PhD Students Find Common Ground at Helix Lab
The desks in Helix Lab’s study lounge are now occupied by four new users. On March 1st, the last two of four PhD students moved in, and from now on, they will divide their time between universities, companies, and Helix Lab.
To mark the occasion, Helix Lab held a kick-off event for the newcomers, where they were introduced to Helix Lab and had the opportunity to discuss their expectations for their time here as well as get to know each other better. Director Anette Birck, Senior Scientific Consultant Kresten Kromphardt, and Management Consultant Nanna Blume facilitated he event along with the four PhD students. Nanna Blume especially talked to them about how they can support each other moving forward:
“The PhD students have Helix Lab in common, but beyond that, their projects are very different. So we’ve talked a lot about how to find common ground when focusing on such different topics. As an example, they agreed that they have academic research in collaboration with the manufacturing industry in common,” says Nanna Blume, who finds that the four students are eager to build a PhD community in Kalundborg.
“Fortunately, we can draw on all the experience we have in creating a community for our Fellows. But the most important thing is, of course, that the students are open and willing to make it happen, so that’s very positive,” she adds.
Meetings Across Academic Disciplines
The four PhD students—Isabell Raahauge Eriksen, Gary Simethy, Oliver Massaad, and Alejandro Lorite Mora—will, as mentioned, divide their time between Helix Lab, companies, and their respective universities. However, the sense of community at Helix Lab also offers something unique. Oliver Massaad, who began his PhD project in December 2024, shares his thoughts on the dynamic, young environment at Helix Lab, which he says provides a fun and relaxed atmosphere where students from diverse backgrounds can collaborate and share insights across disciplines.
“I enjoy the community aspect of Helix Lab. It’s not just about doing your own project in isolation. Even though everyone is working on different areas of research, they get along and bond with each other. The environment has a young feel to it, and I don’t think that would be the case if I was doing a traditional Industry PhD.”
In the future, Nanna Blume hopes that the PhD community at Helix Lab will grow stronger.
“This is one of our top priorities and we will definitely work very hard on that. Right now, we only have four students, but that’s enough to lay the foundation for those who will hopefully come in the future. For now, we’re just really excited to get started and get to know them.”
Follow the link to read more about the Helix Lab PhD Program and the individual projects here.
