Applied Physics Engineer and VUB scientist Jeroen Van Schependom likes to keep all his career options open. After his PhD, he made the well-considered choice to continue his research into multiple sclerosis and electrical brain stimulation at VUB/UZ Brussel, knowing that he could still make the transition to the industry afterwards: “Given my engineering background and the soft skills you gain during an academic career, I felt comfortable that I would be able to do either an academic or non-academic career and I chose the post doc for now.”
Jeroen studied Engineering in Applied Physics in Ghent and, thanks to neurologist and mentor Guy Nagels, he ended up at VUB where he began a doctorate on cognitive decline caused by multiple sclerosis (MS). These days, Jeroen is a tutor affiliated with ETRO (Engineering ICT & Electronics) and AIMS (AI supported Modelling in Clinical Sciences), he is part of the EUTOPIA Young Leaders Academy and he’s a university service provider at VUB. A discussion on choosing an academic or non-academic career, tips for young researchers and having a say in the goings on at VUB.
Jeroen, what made you embark on a doctorate at VUB at the time?
Although Physics is really exciting, I found it a bit too mathematical so I was looking for a more practical research domain. Through various contacts I ended up in touch with Neurology professor Guy Nagels (VUB, UZ Brussels). He specialises in research into multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, 11 years later, we are still working together.
When mining clinical data and connecting machine learning with other signals such as EEG, MEG and MRI we literally started from scratch. There was no link with a research group or study at that point. Actually, we are identifying how we can measure the cognitive decline in the brains of MS patients and we recently also launched a new line of research on delaying this decline with electrical stimulation. We believe that this treatment can be a major add-on in combination with other medicines.
All doors were open having completed my education, but a doctorate was my first choice. My impression is that, during a doctorate, you have more freedom to do what you like. I was really able to steer it myself and establish my own agenda within the particular working context. Although I did an apprenticeship at a start-up, for me personally, returning to university life felt like coming home. In any case, if you still wish to work in the private sector at the age of 27 after completing your doctorate then that’s certainly possible.
I thought carefully about whether I wanted to do a post doc, because it would make reorientating towards industry more difficult. However, given my engineering background and the soft skills you gain during an academic career, I felt comfortable that I would be able to do either an academic or non-academic career and I chose the post doc.
Did you specifically opt for research on multiple sclerosis?
Since I have no background knowledge in the medical sector it certainly made no difference to me at the start of my doctorate whether it was MS, Alzheimer’s, or another disease, but then you must certainly focus your attention immediately. Particularly when there is so much to learn. So I quickly dedicated my mind to MS, despite the fact at UZ Brussel we are now also developing opportunities related to Alzheimer research.
What is your most important tip for new doctoral students?
First: above all, you must write and keep up good writing habits, so that your results are well documented and you can think carefully about what you have really achieved and whether your story actually adds up. By writing regularly you become more productive. Writing is difficult and considered to be something that comes naturally, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is not easy to write a scientific story and people should not give up if it takes a while to master it.
A second aspect: accept a certain amount of uncertainty during your career, opportunities will always emerge. Don’t be paralysed by the stress relating to job security in the scientific world. After all, many of my friends who work in a non-academic job also change jobs every three or four years. Try and do your best and then you’ll see. You can never graduate at the age of 23 and know where you’ll be at 27.
How do today’s students feel about following an academic career?
There are people who see the doctorate as training and they have no further academic ambitions. I try to prepare everyone in thinking carefully and planning ahead if they are keen to continue in the academic world. You need to write plenty and think about post-doc opportunities; either in your own university or abroad. You really need to be passionate about going abroad, as you may be required to move regularly to another lab in another country.
By the way, people who don’t wish to remain academic can also be sent as a promotor, for example, by linking them to particular jobs.
Helping to shape the university
You are/were one of the 5 university service providers. Can you tell us something about that role?
Above all, we were asked to give feedback on particular topics. For me it was almost like a shadowing apprenticeship. I learned so much about the workings of the university and even how faculties are organised completely differently. Otherwise I would never have known it. It must be challenging for a rector to make decisions, since they affect the university as a whole.
We mainly gave feedback on our expectations. A very practical example is, e.g., the way in which the external research website is designed: I had the feeling that the communication should be much more practical, in order to give potential doctorate or post-doctorate students the opportunity to find out more. This information may be obvious to us, but it is probably less clear to those building the website.
How should VUB position itself in the future to potential researchers?
Our focus should remain on excellent research. We must start with our own strengths and keep promoting them. I think that initiatives such as this interview and the university service provider mandate, allowing the involvement of young independent academic staff, also demonstrates the open attitude and I’m not sure to what extent that is always so easy in other universities, that are more set in their ways.
What are you still keen to achieve in your academic career?
In any case I would still like to know how we can best stimulate the brain using electrical brain stimulation. This is already a clinical procedure in the case of depression, but knowledge is still lacking about the mechanisms. I want to understand what it does in the brain at a molecular or network level. What effects does such stimulation have and how can we continue optimising this in order to help more patients? Or, for example, can we predict beforehand which patients will or will not benefit from this treatment?
There are so many interactions between engineering and health, which is why here at the VUB we create the bridge between the campuses at Etterbeek (Science Engineering) and Jette (Medicine). In the future we will therefore focus even more efforts on prevention, monitoring and predictability of healthcare. It promises to be extremely interesting.