BioMed PhD Day 2024 - between research and mobility

The sixth USI BioMed PhD Day took place on Friday, 18 October, at the East Campus Lugano. 65 PhD students from 20 countries enrolled in one of the 8 specialisations offered by the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences participated in the day's rich programme.

"After just over 6 years, we have surpassed the 100-student milestone and are still growing with enthusiasm and dynamism. The PhD Day has now become a tradition, providing an opportunity for PhD students to come together and exchange ideas and accomplishments," explains Professor Alain Kaelin, coordinator of the PhD School of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences.

This year's common thread was "mobility after PhD", a theme dear to the students, who enjoyed a presentation by the Research Service on funding opportunities abroad, followed by two presentations by researchers who relocated after their PhD. The PhD students also had the opportunity to rub shoulders with four Post-Doc students in an intercontinental Zoom session (USA, Canada, South Africa and England).

Like every year, the PhD Day also allowed young researchers to present their projects in the form of a poster or oral presentation, and prizes were awarded at the end of the day for the best work.

"It was a stimulating and dialogue-filled day, during which the students took centre stage. The sessions, moderated by the PhD students themselves, encouraged active exchange, providing interesting insights and reflections for their professional future," says Alessandro Bensa, first-year PhD student and moderator of the afternoon presentations.