HYBRID wrapped-up

The HYBRID project officially ended on 31 November 2021. Although a lot of our fellows are still working on obtaining their PhD degree, we wanted to say a proper good-bye by allowing our fellows to share their overall opinion of the project.

Alejandra Valladares, Medical University of Vienna:

‘HYBRID has been a great experience. I found most of the training course well organised and fruitful. I appreciate the efforts of many of the PIs and their support of my project very much. One of the best things for sure is networking, meeting highly experienced and gentle people, and keeping in contact with them for my future career.’

Xikai Tang, KU Leuven:

‘Under the framework of HYBRID, I got the chance to have a close collaboration with research teams from different backgrounds. I got to know about how research is going on in industry. I am very happy to know every ESR in HYBRID and hope that we have the chance of collaborating in the future.’

Jan Grahe, Philips Electronics Nederland B.V.:

‘HYBRID was a great opportunity for me and prepared me well for my professional journey. The support from our mentors was incredible and we are deeply thankful for all the time spent to help us learn and connect with each other. I am especially happy to see a lot of our ESRs already graduating and wish all of you the very best!’

Dr. Zacharias Chalampalakis, The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA):

‚Joining the HYBRID project has given me more than just the opportunity to pursue doctoral studies. It has provided entrance within a strong international community, of academic and industrial partners, who embraced 15 PhD students with their vision and projects. Comprehensive monitoring and assistance have ensured not only the success of individual projects but also the collaboration between partners and the birth of new project ideas and applications. Secondments between institutions and industry were a driving force in broadening our horizons and providing opportunities for our future. After finishing the official programme, I would like to think that we will always be a big "HYBRID" family in the future, as a scientific community and also as friends.’

Dr. Guilherme Domingues Kolinger, University Medical Centre Groningen:

‘HYBRID provided me with unparalleled training and opportunities during the past few years. The secondments gave me a chance to glimpse into industry research and development, and also gave me the possibility to work with research centres abroad. This experience taught me to adapt to workflows from different groups and fostered lasting international collaborations. It will all play a role in the development of my career and I am glad to have participated in the HYBRID consortium.’

Masoomeh Rahimpour, KU Leuven:

‘Hybrid has opened up a lot of opportunities to me through trainings, workshops, and project support, but most importantly through the opportunities to meet amazing peers and PIs and learn from and collaborate with them. It allowed me not only to deepen my research skills and strengthen my academic profile but also to further my personal growth.’

Dr. Laura Dal Toso, King’s College London:

‘HYBRID was an excellent framework to collaborate with professionals working in clinical and industry environments. The interactions with industry partners, together with the training activities organised by HYBRID helped me to make decisions about my future career. The HYBRID consortium helped me to liaise with experts in the field of medical imaging, which provided me with invaluable insights on how to improve my work. The friendly atmosphere within HYBRID enabled scientific conversations that enriched me as a researcher. Finally, the secondments have been a great opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues within HYBRID and to meet international researchers working on similar topics.’

Dr. David Wallis, The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA); Institut Curie (IC)Institut Curie:

‘Anyone embarking on a PhD is guaranteed a feast of life-enriching experiences and emotions. However, I felt the HYBRID PhD programme brought even more variety and flavour to the table. As well as applying myself to research, I also had the opportunity to work in different countries, collaborate with industry partners, and fit within a larger cohort of similar-minded PhD students and experienced researchers, all working towards similar goals. I believe this lead to a more balanced, well-rounded PhD experience and thus (hopefully!) a more adaptable and competent post-PhD researcher!’

Nicolò Capobianco, Siemens Healthcare GmbH:

‘As an ESR of the HYBRID project, I was able to participate in a network of researchers in leading institutions, learning from inspirational experts and collaborating with dedicated scientists. I could experience the strong commitment to impactful innovation of industrial partners and the passion for knowledge and rigorous investigation of academic members. Thanks to secondments and focused trainings, I had unique chances for collaboration and personal development. I am really glad to have joined this international team of people all sharing the same goal of improving humans' health by developing the fascinating technology of hybrid imaging.’

Sahar Ahangari, Rigshospitalet (University of Copenhagen):

‘Hybrid was a big step of my journey towards my scientific career life. It was a fresh, intense and special experience together with a strong network of dedicated individuals. New friendships, unique training experiences, secondments, and even challenges have transformed into the good old days where I tend to look back on them fondly. Hybrid did very well in providing the type of support that lead to development and, in turn, fond recollections down the road.’

Dr. David Iommi, Medical University of Vienna:

‘The overall experience and Hybrid training were more than satisfying. The host group (QIMP) taught me a lot, both from a scientific and human point of view. I found here people who cared about the student formation and helped him to complete the Ph.D. successfully. The training sessions during the Hybrid general meetings looked a bit like a speed run. Maybe organizing these training in a style of a summer school with fewer topics and a longer duration (1 week) could be more beneficial. The secondments offered the opportunity to meet new people and favor work connections. In conclusion, the Hybrid experience fulfilled its object to train new researchers, and the quality of the mentors and institutes was superb.’

Alberto Villagran, Klinikum rechts der Isar - Technical University of Munich:

‘This ITN program was a really great experience in my life, in terms of professional and personal aspects. I had the opportunity to learn about the world of healthcare from different perspectives, looking for an integrative understanding of the big picture in terms of the academic, industrial, and clinical interests. Far from learning in passive mode, all the activities in the program involved diverse groups of people, professional and personal backgrounds, ideas and knowledge, conferences, meetings, seminars, expertise, travels, countries, cities, cultures, language exchange, personal experiences, among many other topics, with significant contributions to my professional and personal development. In particular, all these experiences lived and shared by the fellows created such an environment of community and friendship that helped us to get through this stage in our lives and be prepared for the future ones. This is a great opportunity that every early-stage research fellow should experience.’

The HYBRID management team hopes that all fellows will cherish the HYBRID experience and benefit from the connections and knowledge built here. We congratulate Dr. Zacharias Chalampalakis, Dr. Guilherme Domingues Kolinger, Dr. Laura Dal Toso, Dr. David Wallis and Dr. David Iommi with their PhD degree and hope the rest of you will soon follow!