Could you briefly introduce yourself and your PhD project for those who might not know you yet?
My name is Chiara Da Villa and I'm 25 years old. I'm originally from Italy and grew up in a city near Venice. Since September 2025, I have been enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Antwerp, where I am lucky enough to work as one of the DCs of the IQ-BRAIN project. The main goal of my PhD is the development of a model-based estimation framework which can be used to obtain cerebral blood flow and arterial transit time maps from arterial spin labeling (ASL) data.
Can you tell us a bit about the goal of your first secondment?
As I mentioned before, my PhD is generally based in Antwerp but one of the unique aspects of the IQ-BRAIN project is the secondments that each of us have built into our projects. These secondments provide us with the opportunity to work with a different consortium partner for a number of months in order to exchange knowledge and ideas more easily. I recently completed my first secondment, which was with Prof. Matthan Caan at the Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands. The goal of my secondment was to augment my model-based framework with a physics-informed deep learning approach. More specifically, I implemented a recurrent inference machine (RIM) into my existing model due to the high level of expertise that researchers at the Amsterdam UMC have on this methodology. The project involved learning about RIM-based parameter inversion and applying this to the specific estimation task of my project. I spent two months there, training the network on my data.
Was there a skill, method or perspective that you picked up here that you wouldn’t have gained otherwise?
The research group here has extensive expertise in RIMs applied to MRI reconstruction and quantification tasks, and is actively working on improving and extending current RIM models. This provided me with a unique opportunity to learn from people with a lot of knowledge and experience in this field. The environment also suited me well, as the PhD students I interacted with were facing similar challenges and my co-supervisor there, besides always being willing to help, has supervised entire PhD projects on this methodology. It also allowed me to connect with researchers who helped me gain access to real, in-vivo data that I will need to validate my research.
How did the research environment in Amsterdam differ from that in Antwerp?
One noticeable difference from a typical day in Antwerp is that lunch in Amsterdam was very brief. In Antwerp, we usually take our time to enjoy a proper break and share a social moment with each other. In Amsterdam, lunch was a quick pause, just enough to recharge before returning to work.
You hadn’t been in Antwerp for very long before the start of your secondment. How was it to leave so soon after starting?
Leaving Antwerp after three months wasn't easy. It felt like starting all over again: meeting new people, building new habits, choosing grocery stores, creating a routine and orienting myself in a new city. I have to mention, though, that this whole experience was a lot easier and more enjoyable due to the fact that I was living with Marianka, one of the other DCs, and due to the fact that I had a fellow Italian colleague, Federica, also a DC in the project. I ended up spending a great deal of time with them and this really made the transition a lot easier. Ontop of that, I feel as though the first months of a PhD project are when your motivation is at its highest, which made this a good moment to do a secondment.
What was the biggest challenge, either academically or personally, during those months?
This secondment greatly really challenged and forced me to improve my project management skills. Managing a three-month project while keeping up with previous tasks, attending regular meetings at VisionLab all while also supervising a student from Antwerp University was probably the most challenging part of the experience.
What was the most important thing you learned during your secondment?
During the secondment, I learned how important it is to take initiative and seek help when you need it. The take-home message that I bring back to Antwerp and what I would advise to anyone in a similar position therefore is: identify the person who has the knowledge or the experience that you could benefit from and ask whatever you need to ask. It doesn't matter if you're struggling with simple questions or more complex hurdles, asking questions may be uncomfortable but gaining insights from people who have worked on similar topics and challenges is invaluable for solving day-to-day challenges.
You were in Amsterdam together with Marianka. How did that shape the experience?
Yes, Marianka was also on secondment in Amsterdam when I was there. Living together was a great opportunity to get to know one another. We also helped each other when we were looking for an apartment in Amsterdam and it was nice to be able to share the experience of adjusting to a new city and a new office environment with someone else. From an academic perspective, we also turned out to have a very complementary skillset. I have a lot of experience in developing AI models, while she has a strong understanding of MRI physics. This made our collaboration when we were in Amsterdam extremely productive.
Any memorable moments, inside or outside the office, that you’ll both probably still laugh about?
One moment with her was particularly memorable. During our stay, the washing machine broke down on a Sunday, unfortunately with our bedsheets still inside. After restarting it at least five times, convinced that randomly restarting a program would somehow fix it, several video calls with our parents and countless YouTube tutorials, we finally accepted reality. So at 10 p.m. on a random Sunday night, there we were, manually emptying the washing machine through the filter, pulling the soapy, soaking bedsheets out of the machine. We then washed them by hand and tried to dry them in the dryer, but at this point it was already too late to get them dry on time. We eventually went to bed at 2 a.m. using towels as bedsheets.
Another memorable moment was during the first days of living together when Marianka complained about the kitchen lacking a "cheese slicer". I didn’t even know what a cheese slicer looked like but I was impressed by how strongly she missed it, so while she was away, I bought one. That small gesture made her happy for months!
What was your favourite non-academic part of living in Amsterdam?
I loved running along the canals and through Vondel Park. Watching daylight stretch longer in January and February and seeing the lively city after work was a real joy.
Did you pick up any local habits while you were there?
Well, one local habit I did not want to adopt was the bread-only lunch culture. I enjoy preparing and eating a warm meal at lunchtime.
Best coffee spot, lunch place or after-work hangout?
I recommend the Volkshotel on Wibautstraat. The music, workspaces, coffee and overall ambience are excellent. One side of the lobby is especially laptop-friendly, perfect for focused work or meeting new people.