As a research centre of the University of Luxembourg, the LCSB is very much involved in training the next generation of scientists: within its 14 research groups more than 50 PhD students are working on scientific projects and learning how to become fully fledged researchers.
The doctorate is the last step of the long university curriculum that leads to research and the first step of a scientific career. While PhD students are the lifeblood of the research labs around the world, performing experiments and bringing in new ideas, the doctorate is also designed to be a formative experience. During this three to four year period, they learn on the job under the supervision of senior researchers and benefit from training courses organised by doctoral schools within the university. A way to broaden their skill set with classes on topics such as scientific writing, project management or specific scientific themes.
At the LCSB, most of the PhD students are recruited within the framework of Doctoral Training Units (DTU). Funded by the National Research Fund (FNR), the DTUs are designed to provide an ideal training environment and to stimulate interdisciplinarity. Several PhD candidates from various background are hired at the same time and work on research projects all pertaining to an overarching topic. Supervised by several researchers – from clinicians and biologists to mathematicians and computer scientist – the PhD students learn early-on the value of collaboration between different scientific fields.
In the video below, follow two of the LCSB PhD students – Nathasia Muwanigwa, part of the PARK-QC DTU, and Daniele Proverbio, part of the CriTiCs DTU – and get a glimpse of what PhD life at the LCSB is all about. Of course, there is the state-of-the-art infrastructure and exciting research work, but not everything is about science. A brand-new campus in the heart of Europe with a highly international population and plenty of social activities are also part of the experience!