Building bridges between continents
Dr Ayelen Groisman's scientific path to Freiburg
Freiburg attracts scientists from all over the world. One of them is Dr Ayelen Groisman, a neuroscientist and biologist from Argentina, who is continuing her scientific career at the University of Freiburg. In this interview, she talks about her career start in Freiburg, her love of research and her very own view of life in the city.
Dr Ayelen Groisman: As a biologist, I completed my doctorate in neuroscience at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. During my PhD, I received an award from the International Brain Research Organisation, which funded a short stay in the USA. It was here that I discovered my passion for research into brain processes such as memory, learning and perception.
In my search for international research groups working on these topics, I came across Prof Johannes Letzkus at the University of Freiburg. His research interests harmonised perfectly with mine, and together we developed a research project in which we exchanged ideas. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we were able to work together successfully thanks to online meetings and brainstorming sessions.
Thanks to funding from international fellowships (European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation), I was able to come to Freiburg in 2021 to conduct exceptionally competitive research here.
Dr Ayelen Groisman: My start in Freiburg was very pleasant because the city is beautiful and full of students from all over the world. The people here are open and welcoming. I also received an extremely friendly welcome from my new colleagues and superiors at the University of Freiburg. Of course, there were also challenges - the language in particular was a big hurdle for me.
I recommend that newcomers network via social media groups focussing on Freiburg. There is a lively exchange and helpful information for newcomers to help them find their way around. I even found a suitable flat this way - a task that can be particularly challenging.
Dr Ayelen Groisman: I definitely associate Freiburg with science. It is thanks to science and the exchange with the research community that I have been able to get to know this city and live here. I am very happy that my research interests have led me to this wonderful city full of life and beautiful surroundings.
Dr Ayelen Groisman: There are a lot of things that I appreciate about Freiburg:
Firstly, the friendly people who are interested in exchanging culture and language. This helps a lot to learn more about the culture and traditions of Freiburg.
Also, the landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful. With numerous hiking trails in the Black Forest, you can always discover something new and never get bored. There are also many lakes for swimming and relaxing.
What I also really appreciate and enjoy are the many music festivals here in the city and in the surrounding area. I also love the Baden cuisine - the wide selection of dishes and desserts is simply delicious!
And last but not least: the wonderful weather. Although the winters here are colder and longer than in Argentina, you can experience all four seasons equally in Freiburg.
Dr Ayelen Groisman: That's a tricky question, because I've definitely had many wonderful moments here. One of the happiest moments was last summer when I went barbecuing with my family in the Black Forest. We had a traditional "asado", as we call a barbecue in Argentina. It's great that you can use so many public barbecue areas in Freiburg.
Dr Ayelen Groisman: Unfortunately, I don't know yet. In any case, I'm here for so long to do my postdoc project and will therefore spend a few years in Freiburg. What happens after that remains to be seen. Many scientists are familiar with this situation - we need to be able to share our research with the global community and at the same time specific local requirements for our research need to be met. For example, a change of laboratory may be necessary, depending on what equipment we need for our future projects. This could be specific microscopes or specialised technical equipment. I think the future scientific questions and interests will help me to determine the next step ... I'm excited to see what the future holds!
Dr. Ayelen Groisman
Neuroscientist and biologist from Argentina
