On 6 November, the Vall d’Hebron Campus hosted the fourth edition of PhD Day, an event dedicated to the predoctoral community and jointly organised by PhD students from the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), with the support of VHIR Academia and VHIO Academy.

Held in the Assembly Hall of the UAB Teaching Pavilion at the Vall d’Hebron Campus, the event provided an opportunity to share research projects, exchange knowledge and build connections between students and professionals from different fields. The programme combined short scientific presentations, poster sessions and networking activities, thematic workshops, and a roundtable discussion focusing on the different career paths available in research.

“PhD Day is much more than an annual gathering of the predoctoral community: it is a space to share experiences, build relationships and foster networking among people who face similar challenges every day. I would particularly like to highlight the outstanding work of the organising team, who have volunteered their time and worked proactively and enthusiastically to help this initiative grow. It is a testament to the value of collaboration, respect and recognition of one another’s work, as well as to the importance of building a sense of community during the predoctoral journey,” said Sara Ruiz, Educational Project Manager at VHIR Academia.

For her part, María Yubero, Training Coordinator at VHIO Academy, emphasised that “PhD Day helps strengthen the campus research community by allowing doctoral students to discover the research being carried out around them, share their concerns and build connections beyond their own research groups. At VHIO Academy, we are committed to promoting these meeting spaces, which encourage collaboration and provide students with tools to shape their own professional paths.”

Sharing research and exploring new methodologies

The day began with a Flash Talks session, during which PhD students gave brief presentations of their research projects. This format helped showcase the diversity of research lines being pursued across the campus and encouraged the exchange of ideas among early-career researchers.

“I believe PhD Day is very important because it creates spaces where PhD students can step outside the lab and share what they are working on with others. These activities not only raise the visibility of our research, but also encourage networking, new collaborations and the development of communication skills, which are essential for any scientist. They are also a good reminder that science is not just about conducting research, but also about sharing it with others,” emphasised Iván Martínez Ballestero, a first-year PhD student, former VHIR master's student and volunteer member of the event's organising team.

This was followed by a poster session and networking activity, providing another opportunity to explore the projects in greater depth, exchange experiences and connect with other members of the scientific community through a bingo-style activity.

One of the programme's main highlights was the four parallel workshops, designed to address complementary skills and needs throughout a research career.

María Dolores Braquehais, Medical Director of the Comprehensive Care Programme for Healthcare Professionals with Health Problems at Clínica Galatea, led a workshop on work-life balance.

Marc Buendía, a PhD student at IDIBAPS, delivered a practical session on spatial transcriptomics and tissue atlas construction (Building a Tissue Atlas: A Practical Guide to Spatial Transcriptomics).

Meanwhile, Marta Vallvé and Sara Palacín, Project Managers at VHIR's Impact and Responsible Research Office, explored how to maximise the impact of research. Finally, Marc Téllez, Social Media Manager at Vall d’Hebron, focused his workshop on science communication and building a personal brand in today's professional environment.

Exploring different career paths

In the afternoon, the event continued with a roundtable discussion featuring professionals from a range of backgrounds, who shared their experiences and perspectives on career opportunities related to biomedical research.

The panel included Dr Ariadna Boloix, CEO and co-founder of Flavii Therapeutics, a spin-off from the University of Barcelona; Dr Anna Montras, Head of Competitive Grants and International Promotion at IRB Barcelona; Dr Alba Llop, Associate Director at AstraZeneca; Dr Thomas Mortimer, Junior Group Leader of the Circadian Rhythms and Ageing Laboratory at VHIR; and Dr Lara Nonell, Head of the Bioinformatics Unit at VHIO.

The diversity of the panellists' professional backgrounds offered an opportunity to explore different career paths, ranging from biotechnology entrepreneurship and competitive grant management to the pharmaceutical industry and research group leadership. The session also allowed students to learn about professional experiences beyond traditional academic career paths.

“PhD Day is an extremely valuable opportunity. Usually, we either discuss our projects only with people from our own laboratories or present them at large conferences, where the audience mainly consists of principal investigators (PIs) and senior researchers, which can be quite intimidating.

PhD Day creates a more equal environment where we can share not only our research but also our experiences with people at a similar stage in their research careers. This means less pressure, less nervousness and less fear of being judged. It is a fantastic space to practise presentations and build confidence, while also helping us develop a sense of community,” said Laia Ollé, a third-year PhD student and volunteer member of the event's organising team.

“It is also a great opportunity to meet researchers from other groups and institutions, and sometimes these conversations can even lead to new collaborations,” she concluded.

The event came to a close with the presentation of awards for the best scientific presentations in both the Flash Talks and poster categories, recognising research excellence and the ability to communicate scientific findings effectively.

In the Flash Talks category, the jury award went to Sofía Calpe, a predoctoral researcher in VHIO's Cancer Genomics Engineering Group, while the audience award was presented to Cristina Márquez, a stroke research technician at VHIR.

In the poster category, the jury award went to Raquel Delgado, a predoctoral researcher in VHIR's Biomedical Research in Gynaecology Group, supported by the Friends of VHIR. The audience award went to Sofia Rodríguez, a technician in the Molecular Imaging and Therapy Research Group.

These awards recognise the effort, dedication and talent of predoctoral researchers, as well as the importance of sharing and communicating research within the scientific community.

Strengthening the campus research community

With this fourth edition, Vall d’Hebron PhD Day continues to provide a meeting space for the VHIR and VHIO predoctoral community, combining research dissemination with transferable skills training, professional well-being and the exploration of new career opportunities.

The initiative highlights emerging research talent and reinforces the importance of creating spaces for collaboration and knowledge exchange among students, research groups and professionals from different areas of the biomedical sector.

Our sincere thanks to Sternalia Productions, La Campana - Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, Devir, Miliuna Pastisseria, Sant Pau Recinte Modernista, CosmoCaixa and the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona for their collaboration and for supporting this initiative to foster emerging research talent.