Testimonial: NORPOD Fellow Amanda Munoz-Juan

What is one thing you’re taking away that you think could genuinely influence your next career step?

The biggest takeaway for me was hearing the personal experiences of Meaghan, Iker, Laura and André, who openly described their paths to becoming principal investigators. What I found particularly inspiring was seeing that there is no single or predefined pathway to an independent research career. Each of them had taken a different route, faced different challenges, and made different choices along the way. It made me reflect on my own career and realize that, at this stage, I should focus on identifying experiences, collaborations, and skills that will help me build the research profile I want. I think this perspective will genuinely influence how I approach my next career steps.

How was it to be an organiser of the YIM?

Being a YIM organiser was a really rewarding experience. I enjoyed meeting PhD students and postdocs from the different nodes, and also having the opportunity to contribute ideas about what we wanted from the meeting. Brainstorming together and finding people who could bring those ideas to life was particularly interesting, as it made us feel actively involved in shaping the YIM.

The YIM brings together PhD students and postdocs from across the four Nordic EMBL Partnership nodes. What do you think is the value of having this early-career community within the NEP?

I think it is really valuable to build a strong network early in your career, especially within the NEP, where collaborations and research visits between the different nodes are relatively accessible. The YIM creates opportunities to turn a one-week meeting into long-term connections and, hopefully, fruitful collaborations.

If your academic career were a scientific paper, what would you call the current chapter?

I would call the current chapter “Methodology.” During my postdoc, I’m learning new techniques, approaches, and ways of thinking that are helping me grow both professionally and personally. I see this as an important stage of building the tools and experience I’ll need for the next chapter of my career.

About NORPOD

The NORPOD Postdoctoral Programme is the flagship training initiative of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, funded by NordForsk. Designed to foster the next generation of scientists, it provides postdocs with unique opportunities to work across borders, combining expertise, technologies, and mentorship from leading research environments in the Nordic region.

As part of this ambitious programme, fellows pursue cutting-edge projects while experiencing the collaborative spirit and scientific excellence that define the Nordic EMBL Partnership