Final meeting HYBRID - by Xikai Tang
On 23 and 24 February 2021, the final meeting of HYBRID was held online. Although the meeting was virtual and there was no way to enjoy the beautiful views in Copenhagen as planned, all HYBRID fellows and PIs had the chance to share the sunny weather under the same blue sky during these two days, which is rare in Europe during the winter season. It was a pity that we could not gather in Copenhagen, but life always hands us surprises.
Our project leader, Thomas Beyer, welcomed us to our final meeting. After that, the 15 ESRs presented their research findings and results of the past year. The presentations were divided into four sessions according to the different work packages. Each presentation was followed by questions and discussions from all HYBRID fellows and PIs. The presentation topics covered quality assurance protocols in multi-parametric images, multi-modality images for treatment planning of selective internal radionuclide therapy (SIRT), fully quantitative PET in breast cancer, and so on. Some screenshots of the presentations are appended at the end. After each presentation, the audience asked critical and interesting questions. Some of them went deep into details and others were more related to future applications. It was a great experience to listen to these ideas from people with diverse backgrounds and to exchange our knowledge with each other.
During the lunch break of the first day, our project coordinator, Annemarie Post, ordered everyone a lunch as a surprise. Thanks to Annemarie’s effort and kindness, we could enjoy lunch together, although we were in different countries. It was a pleasure to talk to each other about our unusual life during the pandemic. In each coffee break, all ESRs had the opportunity to have a one-to-one talk with the PIs of their choice. This was a good opportunity for the ESRs and PIs to sit together, having a discussion about their research and career in depth, which they might not find the chance to do before.
After all presentations finished, our former project coordinator, Christina Bürger, gave a presentation about the potentials of our future academic career. Thanks to Christina, we now know about plentiful MSCA and other funding that we could apply for to pursue our academic goals. At the end of our meeting, we had some social activities, including some fun games, that we could play online. This way the ESRs and PIs got to know each other better not only in the professional aspect but also personally. We enjoyed this activity a lot, which we did not have the chance to do normally.
Although the HYBRID final meeting closed successfully, it does not mean that our research and collaboration come to an end. In the following 9 months before the end of HYBRID, we still have a lot of research work to do. Some of us might graduate soon, while other might graduate next year. We might not be in HYBRID soon, but we will definitely have connections and share collaboration opportunities with each other outside HYBRID. Even when the HYBRID project comes to an end, our HYBRID spirit never ends. That is the most important meaning of this project!