Student testimonial

Sophieke Lems: "Being abroad for my internship made me more independent and self-confident"

During the MSc Biotechnology, I specialized in the medical applications thereof and in my internship I wanted to obtain more experience with immunological research. That is why I worked at the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) in Davos for half a year. As the name already reveals, the research at this institute is mainly focused on allergic diseases and asthma and their prevention and treatment options. It is a relatively small institute which made it easy to get to know everyone quickly and also to learn about everyone’s research. The friendly attitude of all my colleagues made me feel welcome from already the first day on and made working at SIAF great.

During my internship, I focused on the emerging chronic inflammatory disease eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which is characterized by the presence of eosinophils in the esophagus and esophageal dysfunction. My research included investigating the immunological mechanisms underlying the disease and setting up a protocol to identify biomarkers that can be used to monitor the disease. Even though this project was part of a PhD, my supervisors trusted me to work independently, thereby making certain parts feel like my own. Next to gaining various new lab skills, I learned a lot about immunological research through several symposia and congresses organized by SIAF, which also provided great network opportunities.

Being abroad for my internship was a wonderful experience. It helped me to become more independent and self-confident and it was interesting to see how research is performed in another country. Moreover, my free time basically felt like a holiday in which I could explore the beautiful landscape and culture of Switzerland. All in all, I would definitely recommend doing an internship abroad, especially at SIAF.