.
The KT Boost Fund is a joint program of GSO and the Klaus Tschira Stiftung.
It offers money and career support for postdoc researchers in Science, Math, and Computer Science. To stay up to date for the upcoming call this summer, register for the GSO newsletter: https://lnkd.in/etkgsR3u
Chancellor at University of California Santa Cruz
1moThis is a wonderful opportunity!