Crafting an MSCA PhD Masterpiece: Guiding Students on the Verge of Discovery

Marie Curie once said, “Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.” Or perhaps, as we like to think, “only to be enlightened.” The ENLIGHT-TEN+ (E10+) project, short for European Network Linking Informatics and Genomics of Helper T cells in Tissues embodies this spirit as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA)-funded innovative training network (ITN). It offers advanced training in T-cell immunology and big data analysis, blending scientific rigor with fearless creative exploration. Fifteen students were selected as Early Stage Researchers (ESR) to complete their PhDs across 11 European countries. By bridging the gap between immunology and bioinformatics, E10+ equips researchers with the skills to tackle complex challenges in these fields. Yet, navigating such an ambitious and opportunity-rich program was not an easy task. Balancing intense scientific training, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the push to explore new frontiers demanded a creative approach. The E10+ program embraced pushing the boundaries of science by integrating art into its approach, encouraging creativity alongside technical mastery. From organizing art exhibitions to hosting scientific symposiums, this interdisciplinary approach encouraged us to reimagine how research can be presented and understood, even as it brought its own set of challenges. Like all MSCA-ITN programs, E10+ offered us the chance to engage in various activities beyond our research, including annual meetings, summer schools, and conferences, all within three years. We had the opportunity to experience two secondments, one in an academic lab and one in industry. Additionally, our program involved organizing a satellite symposium at the 7th European Congress of Immunology (ECI) 2024 in Dublin, creating a science-focused film, and hosting an art exhibition where artists presented their collaborative work with E10+, including some who completed residencies in our immunology labs. In this article, we aim to recount how the program shaped our scientific and creative growth and offer practical advice on overcoming these challenges. By sharing our experiences, we hope to provide future MSCA fellows with insights on how to successfully navigate the unique demands of such a dynamic and multifaceted program, one that requires a careful balance of technical, creative, and organizational skills. As PhD students, hosting artists in our lab opened up a fascinating intersection between science and art. The results of the collaborative work between Science and Art were exposed in the art exhibition “Untamed Complexity” in Dublin, curated by Marta de Menezes (Cultivamos Culturas, Lisbon, Portugal). While visiting Luis Graça's lab in Lisbon, the artist Oron Catts (University of Western Australia, Australia) explored climate change through a provocative lens: what would it mean to “cook” cells? The idea is to mimic the slow rise of global temperatures on earth (Figure 1A). His work sparked a deeper scientific reflection, prompting us to question long-standing lab practices, like culturing cells at 37°C. Is this universally relevant across all organisms? Margherita Pevere (independent artist, Berlin, Germany) was hosted by the Huehn lab in Braunschweig, where she performed a scientific analysis of her blood cells to artistically present which blood cells are involved in her autoimmunity (Figure 1B). Alex May (University of Hertfordshire, UK) presented a digital rendition of the immune system in the corporate world, highlighting the cooperative parallels between macroscopic functioning society and the microscopic complexity of an immune response against disease. (Figure 1C). His work was based on interactions with the E10+ students based at University College London, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and the Babraham Institute. These collaborations pushed us to look beyond the data and embrace creative exploration. While science is often seen as methodical and precise, and art as abstract and expressive, both are driven by curiosity, questioning, and the exploration of new possibilities. All of these artistic representations of immunology were ways of highlighting how different perspectives can help shape how we see the world and reminding us to always think outside the box, a critical skill in the scientific world. Working with artists did not just spark creativity; it reshaped our approach to research, reminding us that science, like art, is an evolving journey on the verge of discovery. Working with artists revealed similarities between science and art. However, hosting artists in the lab comes with challenges. They come from a different world, and even familiar terms can take on new meanings. We encourage researchers who invite artists into their labs to first recognize the common driving force: the pursuit of the unknown. Then, communicate your work simply, echoing Richard Feynman's belief that to truly understand a concept, you must be able to teach it simply. One of the most challenging and transformative experiences during our MSCA journey was our involvement in Wolfgang Haberl's (European Academy of Science Films, Vienna, Austria) video project (Figure 2). The task seemed simple: film key moments throughout our PhD journey and compile them into a one-hour documentary. However, the reality was far more complex. The film-making experience demands a level of introspection rarely required in scientific work. Filming ourselves forced us to reflect on how we present our journey, not just the successes, but the quieter, often unseen moments of doubt, struggle, and growth. It became a mirror, inviting us to confront not only who we are as researchers but also as individuals navigating the PhD path. We believe the film-making experience should be more than just a creative project, it can also foster personal development. Incorporating personal development mentoring would have been a valuable addition. Growth often comes from facing challenges, as Wolfgang Haberl noted: “The dissatisfaction never goes away; one can only accept it and learn that it is unfounded.” Instead of avoiding discomfort, we should embrace it as a catalyst for growth. As Igor Fillipov (ESR 14) said, “There are moments I want to forget, but also precious memories I want to remember forever.” By confronting challenges, falling, experiencing shame, and rising again, we not only “enlighten” ourselves but also become a beacon of light for others. Building on this idea of embracing growth, we aim to inspire the next generation by sharing valuable insights from the PhD journey. These perspectives are meant to empower and guide future researchers in their own paths of growth and discovery. Navigating an MSCA program is a rewarding journey, filled with frequent travels and interactions beyond the PhD work. This offers countless opportunities for growth and discovery. I would like to share here two stories that I hope will inspire future PhD fellows. The first was my main experiment that would define my entire PhD. I spent 16 h in the lab, only to end up with a colossal failure: one cell left after sorting. I went home, rested, and returned tomorrow. Troubleshooting took months, requiring me to challenge my assumptions and many failures. Eventually, that same experiment yielded 50,000 cells and a deep sense of satisfaction. The second story happened at a national congress dinner, where two invited speakers were seated together. It was a daunting and challenging moment, but despite my trembling legs, I approached them and said, “I'm afraid to be here, but I came anyway. Can I join you?” They were amused but kindly welcomed me. Two years later, I crossed paths with one of them again at another meeting, and this time, he played a key role in helping me achieve an important goal. When the opportunity to be involved in E10+ came along, I was drawn to travel and network with PhD students from all across Europe. I was of course expecting the PhD to be difficult, but completing a PhD project in three years, while participating in the events mandated by the MCSA-ITN was more challenging than I'd expected. I firmly believe a crucial aspect for a STEM PhD student is working with a good PI, one who is open to ideas and encouraging and supportive. My PI helped me to properly manage my mental health and work-life balance and helped guide my PhD while providing me with the freedom and support to explore my own scientific directions. The PhD really is a maelstrom of trials and tribulations, setbacks and frustrations. However, I found that facing these challenges head-on is how we grow as scientists and is necessary for developing skills to become capable postdoctoral researchers. Each challenge led to new opportunities for problem-solving, lateral thinking, and personal growth, and has provided me with the skills to manage more responsibility and stress than before. I am deeply grateful for having been a part of the E10+ program, the included opportunities, and the people along the way. Together they have created experiences that will stay with me forever. I appreciate learning about the experiences of my fellow PhD students, sharing in the struggles and successes is invaluable. My PhD was hosted by a company, offering a unique and exciting environment compared with a traditional research lab. Resources are often more abundant and collaboration is more streamlined, with the entire team working toward a shared objective. Also, decisions in a company are guided by broader organizational goals, compared with a relatively autonomous PI. This creates a dynamic, evolving environment that presents valuable opportunities for PhD students. No matter the original plan, change is a constant in the industry environment, bringing continuous opportunities for growth. Key to thriving in this ever-changing environment and maximizing its advantages is flexibility—embracing new challenges and adapting as challenges arise. Additionally, a strong alignment between your research interest and the company's goal is crucial, as in any research environment. Personally, my experience not only taught me technical skills but also resilience, and equipped me to navigate fast-paced, complex environments and future challenges. It has been an immense privilege to be part of E10+. Over the years I have come to appreciate this network of international PhD students with similar scientific interests and struggles as collaborators and even friends. Since we span the broad spectrum of wet and dry lab expertise in immunology, there's always someone who may be able to offer advice or insight when faced with a seemingly insurmountable issue—such as why the gene calls in my VDJ-sequencing are not properly resolved. Furthermore, having a budget set aside for travel several times a year meant we could focus on meeting in person, fostering strong bonds and lasting memories. Although the scientific training acquired through summer schools and annual meetings remained the priority of our travels, spirits among E10+ fellows were consistently high when together and you might spot them punting on the river Cam in England or giving it their all during a late-night karaoke session in Berlin. My secondments in Switzerland and Portugal generated exciting intersections between our projects and allowed us to add value to each other's works, which proved to be very satisfying on both a scientific and personal level. I look forward to seeing which paths my fellow ESRs will take in the future and have no doubt that they will cross again eventually. The PhD journey can be unpredictable. You might find yourself in a small, close-knit lab, a large, bustling one, an international team with diverse backgrounds, or a more monocultural environment. The experience can vary greatly depending on whether you have a supportive and empathetic PI or one who is less so. Being part of the MSCA program is no guarantee that every aspect will be perfect. However, what truly sets MSCA apart is the opportunity it provides to network with like-minded early career researchers. These connections can lead to productive collaborations and high-impact publications. But beyond that, the real value lies in the human connections we make—bridging cultures, experiences, and backgrounds. These relationships can enrich our professional and personal lives in ways that go far beyond the lab. It's impossible to overestimate the value of sharing experiences with peers. The atmosphere of trust we've built in E10+ has made it a place where we can comfortably be vulnerable. Embracing this vulnerability not only strengthens our connections but also helps us grow both personally and professionally. We become more resilient and well-equipped to deal with future challenges by supporting each other through challenges. As part of the E10+ program, we organized a satellite symposium at ECI 2024 in Dublin, focusing on how AI can accelerate advancements in immunology. Despite being spread across different countries, we successfully coordinated the event, not only highlighting our management and teamwork skills developed through the program but more importantly the friendships that the program created. The symposium featured cutting-edge research at the intersection of AI and immunology (Figure 3). Speakers included David Masopust (University of Minnesota, USA) and Axel Kallies (University of Melbourne, Australia), who shared insights into tissue-resident T cells and their roles in immune protection and exhaustion. Mirela Kuka (Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Italy) presented her work on how interferon-gamma regulates Th1 and T follicular helper cells during viral infections, offering new perspectives on immune response modulation. David Zemmour (University of Chicago, USA) introduced immGenT, a collaborative project using single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze immune responses in various infection models, demonstrating how machine learning and big data reveal hidden patterns. Julie Ribot (Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal) discussed the role of gamma-delta T cells in inflammation, highlighting their therapeutic potential, while José Borghans (University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands) used computational models to explore the residency duration of T cells in tissues, offering deeper insights into immune dynamics. An MSCA-ITN program challenges students with travel, new languages, and different cultures, all while managing the demands of a PhD. Instead of avoiding these hurdles, face them as chances to grow. Even if mastering the local language proves elusive, embracing cultural insights like Portuguese creativity, German efficiency, British humor, and French questioning can enhance our thinking and approach to problems. MSCA activities like summer schools, meetings, and secondments create opportunities to exchange ideas and find solutions (Figure 4). For instance, one student avoided months of work delays by using a shared protocol from a peer. Secondments, in particular, are valuable experiences, and careful planning is essential. We suggest thinking about them early but postponing them until later in the PhD, allowing us to choose a lab that aligns perfectly with the project's needs. Engage in conversations with as many researchers as possible during the visit, early-stage researchers will be surprised by what they can learn from random interactions. For those hosting visiting students, providing detailed guides on accommodation and transport to ease their transition is important. Use the visit as an opportunity to organize events or discussions that might not typically occur. These small efforts can add tremendous value to the visiting experience, enriching both the host and the visitor. With the conclusion of E10+, we hope to return what we have learned during this journey to society, one PhD at a time. ENLIGHT-TEN+ has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no.: 955321. The authors declare no conflict of interest. The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1002/eji.202451659. The authors have nothing to report.