From July 27 to August 7, 2026, I had the opportunity to carry out a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) at the University Medical Center Utrecht, hosted by Kristina Dimitrova and under the supervision of Michal Mokry.
As a first-year PhD student, the first steps are among the hardest and most important to take, and this STSM was a significant step in that direction. Although brief, it was both professionally and personally enriching. It allowed me to learn about data handling and analysis of large cohorts and to deepen my knowledge of atherosclerosis from specialists in the field. Beyond the scientific gains, this visit also gave me the chance to meet the rest of the team in person, strengthening our trust and connection, contributing to better teamwork going forward.
This STSM marked an important step towards advancing our understanding of plasma lipidomic signatures in atherosclerosis, a field at the heart of the EU-RESOLVE COST Action’s focus on inflammation and its resolution. The whole team hopes that these efforts will soon translate into contributions to disease understanding and biomarker discovery.
