Gaëlle Brahy, PhD student in environmental biology, population biology, and ecology, , alumni EDENE Cohort#2

Your doctoral journey

If you had to describe your PhD experience in 2 or 3 words, which would you choose?

I would describe my experience by these three words: exploration, growth, curiosity. 

What are you most proud of in your doctoral journey?

I am proud of the collaborations that are included in my PhD project. There is a lot of interactions with people of different expertise, people I am learning from and with whom we are progressing on different parts or chapters of the project.

Your experience at UPPA

What skills did you develop over the years (scientific, transferable, interpersonal…)?

Although I am only halfway through my PhD, I have already learned a lot. My scientific expertise has developed, both theoretically and technically, but I also practiced dissemination from experience in education or participation to congresses. Working with different people (technicians, student, researcher, engineers,…) brings a lot of experience and knowledge, as well as interpersonal and project management skills.

How did you experience your PhD journey at UPPA and within the EDENE programme?

I am doing my PhD in ECOBIOP, an INRAE lab that also is a host laboratory to UPPA, which brings a great diversity of opportunities, experiences and collaborations. Applying for the EDENE program, I was lucky to work on building the project before actually starting the PhD, which allowed me to work with and get to know my supervisors beforehand. That was for me an important point. Finally, the EDENE program allows us to connect with many international PhD students of different.

Your career perspectives

How did your professional project come to life and how did it evolve throughout your journey?

Not everybody starts a PhD with a clear career path in mind. The important part to me, is to have a strong interest in the discipline and profound curiosity for the project. I was curious about research in ecology and wanted to learn about the mechanisms of evolution, with a keen interest for fieldwork, and this PhD project was a great opportunity. Now just over the middle of the project, I have already discovered many things on the professional level.

About the EDENE doctoral programme

The EDENE doctoral programme, funded by the European H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND initiative and managed by the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour (UPPA), aims to train international researchers in the fields of energy and the environment. By promoting an interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and international approach, the programme helps strengthen the impact of research on these major challenges. Between 2021 and 2026, 30 high-potential international PhD candidates were recruited, bringing substantial added value to scientific and technological innovation in these strategic areas.

Presentation of the EDENE programme