Fabian Pfersdorf
PhD student Fabian Pfersdorf from Department of Biomedical Sciences participated in the DRA Summer School 2023, and he has agreed to share some thoughts on DRA and life as a PhD student at the University of Copenhagen:
“I found this PhD position when I was looking for a job after finishing my Master’s degree. I was primarily looking for a job in the industry but the subject of the project – which is now my project – was interesting to me and I thought it suited me very well. Also, a PhD student in the lab I worked in for my masters was at DRA and had recommended it to me.” Fabian’s supervisor is Associate Professor Martin Gustavsson.
“For me as a PhD student at BMI, it is clear that the PhD students in DRA have different backgrounds. We are not many from my department and sometimes, for example at the summer schools, it can be quite clear that many others have a more pharmacological background. I would say my work is closer to the life science field, and I can tell that I, and the PhD students with a pharma background, have different knowledge and ways of approaching certain topics. But it also gives me more perspective to get a picture of what is going on in pharmacological research every now and then, and I think that is great.”
On the many DRA events, Fabian remarks: “I did a bunch of workshops at DRA, for example a workshop on the use of LinkedIn as a researcher and a workshop on research writing organized by the journal Nature. I also really like the summer schools, and I have spent a lot of time in the Young Pharma Forum who organizes social events for the PhD students at DRA. I think it is super good that the DRA events combine our work as researchers with a social function – we get an opportunity to socialize with colleagues, meet new people and network.”
When he considers the career opportunities his PhD will give him, Fabian says: “I’m specifically interested in research, and a PhD is advantageous if you want a leading research position in the industry. That is also a reason that I am happy to be at DRA – it gives me certain competences and provides insights into what kind of research is being done and which challenges there are in the pharmacological sector, which may also be quite relevant for me in future jobs in a company. I have thought for a long time that I would like to try both working with a larger company and working in more of a start-up environment, as I have the impression that those would present quite different challenges and development opportunities.”
Fabian gave the presentation “Regulation of Chemokine Receptors by Receptor Activity-Modifying Proteins (RAMPs)” at the project presentation event at DRA Summer School. The event was one out of eight presentation events where 3rd year PhD students presented their projects in front of an assessment committee. This committee consisted of Professor Bente Frølund, Assistant Professor Stine Rønholt and Professor Jörg Kutter.
At LinkedIn you can meet Fabian Pfersdorf
Interview by Lisbeth Lassen, Communication Consultant, Pharma Communication, Pharma Administration.