Ao abrigo de uma Bolsa Fulbright para Investigação com o apoio da FCT, Nuno Tavares, estudante de doutoramento em Ciências Biomédicas da Universidade do Porto, desenvolveu parte da sua pesquisa sobre “regulation of microRNAs and the therapeutic
potential of epigenetic drugs for testicular cancer treatment” na Cornell University, NY, EUA.
~~~
«My 4 month long stay at Cornell University was very enriching and made me grow both personally and professionally, as I felt I was learning something new every day. In a work-related way, joining a world-class leading institution as Cornell was the fulfilling of a childhood dream. The fact that I was able to hear and learn from some of the best in the germ cell and oncology fields, and to carry out a research period at Cornell was undoubtfully a life-changing experience.
Besides the academic component, I was able to engage in celebrations of iconic American holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, I spent Christmas in New York City and attended college ice hockey games at Cornell and an NBA game in Washington DC, which were without a doubt very different and entertaining experiences. In general, I was able to embrace American culture, and I think I also conveyed some of my Portuguese customs to my lab. In my free time I was also able to appreciate Ithaca’s beautiful nature landscape and its numerous ravines and waterfalls, and as they say there, “Ithaca is Gorges”!
Although being inserted in the same geographical area, the small town and peaceful feeling in Ithaca really contrasted with the vibrant academic environment that is evident at Cornell, and it was really fascinating to live in this setting. Also, living alone in a very culturally different country really challenged me on a personal level, as it was my first time abroad for a significant amount of time. My host supervisor and the other lab members were very welcoming and supportive since the beginning of my stay, which was really helpful in creating a propitious and collaborative environment for integration.
My project, which involves finding novel biomarkers and therapeutics for testicular cancer, was really boosted by this collaboration, and I was indeed able to significantly expand my scientific knowledge and technical expertise.
Overall, this experience was really inspiring, my path ahead will clearly be shaped by this adventure, and I am very thankful to the Fulbright program for this opportunity!»
~~~
Thank you, Nuno, and welcome home!