From studying Biology in Lille to joining MSF

• Name: Lydia LINNA
• Degree: Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2017 (Molecular and Cell Biology; History of Art); Master's degree in Biology from the University of Lille in 2018 (Immunity, Inflammation, Infection)
• Duration of the stay: Master's degree in France from 2017-18
• Current position: I currently work as Communications officer for the operational research unit of Médecins Sans Frontières in Luxembourg (LuxOR)

Why did you decide to study in France?

I love history and art history, and one of my dreams has always been to visit Paris. As a child, I would try and “virtually” visit the city: I looked at online reproductions of paintings in the Musée d’Orsay and zoomed in as close as possible, used Google Maps to walk along the Seine and to look at buildings designed by Haussmann, read about how the Eiffel Tower was constructed, and wondered if Sainte-Chapelle really looked like the inside of a jewel box. I started studying French in middle school, and although my major at UC Berkeley was molecular biology, I continued taking French language classes as well.

I finally had the opportunity to visit France after my second year of undergrad, when I spent a summer in Rouen taking classes at the Alliance Française and exploring the region. I particularly loved the cathedral, made famous by Monet’s many paintings of its façade, and nearly fainted with awe the first time I visited the Louvre in Paris. I was entranced by the atmosphere, the culture, the art, the architecture, the language, and, of course, the food!

Afterwards, I decided that I wanted to return to France, but this time, I wanted to do something more in the context of biology. I knew there was an Institut Pasteur in Lille, known for the development of the first vaccine against tuberculosis, so I wrote spontaneous applications to labs involved in infectious diseases, which was my emphasis within molecular biology. Shortly after, a laboratory conducting research on the hepatitis C virus (as well as other viruses) accepted me for a summer internship, which was incredibly enriching, both on a professional and personal level. I had the chance to go beyond theory and develop practical research skills for molecular biology, and the researchers and other students were friendly and welcoming.

At the time, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do after my Bachelor’s degree, and after I finished this internship, I returned to California to finish my final year at Berkeley. I had discussed higher education with other students in the lab, and in particular, the Master’s degree in biological research at the University of Lille. What especially appealed to me was the practical internship that was integrated into second year of the program, as that would allow me to gain more experience and to explore whether research was a career for me. I was accepted by the same lab for another summer internship, as well as by the university for the Master’s program, and so I moved to France after graduating from Berkeley.

How has your experience in France contributed to your personal and professional goals?

I think I can honestly say that my experience in France has changed my life, as I’m still living in France (though I work in Luxembourg)! On a professional level, I have finished my Master’s degree in Lille, I’ve gained an enormous amount of research experience, I’m a co-author on a paper on the hepatitis C virus that has been published in a scientific journal, and I’ve become fluent in French. Although I no longer work in fundamental research, the skills that I learned while in the lab have been invaluable to me as a communications officer for Médecins Sans Frontières.

On a personal level, I have discovered so much during my adventures in France. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to explore different cities and regions and countries, to discover new cultures and cuisines, to dive into history, and to meet people from all over the world. The friends that I made during my very first summer in France remain close to me, and I’ve (finally) managed to learn to cook something more than just pasta!

Can you tell us a little anecdote or memory of your stay in France?

The World Cup was being played while I was doing my Master’s in Lille, and as France was one of the favorites to win, a lot of my French friends, even the ones who didn’t like soccer, would get together to watch the matches in bars. We even had a guessing pool in the office where people would try to predict which team would win each match, as well as the overall tournament. One of the students who didn’t like soccer at all was ranked number one overall for quite a while, even though she made completely random selections!

For France’s first match against Australia, a bunch of us from the lab got together in a bar to watch the game on TV. The place was absolutely packed, and I could hardly see the screen over people’s heads! Everybody was really invested in the match, booing and cheering according to how the French team played, when suddenly… the television signal cut out and the screens went black. There was a moment of panic and confusion, but not to worry, as we live in the digital age! People quickly pulled out their phones and started streaming the game, so we all squeezed our heads together and continued cheering (luckily, France won the match!). This moment of shared camaraderie, with everyone huddled around a tiny phone as if it were a campfire on a winter night, was really rather memorable :-)

In one sentence, for you, what was unique about your experience of studying in France?

Coming from California, a relatively young state, the historical aspect was unique about my experience of studying in Lille: I worked in an institute where Calmette and Guérin themselves had conducted research, the fountain that I walked past every day had been there since the French Revolution, and the city hosts Europe’s largest flea market (“la braderie”), a tradition that goes back to the 12th century! (Does that count as 1 sentence?!)

In the US, I would not have been able to…enjoy flaky pains au chocolat from Paul in the Jardins des Tuileries! :-)