Doctoral candidate 1 - Shambhavi Dwivedi - Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Germany
Project Title: Novel sample preparation and imaging protocols for volumetric visualization and analysis of endothelial vessel beds in the healthy and aged tissue context.
Supervisor name: Friedemann Kiefer, WWU;
co-supervisor Thomas Huser, UniBi
Meet our doctoral candidate at the Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Shambhavi Dwivedi!
Tell us about yourself, who are you? And how do you like to spend your time?
My name is Shambhavi Dwivedi and I am originally from India, living in Münster, Germany since December 2023 and this is my first time in Europe. Which is especially nice, since I have always considered taking a PhD in Europe and Germany in particular is known to be very exposed when it comes to research.
While I like experimenting on the lab bench at work – I have always wanted to have a career in research - I also very much enjoy experimenting in my free time, mainly in my kitchen at home and singing. Mostly classical music from India but also Taylor Swift on request!
What is your educational background and what have been up until now?
I have received both my Bachelor in Life Science as well my Master’s in biotechnology in India where I have also been working for 1,5 years, in a field mostly related to Neuro-Biology prior to joining the ImAge-project.
Why did you decide to join ImAge-D?
First and foremost it was the good reputation of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie funding, the associated exposure over the coming months and years in the field as well as the secondments offered as part of the programme that sparked my interest.
From a practical point of view it was particularly the interdisciplinarity. Having worked in neurobiology in the past and understanding the importance of Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) in neurotherapeutics, I was drawn to biology of endothelium and therefore, I decided in favor of the ImAgE-D application. I am currently exploring Peritoneal Lymphatic vasculature, a very under explored field.
What are your expectations regarding your work in the ImAge-D project?
From a professional perspective, I am very much looking forward to develop an independent acumen throughout the project, work on significant publications (mostly related to vascular biology), build a strong, international network which is especially important for me coming from outside Europe and using some of the most advanced technology in the field.
From a social perspective meeting new people, collaborating on an international level and getting to know different cultures both work-related but also beyond that are at the top of my list. From a very personal point of view, ImAge-D also means: Leaving my comfort zone and broadening my horizon!
Could you share a fun fact with us?
The human eye, if it were a camera would have a whopping resolution of 576 megapixels!
Thank you very much Shambhavi for taking the time and being our first interviewee! Welcome to our project and we wish you all the best for the upcoming years!
