It is wonderful to contribute to the sea of knowledge with one´s own work
Despite the current demanding circumstances, 109 young scientists had registered their work to this year’s 22nd year of the Students’ Science Conference of the First Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University. Both under- and postgraduate students, with their supervisors’ support, competed in categories lecture and poster and the audience, too, could in a poll elect the best work by a student. The online format of the conference brought this year new challenges: students recorded their lectures, while members of the evaluation committees and the audience could follow and discuss the contributions on the Moodle platform. The competitors again appreciated the possibility of trying out a presentation of their results, work on their presentation technique, and had the opportunity of looking at their colleagues’ work. The Students’ Science Conference had, among other things, once again shown the wide range of scientific subjects which students and their supervisors at the First Faculty of Medicine together engage in.
We posed the winners of the Students’ Science Conference the following questions:
1. In what way does scientific work enrich you, what do you enjoy about it?
2. What was difficult about your prize-winning work and what did it teach you?
3. Why did you register for the Students’ Science Conference?
4. This years’ online form was unusual. What did you take away from it?
5. Do you now, on the winners’ podium, feel more motivation for further work in science?
Iva Hammerbauerová, Year 4, Faculty of Science of the Charles University
First place in category undergraduate lecture for work ‘Molecular characterization and zoonotic potential of parasitic protist Giardia intestinalis populations from pets’.
Supervisor: RNDr. Pavla Tůmová, Ph.D., Institute of Immunology and Microbiology of the First Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University and General University Hospital.
1. I’ve been meaning to do science ever since childhood and I’m happy that now I can. Scientific work may be demanding and sometimes it seems as if it wasn’t leading anywhere, but I would not change. It’s a sort of detective work and discovery of the unknown, be it when you do something groundbreaking or something that at first glance doesn’t look like that. But every discovery, every description of our world adds at least a drop to the sea of knowledge that has been built for thousands of years and it’s wonderful to have a chance to add to it.
2. What was demanding was especially work with a large amount of samples and data, and in addition to various lab methods, I have certainly learned to keep a proper lab diary and records of my work. It’s not something immediately obvious but after two years of work, one just won’t remember all the specifics of experiments done at the beginning, so it’s crucial to write everything down!
3. I haven’t been at a conference before and I really wanted to try it, both to see how conferences function and to try out a presentation of data which are part of my thesis. Because of the situation last year I unfortunately could not present my results elsewhere, so I’m glad that the Students’ Science Conference did take place, even if it was in an online form.
4. I definitely learned how to record presentations with sound! I must say that the online conference was really nice, everyone could watch the contributions in their free time, and I liked the way the discussion was taking place in a way for all the contributions at the same time. I hope that even after the epidemic is over, some of those things will be used at other conferences.
5. Yes, I definitely found this award encouraging. When one works on a particular piece of research for a long time, it’s easy to start doubting whether one has achieved anything, whether the results are any good. And sometimes I need some external impulse – it needn’t be an award – to remind me that I have something to show and share and that it can be actually interesting for others.
Bc. Eva Zábrodská, Year 2, Faculty of Science of the Charles University
Shared first and second place in category undergraduate poster for her work ‘Persistence and functionality of accessory atrioventricular pathways in the development of chicken heart’.
Supervisor: MVDr. Veronika Olejníčková, Ph.D., Institute of Anatomy of the First Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University
1. What I really like about scientific work is its variety. I can always learn new things and further my understanding. Research is a creative process which enables the application of various approaches. I can thus acquire unique results that can be clinically important.
2. The work was especially demanding in terms of patience. I had to go over a lot of data. Then the results were composed into a single graph. Until a person starts processing one’s own data, one cannot, I think, quite imagine how much work can hide behind for instance a single column in a graph.
3. Being able to present research well is an important part of work in science. Poorly presented good research loses something from its value. The work of the entire team collaborating on the subject can thus be in vain. A student conference is therefore an ideal opportunity to acquire experience. I’m glad that I didn’t botch the presentation and the results which we acquired with colleagues could thus be appreciated.
4. I was especially surprised by the diversity of ways in which participants approached the task. For many of the presentations I thought that the author chose a very nice approach which I would not have thought of. Despite the difficult conditions, this led to the creation of many outstanding lectures and posters.
5. Every appreciation of work accomplished is great and functions as an incentive to go on. I am, however, especially motivated by collaboration with my wonderful supervisor, Dr. Veronika Olejníčková. She is so willing to help me with things and is definitely a great model for me.
Bc. Aneta Perglerová, Year 2, Faculty of Science of the Charles University
Shared first and second place in category undergraduate poster for work ‘Genotyping of metronidazole-treatment refractory Giardia intestinalis samples from patients with giardiasis.
Supervisor: RNDr. Pavla Tůmová, Ph.D., Institute of Immunology and Microbiology of the First Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University and General University Hospital
1. I like the idea that some of my results could contribute to the discovery of something that could be applicable in practice and eventually even help someone.
2. The beginning of the work was a bit difficult for me. It was the first time I did any real work in the lab, not counting the lab practices during my bachelor studies. But work is sometimes a bit more difficult even now. It happens that some results are not meeting my expectations and I must repeat the work. Early on, this was undercutting my self-confidence. I’d like to thank my supervisor and colleagues in the lab, who are always willing to advise when I’m tackling some problem. The work taught me that I shouldn’t give up and be more confident.
3. Participation in the Students’ Science Conference was something my supervisor had suggested: on my own, I wouldn’t have dared. I’m glad I was able to share my results with others and at the same time take a look at the range of subjects which other students at the First Faculty of Medicine work on.
4. I liked the online format of the conference. I also like the Moodle platform, which is where the posters and lectures were posted, and especially the possibility of returning to them after the end of the conference. Creating my presentation of the poster was quite hard work, because summarising the methods and results of my work in two minutes was really challenging. But this time limitation made me think about how I could familiarise someone with my work clearly and briefly.
5. The fact that I ended so well in the competition gave me self-confidence regarding my work and it really motivates me to continue. I’m glad my work did well among other interesting contributions which were presented. I’m not quite sure about how I’ll continue to do science after completing my master’s degree, right now I think I’d like to work in a diagnostics lab.
Michaela Švrdlíková, MSc, Year 1 of doctoral postgraduate studies, First Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University
First place in category postgraduate poster for work ‘Proteomic analysis as an instrument of identification of key proteins linked to the emergence and development of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma’
Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Jiří Petrák, Ph.D., Biocev
1. What I enjoy about scientific work is the variety and the fact that one can work with people from different areas of science. I can constantly learn new things and add to my understanding. In short, it’s never boring.
2. It certainly taught me that during experiments, one must have a large amount of determination and patience and when something isn’t working out, it’s not the end of the world: I must go back a few steps and try to approach the problem differently. I still enjoy work on my project and constantly learn new things.
3. I signed up to present my project and share the results with other students. I was also curious to see what students from other research groups work on.
4. This year’s conference showed me how people can adapt to almost anything and that even in our difficult times, it was possible to find a way of creating a truly interesting conference. For me, it really shows that where there’s a will, there’s a way!
5. I certainly feel motivated. Winning showed me that hard work does have a meaning and it is for me an impulse for further developing my project and moving it forward.
MUDr. Václav Heřman, Year 3 of postgraduate doctoral studies, First Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University
First place in category postgraduate lecture for work ‘PDK1 – a new promising target in lymphoma’
Supervisor: MUDr. Ondřej Havránek, Ph.D., Biocev
1. Scientific work to some degree satisfies my curiosity. I also work as a doctor at oncological haematology, and that’s why I want to understand the diseases I see in my patients as thoroughly as possible. Work in the lab of tumour biology of lymphomas gives me a chance to understand why patients sometimes respond to treatment and sometimes they don’t. I want to understand how tumour cells react to their environment and what makes them vulnerable. At the same time, haematology as a field is nowadays developing very fast, so one must follow the science willy-nilly to keep track of current therapeutical options.
2. In general, work with cell cultures taught me patience. And perhaps even a bit of stoicism. This is because once one starts an experiment, the rest is basically waiting. And if you for instance make a mistake, usually you find it only several days later or when evaluating the data. At that point, it can’t be fixed, you must repeat the experiment. Sometimes, it’s a real test of determination.
3. At our institute it’s customary to sign up for the Students’ Science Conference every year to present one’s results within the entire faculty. It’s also a way of improving one’s presentation technique, of learning how to put a lecture or presentation together, how to present one’s results optimally.
4. It’s great that the conference took place at least in some form but I don’t think it’s my favourite format. I miss the social aspect of the event and feedback from the audience. And what I took home from it? The first prize, naturally ...
5. As I see it, the motivation isn’t the winner’s podium, as it were, but doing something you enjoy. That is why any award is in fact just the cherry on the cake.