From California to Denmark: A PhD Exchange That Sparked Collaboration and Friendship

Location: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Viborg, Aarhus University, Denmark

Interviewer: Shaila Ann Sigsgaard

Interviewee: Amara Benn, 2nd Year PhD Student, UC Davis

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you're researching?

My name is Amara Benn. I'm a second-year PhD student at UC Davis in Dr. Carolyn Slupsky’s lab. I'm part of the nutrition pillar of the Pig Paradigm project, where we study how early-life nutrition impacts the health and development of piglets—especially their gastrointestinal systems. It’s a mix of metabolic science, animal welfare, and a big-picture view of long-term development.

I have just been on an exchange in Denmark, working in Elisabeth Chasse’s lab. She visited UC Davis during my first year and played a huge role in my early development. When I had to run a complex piglet study, Elisabeth was the one who guided me through it. She has so much experience, and her mentorship meant a lot. We’re basically best friends now.

How did this exchange come together?

It all started when the exchange funding was announced. Elisabeth had a study coming up with her PhD student Celine, and she immediately thought it could be a great opportunity. We quickly pulled together an application, and the timing worked perfectly—I was already planning to attend the PIG-PARADIGM Annual Meeting in Denmark in May, so I just extended my stay.

I think, I’m actually the first UC Davis student to do an exchange here, so there was a lot of interest in making it happen. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and wanted to build stronger connections between our universities.

What were the goals of your visit?

I had a few goals:

- Help with Celine Meyhoff Crone’s pig study: I wanted to support her, hands-on, just as Elisabeth had helped me. And it was so interesting to see how experiments are run differently across facilities. There’s a real contrast between UC Davis and Denmark in terms of resources, methods, and priorities.

- Advance my own project using new methods: I collaborated with Mihai Curtasu on untargeted metabolomics—something we don’t do at my lab back home. He helped me analyze diet samples with nopal, cactus powder. We spent a whole day talking through the instrumentation and data analysis, and it was just amazing. Having someone break it down like that, in person, is something I’ll never forget. It’s very complex.

- Shadow researchers in Charlotte Lauridsen’s lab: Originally, I wanted to ship serum samples to Denmark, but it was ridiculously expensive and stressful. I’ve had samples lost before—so instead, I decided to watch and learn how they do oxidative stress marker analysis here. We haven’t done those techniques in my lab, so seeing it in action is something I can take home and apply.

What was it like working with new people in a new lab?

It was great! One thing I really noticed is the collaborative spirit here. In the U.S., labs are often more isolated—we each stay in our lanes. But here, the culture encourages cross-collaboration. People from different labs talk, share, and solve problems together.

And there’s this sense of community that I loved. Everyone eats lunch at the same time. They take breaks together. The other day, the whole group took a tour together. At Davis, that kind of bonding doesn’t happen much. So, it felt refreshing and warm.

Also… people recognize me! That might sound silly but walking into a room and having people wave and know your name—it makes a huge difference in feeling like you belong.

What challenges did you face?

Honestly, just logistics! Shipping samples with dry ice and trying to coordinate timing—it was a lot. And it wasn’t just expensive - it was risky. I didn’t want to lose the samples, so we pivoted. That’s something I’ve learned from this process: flexibility is key.

Also, I was only here for two months. That’s short in research time. Experiments take time to run, and there's only so much you can accomplish. But I feel like I squeezed every drop out of those weeks.

What advice would you give to other students considering an exchange?

Don’t be afraid to reach out—especially to PhD students at the host university. Ask what their work culture is like, what they’re studying, how you might fit in. Once you’re informed, go ahead and contact the professors. You’ll be surprised how open people are.

Exchange visits like this one are actively encouraged, and they’re a win-win. You learn. They learn. Your labs expand their perspectives. Even if you feel nervous or unsure—it’s worth it. You won’t regret the connections you make and the new techniques you bring back.

Final Reflection?

Some things you can apply back home, some you can't—and that's okay. This experience helped me grow as a scientist and a person. I’m so grateful to the labs, the people, the mentors. And next time a student visit from abroad? I’ll be the one helping them find their footing, just like Elisabeth did for me.