Hola a tothom! How is it going? Yes, yes, I’m still alive. I know it’s been a year since my last post, but it’s been quite a busy one! Last time you heard from me I was in Freiburg and now I’m back to Barcelona, but I’ve also been to Oslo, Maastricht, Bordeaux, València and Bologna since then. And I’ll be in Karlsruhe and New Orleans next month. What a journey this PhD is being!
During our PhDs, ESRs have the opportunity to visit and network with different institutions within the EU, and learn on how the different groups work and innovate in the field of cardiology, while these groups learn on the research you are doing together with your group in your institution. This leads to closer and more paused talks that allow for a deeper understanding and connection between researchers, that at the same time lead to more ambitious projects with a more solid base. Being part of this “meeting-of-the-minds” is highly enriching and profitable for the future.
In my secondment in Maastricht I could delve into the endocardial signal processing field, and merge this with the knowledge on image processing we have in Barcelona. Results are still preliminary, but quite exciting. In València, on the other hand, I improved my knowledge on the non-invasive analysis of atrial electrical properties. Quite profitable stays, I would say!
In addition to these secondments, PersonalizeAF network allows us to participate in different courses that improve both our hard and soft skills. In Oslo we learned how to communicate our research, which is a must in my opinion: you don’t do good research if you are not capable to disseminate it properly. In Bordeaux we boosted our cardiac expertise with lectures from field specialists, which were enlightening.
However, I must admit, that despite all the learning and field mastering, it’s also been hard not to lose track on the projects I left incomplete before leaving from Barcelona. Having this feeling during your PhD is difficult to overcome, because you’re supposed to prioritise your personal project in order to graduate. With all the travelling and side projects beginning, together with other responsibilities, this has been a bit more difficult, but thanks to colleagues and friends, this has been easier to overcome.
Next time I write, I will update you with more travelling, congress participations and, hopefully, published research!
See you soon!
Eric
If you want to join me and the rest of the network in our journey, don’t forget to follow us in our social media using the hashtag #PersonalizeAF!
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