Na primeira pessoa, Paulo Faria partilha connosco a sua experiência Fulbright. Ao abrigo de uma Bolsa Fulbright para Investigação com o apoio da FCT (23/24) e no âmbito do seu doutoramento em “Biomedical Sciences” da Universidade do Porto, Paulo desenvolveu parte da sua pesquisa na Northeastern University, MA, EUA:

 

«To say that 2024 has been the most incredible year of my life is an understatement! Early this year, I moved to Boston for a 6-month PhD internship at Northeastern University, under the supervision of Professor Mansoor M. Amiji, and all I can say is that my experience was fantastic.

I lived with amazing roommates in the vibrant neighborhood of Brookline, which had a very broad cultural and food scene. At my work, I was blessed to have incredible lab colleagues and a supervisor who became a big host “family”! Not only did they provide insightful advice and help me advance my PhD project, but they also organized lots of different activities outside of work, causing me to feel a sensation of belonging, both to the group and the university, even in such a short time. Undoubtedly, they were one of the main reasons why
my Fulbright exchange period was fantastic.

The city of Boston was wonderful, and I quickly fell in love with it! Over there, I found great food, nice weather, tons of sports and cultural events, and much more, most of which were accessible by public transportation! I had countless new experiences, from heavy snowy days to river sailing, from watching an NBA match to ice skating, everything felt like a movie! The Portuguese community is also very present in Boston, and during my stay there I participated in many activities and gatherings, helping me to “matar as saudades de casa”, get to know a lot of immigrants and their way of life, and even winning a table football tournament! The biotechnological, pharmaceutical, and academic environment of Boston is thriving and very inviting for someone pursuing a career in these fields, and it is now an open door for my future.

I was also fortunate enough to travel around the U.S., getting to know other great cities and national parks on the East and West Coast, which I had only dreamt of visiting! Each state is different from the rest, and it shows how diverse a country can be. My heartfelt thanks to my best friend and fellow Fulbrighter Sofia Dias for being my partner on these travels and during this whole adventure, and a thank you to Maria, André, and all the other Fulbrighters who made this experience even better!

 

 

It was such a great opportunity to be a Fulbrighter in Boston, for which I am so grateful and proud. I believe that traveling abroad allows for immense growth at both professional and personal levels, and after my own Fulbright experience, I recommend it to everyone!»

 

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Thank you so much, Paulo, and welcome back!

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