2020-23 Travelers' log

Argentina

Olivia del Giorgio

Geography

"During the duration sponsored by the GMA I was hosted by the Institute of Regional Ecology in San Miguel de Tucuman (Argentina), where I developed productive and likely long-term collaborations with Argentine colleagues."

Canada

Frédéric-Alexandre Michaud

Performance Studies

"I was able to spend 9 weeks as an assistant conductor with 7 different conductors this summer. Meeting those people and working with them was invaluable and will certainly lead to more opportunities of performance very soon!"

 

 

 

Jessica Pei

Microbiology & Immunology

"I attended a one week bioinformatics workshop located in Toronto, Canada on analysis of RNA-seq and single cell RNA-seq datasets. I learnt how to use command line and R software to load large datasets, complete quality control, read alignment, batch correction, and differential gene expression analyses. It greatly improved my understanding of the analysis pipeline for my own single cell RNA-seq datasets."

Melanie Burnett

Earth and Planetary Sciences

Melanie Burnett on the Bylot Island tundra near CEN field camp.

"Using the funds gained by the graduate mobility award, I was able to complete a second summer field season in Nunavik, and have more funds for my Arctic fieldwork on Bylot Island, Nunavut. In edition to completing my sample collection for my dissertation, I met and made connections with other researchers studying in Northern regions from around QC and Europe which help me establish myself among scientists studying the arctic and northern regions."

China

Ziyue Wang

Family Medicine & Primary Care

"I used the ethnographic research method in Gaomi, Weifang, Shandong Province, China. The aim of my research is to establish close contact with villagers to understand the actual situation of rural health, and to identify the health system and social factors that have a key impact on patient access and treatment. From 7 February to 14 May 2023, I and my local collaborators conducted 97 days of participatory observation in more than ten rural health facilities, interviewed more than 500 key informants, including health facilities and villagers at the county, township and village levels, took more than 1,000 photographs, and compiled more than 50,000 words of interview notes and memos. Through my work, I have built strong relationships with local health workers and villagers."

Costa Rica

Molly Urquhart

Earth and Planetary Sciences

"I spent over 10 days researching the impact of volcanic gases on coffee vegetation as well as exploring a recent collapse event in Poás volcano, Costa Rica using remote sensing techniques. The GMA allowed me to experience my first field research campaign, and I gained valuable hands on experience and knowledge from my time in the field!"

Finland

Cameron McRae

Marketing

"I spent 2 months working with three researchers in Finland (Tampere and Helsinki) who specialized in marketing, biostatistics, and nutrition. The project led to a lasting collaboration and a great experience overall."

France

Jude Balit

Epidemiology 

"The research I undertook as part of this project is linked with my master’s thesis, in which I study the relationship between preterm birth and long-term psychiatric outcomes. This summer project focused on how exposures in pregnancy, such as diet and substance use, are associated with mental health in childhood, and the possible mediators of this relationship. Working on this project was a valuable experience in manipulating real-world data, and as an extension, in facing the problems and obstacles that come with this work. My time was enriching, and the research environment and team at the University of Bordeaux were excellent; I am very thankful for the opportunity afforded to me by this award and my co-supervisors for this project. Conceptually, this project deepened my understanding of the relationship between prenatal factors and mental health. I had a wonderful time in Bordeaux, met great friends, and got the chance to practice my French!"

 

Leo Goutte

Physics

"At the Houches school of physics, I had the opportunity to present my work to an audience of experts and learn from fellow students undertaking a range of projects. One notable encounter occurred on the second day, when a lecturer came up to my poster and pointed me to a paper with similar and highly applicable results that he wrote! We kept discussing this over dinner and on our 6-hour Sunday hike. All in all, it was a fruitful academic environment paralleled only by the beautiful surroundings and lifelong memories I have gained."

 

Simon Altmejd

Reading and taking notes in a Parisian café after a day of fieldwork.

Management

"This mobility experience was extremely valuable for me, as it allowed me to collect some very useful data, and also to build important connections for the rest of my thesis - A Matter of Experience: A Performative Perspective on How Folk Theories Transform Organizations."

Germany

Zixin He

Mechanical Engineering

"During my summer internship, I had the opportunity to work at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, a particle accelerator facility that is unique in the world for its ability to accelerate ions from all naturally occurring elements. They were credited for the discovery of 6 elements and they also developed an carbon ion beam therapy for treating cancers in a non-invasive manner. They still have ongoing research on the latter and I was offered long-term projects PhD projects that look into further developments to the technique. My main task during the summer was updating a monitoring system for the magnets that were controlled in my department. However, the best part of the experience was the large amount of freedom I had to explore the facility, to collaborate with post-docs, and to work with the staff engineers. I was able to understand much better what it takes to run experiments at the cutting edge of scientific research. This project was made possible by the DAAD RISE program which, in partnership with GSI, provided the necessities for me to stay at their location for three months. The additional funding from the Graduate Mobility Program freed me of any financial worries for the summer, so I was able to travel extensively within Germany, and visit France and Switzerland. The 9-euro-ticket initiative by the Deutsche Bahn further sweetened the deal. I was able to experience the local culture and made many unforgettable memories."

Iceland

Julia Baak

Renewable Resources

"As a part of my PhD research, I deployed geolocation sensors on black-legged kittiwakes to examine their migration and how this may impact the amount of plastic and plastic-related contaminants in their system. In addition to this, I had the opportunity to work with various other seabird and shorebird species during my mobility experience, which taught me so much!"

India

Thaninna Hamadou

My colleagues and I visiting patients enrolled into the village based rehabilitation (I am the one in blue with the orange strap).

Physical therapy

"I gained experience in treating spinal cord injury patients and cerebral palsy children to complete my final internship of physiotherapy in a rehabilitation center in India."

Kenya

Luisa Castaneda-Quintana

Law

"I did field work in Colombia and Kenya with Indigenous Peoples. In Colombia, I visited the Arhuaco people of the Sierra Nevada, understanding the impacts of extraction of natural resources. In Kenya, I visited the Maasai people, the Ogiek people, Samburu people and Turkana people. In Kenya, my objective was to learn and understand about the situation of Indigenous Peoples, in relation to legal recognition and challenges due to climate change."

Panama

Kelsey Wilson

Biology Neotropical Environment

"During my research stay at STRI, I acquired numerous new research skills such as swabbing frogs for infection, collecting and identifying species at various life stages, conducting qPCR, and sequencing DNA. I had the privilege to attend seminars hosted by renowned international scientists and to engage in activities with colleagues that expanded my understanding of conservation science. I am profoundly grateful for the relationships I have established during my stay in Panama and am looking forward to collaborating with my peers on future projects."

Portugal

Miroslaw Sadowski

Law

"In the days 4-10 August 2022 I have conducted a research visit for my thesis, which explores law and memory intersections in Portugal as a case study. During my visit I have done library studies, met and discussed my research with Prof. José Eduardo Franco (Universidade Aberta in Lisbon) and with Prof. Pedro Caridade de Freitas (University of Lisbon). I also delivered an open lecture based on my research."

 

Tom Shimkus

Experimental Medicine

"The Graduate Mobility Award enabled me to perform a portion of my research towards a Master's in Experimental Medicine at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência in Oeiras, Portugal for four months over the summer of 2023. Under the supervision of our collaborators, I was able to practice new techniques and learn from experts in my field, making use of their high-quality materials and cutting-edge facilities to extend our research efforts. I was able to further our study of Influenza A Virus nucleoprotein and its behavior within cell nuclei, leading to new and interesting research directions with potential to alter our understanding of this important protein. This experience was extremely rewarding, and I was able to form connections with many skilled and wonderful people. I hope that anyone who wants to have the lifechanging experience afforded by a Graduate Mobility Award does not hesitate to apply."

Netherlands

Bailey Wantuch

Schulich School of Music (Performance)

"Quatuor Aeternum performed 4 concerts in The Netherlands. Repertoire included Messiaen's "Quartet for the End of Time," along with three contemporary works of the same instrumentation."

Scotland

Arianne Maraj

Integrated Studies in Education

"My mobility experience. GMA funding September 2022 Glasgow University The opportunity to work with the UNESCO chair for Refugee Integration, Dr. Alison Phipps, at Glasgow University, was an outstanding opportunity to connect at a global level and observe the work being carried out in the U.K. for asylum seekers and refugees. I made some important relationships, personally and professionally. The prospects of working with many of the professors, and researchers, at Glasgow University on collaborative projects is not only extensive but enriching. I was referred to, jokingly, as the spokesperson to continue building the relationship between the two Schools of Education. Moreover, I have put some of my cohort members in touch with researchers and professors with whom I have worked, and from whom they would benefit knowing and working. In terms of building McGill’s international relationships, the GMA has been instrumental. Indeed, I am sincerely grateful for their funding, without which, I could not have accepted Dr. Phipps’ invitation and subsequently become an UNESCO-RILA affiliate."

Vanessa McNealis

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

"Having the ability to work face-to-face with my thesis committee member, Dr. Nema Dean at the University of Glasgow, was invaluable for advancing my dissertation. It was also a unique opportunity to establish privileged contact with other researchers in the School of Mathematics and Statistics. Being able to chat over coffee with graph theorists and network science experts made it easier to prepare the ground for eventual collaborations and a postdoctoral fellowship."

Taiwan

Chung-Chih Hong

School of Religious Studies

"Without the support of this mobility award, it would be very tough to complete this part of my research due to the high travel expenses during/after the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, with this support, I was able to use better equipment and much concentrated in my fieldwork without worrying about money."

Tanzania

Cherinet Osebo

Experimental Surgery

"I successfully executed the project 'Implementing Amber Trauma Registry in Tanzania.' This initiative introduced an effective trauma surveillance system in the country, enabling seamless data access. Collaborating closely with local staff, I gained invaluable insights into collaborative work dynamics. This experience was a significant learning opportunity, enhancing my understanding of implementing complex projects in diverse contexts."

Uganda

Catching catfish in Kibale, Uganda

Erin Francispillai

Biology

"I got to spend 3 months in Kibale National Park, Uganda, collecting data on catfish thermal tolerance levels in deforested and forested streams. I also got to experience the rich culture and nature of the area, spending time with locals and our field assistants. It was truly an amazing experience, and I cannot express the extent of my gratitude for the opportunity."

United States

Aditya Krishna Karigiri Madhusudhan

Physics

"I participated in the 19th Synthesis and Imaging workshop organised by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. I had lectures on aperture synthesis theory and techniques and tutorials demonstrating data calibration and imaging of various types of radio observations. I also participated in a guided tour to the green bank observatory which consists of the state of heart 100 meter giant radio telescope. This workshop provided me a chance to share my research and receive feedback from other experts in the field. This workshop was invaluable in helping me to refine my research questions and methodologies and ensure that I was on track to make significant contributions to my field."

 

Alejandro Castaneda

Animal Science

"My research project is related to methane emissions from dairy cattle. My goal is to understand the role of methanogens inhabiting the rumen of dairy cows, investigate the differences between high and low methane emitting cows and investigate methane inhibitors. I have the necessary resources (equipment, guidance, and materials) needed to perform my research without problems. So far, my experience has been great and have learned a lot since I arrived. This project has been in my list for many years and finally I have the privilege to live my dream."

 

 

 

Alexandrea Jonker

Music

"I travelled to the New York Public Library for Performing Arts to look at the Johanna Beyer archives housed there. This was my first time doing archival research, and allowed me to view primary materials (Beyer's handwritten scores) that will be extremely valuable for my dissertation work."

 

 

 

Yeu-Farn Lin

Pharmacology

"I attended the Frontiers in Reproduction course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. My time there was transformative. Attending lectures given by experts in my field - people who have done influential work and informed my approach to research questions was a highlight. Having conversations over meals with the faculty and learning about their path to their current positions was also informative, as I am in the process of finishing my PhD and considering options for the next steps in my research career. I am returning home full of ideas for my research projects, having made connections with leading researchers and fellow trainees from across the world."