Our PhD student, Tamás Varga Bence, recently returned home from a study trip in Alicante. You can read his report here:
From April to July 2024, I had the privilege of participating in the Erasmus+ program at the Instituto de Neurociencias in Alicante, at the medical faculty of Universidad Miguel Hernández, working in the Translational Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders led by Dr. Jorge Manzanares Robles. These three months enriched me with numerous professional and personal experiences.
During my time there, I participated in various experiments, including research related to cognitive modeling, gene phenotyping, and biomarker profiling. I acquired new methods and actively participated in data evaluation. I played a particularly significant role in developing a new model related to PTSD and anxiety disorders, as well as establishing a Barnes maze model.
The time spent there provided me with extensive professional knowledge. I gained deeper insights into the cannabidiol system and its efficacy studies, participated in several postnatal and alcohol exposure tests, and learned various techniques for animal handling, surgery, drug administration, and sample preparation and processing. As mentioned earlier, I actively participated in a PTSD study, which further expanded my prior knowledge in this scientific field.
The environment was friendly and welcoming, in line with the local temperament; I quickly became an integral part of the research group and played a significant role in their daily work. Fortunately, I also established personal friendships with my colleagues in a short time, and as a result, we enjoyed many joint activities after work.
The three months spent in Alicante were enriching not only professionally but also culturally. I explored Alicante and its surroundings and visited various parts of Andalusia, including Granada and the Alhambra, Seville, Córdoba, and Gibraltar. On weekends, I spent a lot of time at the local beaches, often cycled around Alicante, regularly visited local markets, and explored various local attractions. On a few special occasions, I had the opportunity to go diving, mountain hiking, kayaking, and many other sports. I was fortunate to experience the Alicante summer Hogueras festivals, which involved nearly a whole month of celebrations and street parties.
I am very grateful for all the experiences I had, and I am certain that I will return to Spain, either for professional or personal reasons. I feel that embarking on this adventure was one of the best decisions of my life. The kindness and helpfulness of my colleagues there meant a lot to me, and I hope we will have the opportunity to work together again in the future.
In summary, the Erasmus+ program in Alicante enriched me with lifelong experiences and skills. Besides professional development, I made many new friends and improved my Spanish language skills. I highly recommend seizing any similar opportunity, as the knowledge and experiences gained here are of inestimable value.
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