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An inside perspective on being a researcher

Solving the Rubik's cube

A Lifelong Curiosity

From an early age, Virginija Danylaité Karrenbauer was drawn to medicine. “Žingeidumas”, “nyfikenhet” she says, using the Lithuanian and Swedish words for curiosity. This innate drive to learn led her from her childhood dream of becoming a doctor to an international career spanning clinical practice, research, and academia. Today, as a senior consultant neurologist and researcher, she continues to push boundaries in the field of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

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Little plant growing out of a stone

From Serendipity to Success

The career path of John Gordon, Professor (Emeritus) of Immunology, a Co-founder and Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Celentyx Ltd, has been anything but linear. From his early years in chemistry to his decades-long journey in immunology, his story reflects a series of serendipitous events that led him to where he is today. “Unlike a lot of people who say ’this is what I’m going to do’ and then strive to stick to it, my path has always felt highly serendipitous,” Gordon muses, reflecting on his journey.

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My side hustle as a PhD student – Assistant Deputy Editor

During my PhD journey, I was keen to explore opportunities beyond my research that could enhance my academic skills and increase my understanding of scientific publishing. I enrolled in the IJQHC for a one-year training program, which provided me with hands-on experience and a better understanding of the editorial process. After completing the training, I was promoted to assistant deputy editor, which brought new responsibilities and opportunities.

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Gifts wrapped for christmas

It’s a Wrap!

In this post, we summarize what the bloggers have shared in 2024. From guides on thesis defense to career pathways and life in Sweden, we believe there’s something for every PhD student and early-career researcher here.

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No, it’s not in your head!

People living with Fibromyalgia (FM) deal with a mysterious condition. FM causes widespread, long-lasting pain without any obvious injury, and due to its high prevalence in the general population, it is considered one of the most common debilitating diseases worldwide. Patients commonly suffer from depression, anxiety and sleepless nights. Unfortunately, current treatments are not very effective, and there is no known cure. For this reason, it is urgent to find new therapies that can provide relief for these patients. This thesis has challenged the old views of FM and contributed to its understanding, opening new possibilities for the development of treatments for this challenging disease.

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Navigating the Half-time Seminar: My Experience and Tips

The half-time seminar is a significant milestone in a PhD journey at KI. It’s not an exam, but rather an opportunity to get valuable feedback, reflect on your progress, and refine your research plan for the remaining half of your doctoral studies. Here, I’d like to share my experience and some tips that helped me along the way, which I hope will be useful for other PhD students preparing for their half-time.

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Researchers are leaving academia. How can academia improve? (Part 1 of 3)

Imagine a talented, enthusiastic postdoctoral life sciences researcher who pushes themselves in their career. They are driven to become the best in their field and to make real scientific progress. They are the all-round exceptional scientist, a good mentor, project manager, has an encyclopaedic knowledge of a field, laser sharp interpretation, mature, and drives their field forward. They love research and want to get a permanent position doing what they love in an academic environment. Despite this, they will leave academic research due to multiple, complex, and interconnected reasons. Let’s explore this in this blog post.

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Man climbing a rock

Climbing the Science Wall

The freedom of being his own boss and managing his own time attracted Carl Johan Hagströmer to continue his research career and pursue a postdoc at Karolinska Institutet. Most importantly he enjoys working with his research group. “Finding a team that you genuinely like is crucial. You can always learn to appreciate a specific project.”

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