Shuting Xu, a PhD student from the Ebisuya Lab at the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) has been awarded the highly competitive DIGS-BB travel award, worth €1500. This grant supported her participation at a Gordon Research Conference on ‘Multiscale Mechanochemistry and Mechanobiology – Exploring & Exploiting Mechanical Phenomena’ in Lewiston, USA, from July 21st to July 26th.
The DIGS-BB travel award recognizes outstanding progress by PhD students, supporting their active participation in scientific conferences. Awarded four times per year to eligible candidates, winners receive up to €1500 in funds. The travel award is specifically aimed at PhD students who have completed the first year of their thesis, and is designated independent of group leaders' funds.
Shuting spoke to us about her experience in the USA, where she presented some of her latest work on tissue mechanics:
“I am immensely grateful for the support provided by this grant, which allowed me to attend a conference in the US, where the costs were significantly higher than those in Europe. While my supervisor is very supportive of conference attendance, the travel grant was crucial in covering the additional expenses. Currently, I am preparing a preprint for submission and found one of the core missions of the GRC—fostering dialogue on work before publication—particularly beneficial. I received valuable feedback that helped me evaluate our work and refine the paper's narrative to make it more compelling and convincing.
The camaraderie at the conference was incredibly enjoyable. I had the opportunity to engage in extensive discussions with researchers I had long wanted to meet. Conversations with experts like Prof. Lisa Manning and Prof. Jinn-Ahn Park provided fresh perspectives and significantly expanded my scientific network. As I look towards my future career in North America, this conference was invaluable. I met many researchers working in the region and learned about the research landscape and lifestyle there. These interactions helped me understand new directions of interest for various labs, discuss my post-graduation career plans, and effectively showcase my capabilities.”
On behalf of the PoL community, massive congratulations Shuting! We look forward to your publication and future research endeavours.