In February 2024, I had the opportunity to begin a two-month research secondment at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) in Dresden, Germany. The HZDR is a research institute dedicated to interdisciplinary studies in the fields of energy, health and matter. During this secondment, I joined the Feldmann group at the Department of Radioimmunology within the Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research.
The group primarily focuses on developing novel antibody-based and cellular platforms for cancer immunotherapy, such as the adapter UniCAR system. My research during this time focused on the in vitro characterization of the UniCAR T system, the purification of a Target Module for our studies, and the transduction of a novel target cell line, allowing me to expand my skillset in the development and characterization of advanced cellular immunotherapies.
This experience was particularly valuable within the framework of the continued collaboration between HZDR and Cellply. It enabled us to bridge the group’s expertise in cell and antibody engineering with the single-cell profiling and functional assay capabilities at Cellply. This collaboration emphasized the importance of academia-industry partnerships in exposing researchers to complementary methodologies, tools and research perspectives.
In addition to the above, this secondment provided an enriching opportunity to integrate into a new research environment, discover the city of Dresden and connect with fellow scientists.I am deeply thankful to Anja Feldmann, Michael Bachmann, Claudia Arndt, Liliana Loureiro and Hugo Boutier (doctoral candidate 4 at OncoProTools), as well as all members of the group, for their kind welcome and support throughout my stay, which made my time in Dresden both scientifically and personally rewarding.
Overall, this experience underscored the key value of intersectoral secondments as a core component of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks. These experiences have proven highly valuable in fostering cross-sector innovation, enhancing professional skills and building strong collaborative bridges between academia, research institutes and industry, while providing meaningful growth opportunities for doctoral candidates.