Fulbrighter Helene Duebel shares with us how transformative her experience has been and the lasting connections that it brought:
«As a Fulbright fellow, I conducted research with the Mainen Lab at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown. The quality of research at the CCU is outstanding; the state-of-the-art resources available secure the immense capabilities of the institute, making it a privilege to have been a part of it. My project investigated how the brain’s communication is organized in the psychedelic state through a computational modelling lens. During my time at the CCU, I received in-depth mentorship and felt part of the community, enjoying events like the CCU’s annual retreat.
Establishing a partnership between my current and previous labs was important to me during my Fulbright. My research in my previous lab led me to the project I pursued at the Champalimaud, presenting the opportunity for mutually beneficial knowledge to flow between the two groups.
The first crossover between the two groups happened in March, when Lisbon hosted the annual Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE) conference in Alcântara. I had the opportunity to see my previous work from Boston presented on a poster physically in Lisbon and to connect my two mentors in-person. From there, a collaboration between the labs now exists.
Beyond the research setting, I felt greatly supported by the Fulbright Commission and by my fellow Fulbrighters. I had a lot of fun giving them a tour of the CCU, and I myself got to visit the Fulbrighters in the Azores, checking out Champ’s exhibit and hiking São Miguel with Zahra.
Equally as important as the research I engaged in was engaging with Portugal itself. I had an amazing time living in one of the quieter neighborhoods outside Lisbon’s city center, where I felt more immersed in everyday Portuguese life, with the chance to dip into the city’s flare whenever I wanted a boost of excitement.
Growing up internationally, I absorbed a medley of cultures rather than one shared baseline. Because of this, I have learned that relating to others’ experiences has to be built actively, conversation by conversation. In Portugal, I sought out these conversations, inviting them by embodying as much openness and honesty as I could. Over time, I learned bit by bit from the perspectives of my community, everything from how people like their coffee and what they do over the weekend, to deeper reflections on their love for Portugal and what they’d maybe change if they could.
One of my favorite instances of this was showing the Champalimaud to my pseudo-Portuguese grandfather Joaquim, who has watched the institute be built in his Algés neighborhood. I shared my workspace with him, and he taught me the history behind the names inscribed throughout the building. In these conversations, I was consistently met with curiosity about my own experiences, which I shared openly in return. Being a point of contact in these micro-moments is incredibly important to me in building connection across cultural communities.
I am incredibly grateful to Fulbright, FLAD, the CCU and Mainen Lab for this opportunity.»
– Thank you, Helene! Your journey has been truly inspiring, and we’re excited for all that’s still ahead.