Carlos Urzua

Course: MSc course in Medical and Pharmaceutical Drug Innovation (MPDI), University of Groningen

Period: February – July 2016

Supervisor: Dr. Iris H. Jonkers

Allele-specific expression on gluten-sensitive T-cell clones

During my internship I learned to analyze large files of genomic data while working on a project in the genetics department. My group was very friendly and willing to help me get up to speed. The department has flex-working spaces with comfortable, adjustable chairs, which are very important when your work is entirely on the computer.

Back in Mexico I had the opportunity to do a research internship during my last year of Medical School. There, I was used to having a defined schedule and being constantly supervised. So initially, I had difficulty adapting to the work-style in the genetics department, which allows you to manage your own time and solve your problems at your own pace. Also, although the discussions during the work meetings were, at first, very difficult to understand, I was managing to ask some questions and communicate my ideas by the end of the internship.

This experience has given me the skills and confidence to pursue my own projects with this kind of large data sets in the future.