Aline Hatem

How to get to know this grant

My research experiences made me very interested in finding a new opportunity related not only to the RBCs; but also to cellular physiology, specifically in the field of membranous channels. Discovering the description of this Ph.D. program at the CNRS employment site, was for me like dreams coming true: the subject aims to determine the activity of cation channels in Red Blood Cells (RBCs) using techniques that were already practiced in my previous works like immunocytochemistry, Western Blot, cellular imaging, and flow cytometry.

Then came in the description the fact that this opportunity is part of ITN EVIDENCE, an EU program where there will be a collaboration between 15 ESRs in research laboratories and institutes originating from different European countries. And one of the things that attracted me the most to this program was that I will be receiving a continuous education comprising training and secondments in other institutes where I can acquire not only multidisciplinary knowledge in the field that I will be working on in the next three years of my life but also where I can be widening my culture and intellectual abilities.

Expectations

Now, I am an ESR6 PhD candidate who will be working on the hydration states of a RBC by determining the repertoire of channels involved in the life-ending in normal and pathological conditions. We will try to diagnose the risks imposed by cations permeability in stored, senescent, and ex-vivo generated erythrocytes. I will be performing electrophysiological techniques, notably the patch-clamp, in order to accumulate enough data concerning the behaviors of diverse ionic channels present on the membranes of these cells. Hence, during this PhD, I will grasp a deep knowledge about the physiology of a RBC, and the contribution of ionic channels to the awaited homeostasis.

Updates

Now, and after more than one year, I can't be more grateful that I got the chance to be part of this research program at many levels. First, I am conducting such an interesting and rigorous scientific work, in a consortium based on the collaboration among the well-reputed labs and researchers in the RBCs field in Europe.

I am acquiring plenty of personal and professional skills: scientific reasoning (how to put a hypothesis then try to answer it doing a pertinent literature review, logical experiments...), teamwork ability, scientific culture, but also patience, perseverance, and organization capacities.

Moreover, I am confirming my passion for research. Finding methods to answer questions that help us move forward in the project is always challenging stuff, but getting the results after is so satisfying.   

What is important and unique about this program, is that we are in contact with other ESRs, we share knowledge and help each other. This can take place through secondments; when we move to other labs or when we host other ESRs in our lab for a certain time. But also, we have good communication between us through meetings and courses, virtually or in person. In this consortium, we have also the opportunity to be followed up and to receive courses that will help us to grow and discern the way we like to continue our careers. Hence, it's a very encouraging and supportive program. Nevertheless, the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the progress of our secondments and in-person meetings. However, we are all optimistic that things will get better for the time left.

To sum up, participating in such a consortium is a chance!