An Erasmus+ research internship on the trail of Brisbane's natural killers
As part of my work as a PhD student in the Department of Pharmacology at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to take part in an Erasmus+ funded staff mobility programme (research internship) at the Translational Research Institute Australia at the University of Queenstown in Brisbane from 5 May 2025 to 6 June 2025. This practical course was organised in collaboration with the International Office at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences. The aim of the practical course was to learn techniques through research work in another laboratory that I can also apply to my own research work at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences.
Erasmus+ Forschungspraktikum Brisbane
The research group led by Professor Fernando Fonseca Guimaraes focuses on developing cancer immunotherapy based on natural killer cells (NK cells). During my practical course, I researched how NK cells can be extracted from donated blood, multiplied and stored long-term in order to create the best possible conditions for therapeutic use. I learned a lot for my research work, but I was also able to contribute my knowledge from Australia and pass it on.
Learning how to work better with human NK cells was particularly valuable for me, as my research project here at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences will benefit greatly from this. In addition, I can also strengthen our research collaborations in Austria, as the knowledge I gained during my practical course has equipped me with skills that are in demand in the NK cell community in Vienna and the surrounding area. In addition to my work in the laboratory, I also had the opportunity to participate in various events organised by the Translational Research Institute and to further my education in areas such as scientific writing. I also got to know many other researchers and was able to build up an international network that may lead to international collaborations in the future.
I was also able to use my time in Brisbane to explore the city and its surroundings and get to know the people and culture of Australia better. My personal highlight here was visiting the Great Barrier Reef. So, my Erasmus+ stay in Brisbane not only provided me with very useful professional knowledge, but also gave me the opportunity to develop personally and discover a whole new world far away from home.
I would like to express my special thanks to Professor Fernando Fonseca Guimaraes, who warmly welcomed me to his laboratory group and gave me the opportunity to do this practical course in the first place. My thanks also go to Melissa Elliott, who worked with me in the laboratory. I must not forget my supervisors, Univ.-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. Dagmar Stoiber-Sakaguchi and Agnieszka Witalisz-Siepracka, PhD, who gave me time off for my stay, and the International Office at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, in particular Ms Anzinger, who provided me with active support in all matters and questions.
