Ao abrigo de uma Bolsa Fulbright para Investigação com o apoio da FCT, Cláudia Silva, estudante de doutoramento na área de “Materials Engineering” da Universidade do Minho, desenvolveu parte da sua pesquisa em “medical diagnostics” em Harvard University- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, MA, EUA.
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«My Fulbright stay in New England was a valuable and formative experience. From arriving in October 2025 to adapting to the winter, developing new friendships, and carrying out research at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, each part of the experience contributed to a broader understanding of what it means to be an international researcher.
The experience reinforced my motivation to continue developing sensor technologies for early-stage disease detection and to pursue research that connects engineering innovation with biomedical applications. It also showed me the value of international collaboration and of placing scientific work within a wider human and cultural context.
I am grateful to the Fulbright Program and to FCT for supporting this international research experience. I am also thankful to my host institutions, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and to the researchers and colleagues who contributed to my experience during the stay.
Finally, I am grateful to the friends and members of the Portuguese and international communities who made New England feel like a place where I could learn, work, and belong.
The Fulbright experience represents an important milestone in my PhD journey. I return to Portugal with new scientific perspectives, greater independence, lasting friendships, and a deeper appreciation for international research and cultural exchange.»
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Thank you, Cláudia, welcome home!