Blog
My Secondment in France: Science, Culture, and Dreams Fulfilled
When I landed in France for my two-month secondment at WatchFrog, I thought I was simply stepping into a new lab, another phase of my PhD. But life, as it often does, surprised me. These weeks became much more than science—they became a journey of rediscovery, resilience, friendship, and fulfilling long-held dreams. In the lab, I found myself reconnecting with an old love. After years devoted to chemical and biological treatments, it felt like coming home to dive again into biology, biochemistry, and toxicology. At WatchFrog, I learned about ecotoxic
ASTEE conference 2025 in Toulouse – A Deep Dive into Water Innovation and Violets
In June this year, I had the exciting opportunity to participate in the ASTEE (Association Scientifique et Technique pour l’Eau et l’Environnement) annual conference in Toulouse—a gathering focused entirely on water, in all its complexity and importance. My presentation, “Évaluation de l’efficacité du traitement des boues par mesure des effets biologiques”, centered on evaluating the efficiency of sludge treatment using bioassays. Presenting this work in French to a room full of experts was both challenging and incredibly rewarding. It was a great way to test the progress of my language
Communicating LCA Beyond the Lab: My Seminar Presentation Experience at KU Leuven
Pursuing a PhD is a journey filled with extremes—enriching, demanding, overwhelming, and rewarding—sometimes all in ONE single day! In late June 2025, shortly after passing my 9-month progress meeting, I had the opportunity to present my research at the PETLab seminar, a monthly session at KU Leuven’s De Nayer campus that brings together professors, postdocs, and PhD researchers—mainly from chemical engineering, but open to researchers from all backgrounds. For PhD candidates like me, communicating research to an audience beyond supervisors and peers is a crucial skill, and I
First Steps, Big Ideas: Presenting My PhD Work at the FMA Section Talks
Time truly flies when you’re immersed in exciting science. I recently had the opportunity to give my first-ever presentation as a PhD student, and I couldn’t have asked for a more encouraging setting than the Functional Molecular Assembly (FMA) section talks, an annual internal event at the University of Glasgow that brings together researchers working on advanced functional materials and molecular systems. As a doctoral candidate (DC11) in the INCLUE project, my research in the Peveler Group focuses on developing holistic sensing strategies for pollutants and ecotoxicity in treated sludge.
Between Posters and Cliffs: Notes from a PhD’s First Conference
As I write my first blog post, I’m sitting at the airport, waiting to board my flight back to Belgium after an intense and inspiring week. At the end of May, I had the opportunity to attend The 5th International Conference on Biogas Microbiology (ICBM5) in Galway, Ireland – my very first scientific conference as a PhD researcher. I proudly represented the INCLUE project by exhibiting my first doctoral research poster, titled “Stimulation of Diuron anaerobic biodegradation: insights from semi-continuous adaptation”. It showcased some early findings from the first, major
SETAC conference Vienna, Austria 2025 – Science, Friends, and a Touch of Viennese Magic
This May, I had the opportunity to attend the SETAC Europe conference in Vienna—a week that blended exciting scientific exchange with memorable social moments and a touch of travel bliss. I presented my research titled “Elucidating the Mode of Action of Priority Pollutants on the Thyroid Axis by Combining Two Eleuthero-embryonic Bioassays”, and it was both an exciting and rewarding experience to share and discuss my work with an engaged, expert audience. At the conference, I also met with Andrea (DC4) who presented his poster, so it was exciting sharing
Expanding Our Research Perspectives: My first secondment at Nijhuis Industries in The Netherlands
It’s incredible how quickly time flies when you’re learning so much in such a stimulating and welcoming environment. During my time at Nijhuis, I had the opportunity to meet researchers, process and commissioning engineers, expand my professional network, and engage with industrial partners. These interactions allowed me to explore the topic from new perspectives, consider critical aspects I hadn’t previously examined, and gain a broader understanding of the future of sludge processing in the European Union. Together with Tiago, I deepened into the process details of wastewater treatment and its
From Poster to platform: My first research presentation at the Carbon Recycling Network Conference 2025
I had the privilege to present my first research poster at the Carbon Recycling Network 5th Annual Conference, from March 9–12, 2025, at the historic Shrigley Hall in Cheshire, UK. This milestone was not only a personal achievement but also an opportunity to represent the INCLUE EU project; a Horizon-MSCA-DN initiative focused on developing innovative, circular solutions for wastewater treatment sludge. I would see myself as a newcomer to the academic conference scene, in which I was both very excited and apprehensive. It was surprising and amazing to see how
Sustainability in Action: Introducing LCA to a Cross-Disciplinary Audience
Every morning in the world of research brings new challenges, discoveries, and opportunities to push the boundaries of knowledge. Seven months into my PhD journey, I had the chance to present at KU Leuven Campus Group-T’s Research Day. The event, centered around biochemical and bio-engineering technologies, brought together curious and motivated master’s students from campuses in Gent, De Nayer, Geel, and Diepenbeek. The event was a gathering of researchers showcasing their latest advancements, ongoing projects, and future goals. Beyond the engaging presentations and lab tours, the day was a chance to
My Secondment in France: Science, Culture, and Dreams Fulfilled
When I landed in France for my two-month secondment at WatchFrog, I thought I was simply stepping into a new lab, another phase of my PhD. But life, as it often does, surprised me. These weeks became much more than science—they became a journey of rediscovery, resilience, friendship, and fulfilling long-held dreams. In the lab, I found myself reconnecting with an old love. After years devoted to chemical and biological treatments, it felt like coming home to dive again into biology, biochemistry, and toxicology. At WatchFrog, I learned about ecotoxic
ASTEE conference 2025 in Toulouse – A Deep Dive into Water Innovation and Violets
In June this year, I had the exciting opportunity to participate in the ASTEE (Association Scientifique et Technique pour l’Eau et l’Environnement) annual conference in Toulouse—a gathering focused entirely on water, in all its complexity and importance. My presentation, “Évaluation de l’efficacité du traitement des boues par mesure des effets biologiques”, centered on evaluating the efficiency of sludge treatment using bioassays. Presenting this work in French to a room full of experts was both challenging and incredibly rewarding. It was a great way to test the progress of my language
Communicating LCA Beyond the Lab: My Seminar Presentation Experience at KU Leuven
Pursuing a PhD is a journey filled with extremes—enriching, demanding, overwhelming, and rewarding—sometimes all in ONE single day! In late June 2025, shortly after passing my 9-month progress meeting, I had the opportunity to present my research at the PETLab seminar, a monthly session at KU Leuven’s De Nayer campus that brings together professors, postdocs, and PhD researchers—mainly from chemical engineering, but open to researchers from all backgrounds. For PhD candidates like me, communicating research to an audience beyond supervisors and peers is a crucial skill, and I
First Steps, Big Ideas: Presenting My PhD Work at the FMA Section Talks
Time truly flies when you’re immersed in exciting science. I recently had the opportunity to give my first-ever presentation as a PhD student, and I couldn’t have asked for a more encouraging setting than the Functional Molecular Assembly (FMA) section talks, an annual internal event at the University of Glasgow that brings together researchers working on advanced functional materials and molecular systems. As a doctoral candidate (DC11) in the INCLUE project, my research in the Peveler Group focuses on developing holistic sensing strategies for pollutants and ecotoxicity in treated sludge.
Between Posters and Cliffs: Notes from a PhD’s First Conference
As I write my first blog post, I’m sitting at the airport, waiting to board my flight back to Belgium after an intense and inspiring week. At the end of May, I had the opportunity to attend The 5th International Conference on Biogas Microbiology (ICBM5) in Galway, Ireland – my very first scientific conference as a PhD researcher. I proudly represented the INCLUE project by exhibiting my first doctoral research poster, titled “Stimulation of Diuron anaerobic biodegradation: insights from semi-continuous adaptation”. It showcased some early findings from the first, major
SETAC conference Vienna, Austria 2025 – Science, Friends, and a Touch of Viennese Magic
This May, I had the opportunity to attend the SETAC Europe conference in Vienna—a week that blended exciting scientific exchange with memorable social moments and a touch of travel bliss. I presented my research titled “Elucidating the Mode of Action of Priority Pollutants on the Thyroid Axis by Combining Two Eleuthero-embryonic Bioassays”, and it was both an exciting and rewarding experience to share and discuss my work with an engaged, expert audience. At the conference, I also met with Andrea (DC4) who presented his poster, so it was exciting sharing