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Natalia H. Revelo, Postdoc, Colombia

Esther Sánchez, PhD candidate, Mexico

Arthur S. C. Franca, Brazil

I’m doing a postdoc at Radboud university medical center/Donders Institute under the supervision of Mike X. Cohen at the Synchronization in Neural Systems laboratory. I will be in Nijmegen for three years.

Five questions for Corina Greven University professor and junior principal investigator

Corina Greven is university professor and junior principal investigator at the Cognitive Neurosciences department and research coordinator at Karakter.

1. How did you end up at Radboudumc?

“I grew up in Germany and studied Psychology. When I turned twenty I went to London where I completed my Psychology degree and got a PhD degree at King’s College London (KCL) in the field of social, genetic and developmental psychiatry. Afterwards, I searched, in- and outside the lines, for interesting projects and  I found one in Nijmegen at the Donders Institute because they collaborate with KCL. There’s an interesting NeuroIMAGE Project here: a unique case-control project with no less than 800 families with and without ADHD.”

2. What does your work entail?

“My work is very varied. I like that because it means I can keep learning and growing. As a researcher, I, for example, think up completely new investigations, request subsidies, study literature, analyze data and write papers. Of course, I also give lectures about my research at international conferences and such. Besides this, I teach a course in the Master’s program in Cognitive Neurosciences and an elective course in the Bachelor’s program in Medicine. I have to organize a lot for this: make preparations, coordinate,  select lectures as well as contribute to the examination. And as co-supervisor, I have been a mentor for several PhD candidates.”

3. When are you most proud of your work?

“I’m proud of being project manager of the mindfulness research for children with ADHA and their parents. It’s called the MindChamp-project (MINDfulness for CHildren with ADHD and Mindful Parenting). We research how mindfulness works and what the clinical implications are. The project is a collaboration between Karakter, Radboudumc, the Radboud University Center for Mindfulness and UvA Minds. I see that both children and find the training informative. I am proud to be doing research that relates to parents’ needs. There’s considerable interest in new treatments for ADHD.”

4. Why are you such an ideal candidate for this position?

“I’m passionate and curious. And I have perseverance. Sometimes when you hear 'no', you need to keep going until you hear 'yes', even if it takes an unconventional method to get there. I always try to listen to my heart as well. When I submitted myself for a recent young investigator prize, I decided not to go for the biggest journal impact factor. The research with a smaller impact factor was where my heart and the news lay. I won the prize. I also find that social skills are becoming more and more important in the world of research.” 

5. What else do you want to achieve and how does Radboudumc help you reach your goals?

“I want to contribute to research in the mental healthcare. I want to understand more about ADHD and its origin in terms of genetics, external factors and neurobiology, as well as contribute to finding a new treatment for ADHD. Furthermore, I’d really like to inspire the younger generation of scientists. Plant a seed, even if it’s just in a few people. Radboudumc helps me achieve these goals thanks to, among others, the talent program for quick developing postdocs: the Galilei track.”

Five questions for Kathrin Thiem PhD candidate, department of Internal Medicine

Kathrin Thiem (28) is a PhD candidate with the department of Internal Medicine.

1. Why did you decide to come to Nijmegen?

"I first came here as a Master student and I stayed on to do my PhD. I did my Bachelor in Hannover and wanted to study abroad but not too far away. Nijmegen fitted the bill and it also had a Medical Biology track that I was really interested in."

2. What was the most striking difference between Germany and the Netherlands?

"Working in English was something that we didn’t do in Germany. Almost everything was done in German. For my very first module here I had to write a mini-thesis in English. That was a struggle! Now, as a researcher, I appreciate how important it is to work on your command of English, as it’s the international language of research."

3. What makes you proud of your work?

"I’m doing research into atherosclerosis and diabetes, in connection with the immune system. It’s cutting-edge research, which makes it really exciting. But at the same time, it’s tangible and something I can explain to family and friends at home. I feel lucky to be able to do this."

4. What was the best piece of advice someone gave you about settling in here?

"When I was about to come here for my Master, a friend told me not to miss the Introduction Week. At the time, I felt more like staying at home for an extra week and relaxing but I took her advice and I was glad that I did! It was a truly amazing week and I made friends then who I still see now. So even if you’re shy and nervous about meeting new people, take the plunge and join in."

5. What’s your secret passion?

"My colleagues know that I like starting new hobbies and that I’m usually really enthusiastic and excited about them. My most recent hobby is jiu-jitsu. I’m sure it won’t remain a secret for long, though – I’ve been practising my moves on colleagues already!"