Catarina Freire
My name is Catarina Freire and I come from Portugal where I graduated in Biological Engineering in 2017. Shortly after, I joined a Munich start-up, iOmx Therapeutics, that focuses on the discovery and development of novel immune checkpoint modulators to be used in cancer therapy. In November 2020 I joined the EVIDENCE network at Prof. Ashley Toye's group at the University of Bristol investigating red blood cell deformation.
Reason for joining
After two years of working in a small start-up I was ready to return to academia and further develop my scientific skills and thinking. The EVIDENCE programme allows me to combine my engineering and cell culture backgrounds to possibly impact public health and increase the quality of live for those affected with blood disorders. The international collaboration opportunities and the multidisciplinary research being carried out as part of the programme were also key aspects in my decision to join EVIDENCE. The University of Bristol and Prof. Ashley Toye's group have excellent conditions and equipment, as well as an amazing environment to do my doctorate degree.
Expectations
The purpose of my PhD is to understand erythrocyte's properties and viability by studying the physical, cellular, and molecular effects of shear stress and deformation, and explore how the resulting cytoskeletal modifications might contribute to reticulocyte maturation. Key techniques include CRISPR, microfluidics and imaging. In being part of the EVIDENCE Innovative Training Network, I am looking forward to collaborating with the other partners and ESRs.
Updates
In the first year of the PhD, I got familiarised with the work done in Toye Lab at the University of Bristol. We have developed key techniques and protocols that will allow us to further understand erythroid culture and reticulocyte maturation. Although the project is only 3 years and you might feel an urgency to obtain results, the first year is more about preparation. About settling in a new country, knowing the group and the people you will be working with, and preparing what is necessary for the rest of the PhD - specific knowledge, techniques, materials.
Moving abroad is always a mix of excitement and anxiety. And while I had done it before, the pandemic did make it a bit harder and required more effort. Bristol is a vibrant city, full of culture and beautiful scenery, and it has been lovely exploring it as well as the rest of the country. Everyone in the university and in the Toye lab is very nice and accommodating, the university has great facilities, and I was always given the resources and assistance needed.
I am enjoying my PhD and I am excited for what's to come, however, having your fellow ESRs spread through multiple countries with minimal opportunities to interact had a strong impact in my doctoral experience so far. I speak only for myself, but I don't think we achieved a cohort experience like most programs offer. The reason is very specific, and I don't believe new iterations of this consortium will go through the same. I couldn't go on secondments or conferences yet, so I am really looking forward to the next 2 years and to engage on the more collaborative portion of my PhD.