This year’s retreat featured excellent presentations from invited guest speakers. Edith Hammer (Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC) introduced the microfluidics chip system developed in her lab, designed to shed light on soil ecosystems, their microbial communities, and the processes that affect them. Olof Lagerlöf (Umeå University, WCMM) followed with a compelling talk on how the interplay between the mind and brain metabolism can help explain and potentially treat mental disorders such as anorexia nervosa.
The driving force behind the successful organization of the 2025 WCMM Research School retreat in Ystad were two dedicated PhD students: Laura Rabanal Cajal and Léa Chicoisne. We wanted to learn more about their experience and sat down with them for an interview to talk about the retreat, their work as student representatives, and their involvement in the coordination and planning of the event.
| Laura and Lea, what motivated you to become involved as representatives for the WCMM Research School this year? Was there a particular skill or experience you hoped to gain through this role?
Laura: I was looking forward to getting more involved in scientific outreach and organization of events during my PhD, both to get more experience and to get a bit outside my comfort zone. I also felt that it would be a good way to form more meaningful connection and networking with both the students and the PIs within the WCMM Research School. I wanted to gain experience in event hosting, mainly for the WCMM RS retreat.
Lea: I would say that, for me, it was the organization of the retreat. I like organizing events, and I have already organized two scientific symposia during my PhD, so I thought it could be a good way to apply and improve my organization skills. But also, by being representatives, you meet many new people – PIs, external speakers, PhD, postdoc – and have a privileged contact with them. Thanks to this, I wanted to increase my network, which is always useful for the future.
| Looking back, what personal goals did you set for yourself at the start of the year? Do you feel you achieved them, and were there any unexpected outcomes?
Laura: My main focus during this WCMM RS course was to get to know more scientists at different levels (PhD, PostDoc, PIs) within the WCMM and to learn about everyone’s research, as well as the center’s resources and facilities. I feel like this was greatly achieved since now I learnt a lot about projects outside of my field that other WCMM researchers are working on, and new techniques and resources that I could potentially apply to my own project!
Lea: My main goals with the WCMM research school were to learn about research outside of my field and cutting-edge techniques, but also to improve my grant writing skills. With the different lectures and students’ presentation, I definitely learned new subjects. What was interesting about the collaborative grant was to have different points of view . This helped us to reflect more and perfect our project, especially the experimental part.
| The retreat received very positive feedback, especially regarding the mix of academic and social activities. Was there a particular session or activity that stood out as your favorite, and why?
Laura: From a scientific perspective, the invited speaker sessions were my favourite. This year Léa and I aimed at having speakers a bit outside of the strictly biomedical field and because of that I feel like I really learned about cross-disciplinary research and distinct career paths. However, from the “event hosting” perspective, I enjoyed the most the team building and leisure time we organized. It was great to host such activities and see the members of the research school coming together against our silly but entertaining challenges.
Lea: There is not a single session that remains in my mind but several. On the scientific side, I really liked the external speakers. Both work in a field a little outside the strictly biomedical field that we are used to hearing about, and I was a bit afraid that it would be too specific for us. But they gave fabulous presentations, understandable for all of us! And it made me happy to see everyone’s interest in these subjects.
On the social side, I really enjoyed the teambuilding activity. It was really nice to see that everyone (both PI and students) was fully into the games! There was a real competition between the teams, it was to those who will finish first, while remaining friendly and fun.
| Organizing events like the retreat can come with challenges. What was the biggest hurdle you faced during the planning process, and how did you overcome it?
Laura: Perhaps the biggest challenge was dealing with last-minute changes that require big switches in our general schedule, sometimes that could feel like we were juggling a bit with the whole event! But in the end, we managed to make it all fit properly and I feel we gave enough time so everyone could enjoy every part of the retreat.
Lea: I would say that having good communication is the most difficult challenge. Everyone (representatives & coordinators) is quite busy with their own projects and taking care of an event requires even more organization. Without it, it can be difficult to follow everything. With Laura, I think we still managed to manage this challenge well by sharing tasks, communicating regularly and making our own decisions.
| How did your involvement shape your perspective on the importance of scientific communication? Are there any lessons or memorable moments you’d like to share from this experience?
Laura: Especially through our involvement in organizing the WCMM RS retreat, I came to realize even more the crucial role of effective communication, not only in planning and coordinating activities, but also in how they are delivered during the event. The attitude one conveys in such activities significantly shape the guests’ overall experience of the event. So yes, clear and thoughtful communication is very important.
Lea: I already knew the importance of science communication. However, what I think I have learned are the difficulties we may have when dealing with different people, such as coordinators, external speakers, bus company, etc. It’s so easy to change the schedule and forget to notify everyone. It reminds me of the morning of departure for the WCMM retreat, I had a flash wondering if we had notified the bus company that we wanted to leave earlier than planned. And when we arrived in front of BMC, no bus! Fortunately, it was just on another street. But small changes can sometimes make a big difference, hence the interest in being well organized!
| Did any particular conversation or advice from a PI, guest speaker or student have a lasting impact on you?
Laura: Yes, particularly from both our guest speakers at the retreat. They really emphasized the importance of perseverance and staying focused on your end goal. They also encouraged taking decisions that might feel outside your comfort zone: things often have a way of working out in the end.
Lea: Speaking with PIs, lecturers, teachers, I have already learned that you must work hard and persevere to succeed in science. But something I may not have really realized is how much luck impacts our career. I now realize that whenever someone talks about their career, at some point they will say they got lucky. If we take the example of a position to be filled, even if two people have exactly the same CV, there will only be one person chosen. And this will be the impact of luck. So even if I give my best and don’t get what I expected, it will allow me to be a little more indulgent with myself.
| Building a sense of community and fostering new collaborations are core goals of the research school. Can you share an example of a new connection or collaboration that emerged for you this year?
Laura: My biggest example of a new connection has to be Léa! I feel like we shared so many experiences together during this WCMM RS year. We wrote the RS grant together, crafted layman speeches during class, hosted the guest speakers during the year, and of course planned the whole retreat. I have learned so much from her as well, since she had more experience than me in many regards, and I am glad to have gotten to know her during the RS!
Lea: Easy question, for me the WCMM research school allowed me to know Laura. Beyond social relations and the fact that we really had a good connection, I think we complement each other well at different levels (scientific fields, reflections...). Moreover, our PIs really liked our collaborative grant project, and they were even thinking about making it happen.
| For future students considering joining the WCMM Research School, what advice would you give to help them make the most of their experience?
Laura: I would say to really commit to the activities planned and to spend time getting to know your fellow students, you never know what could arise from new connections.
Lea: I would say that if they want to participate in the WCMM research school they must plan to keep time to attend the courses and do the assignments properly. It is easy to sign in and then give up because our personal projects require our attention, but if you want to learn, you need to dedicate time and effort to the research school. Moreover, giving up will not only have an impact on you but also on other people since quite a few assignments are in pairs.