After growing up in a sunny and warm country like Spain, there are not many things in life that feel worse than enduring the long and bleak autumn months in Oslo. That is why Enrique Oreja decided to look for more daylight and weather conditions more akin to what he is used to on the other side of the world. Thanks to the generous financial support provided by UiO:Life Science, Enrique was able to enjoy two wonderful months at the Messersmith Lab at the University of Berkeley in sunny California.
Messersmith Lab focuses on the design and synthesis of polymers for tissue repair and regeneration, as well as the development of novel biomaterials for regenerative medicine. During the two-month stay, Enrique had the opportunity to work with functionalizing implant surfaces with a drug called DPCA, which stabilizes HIF-1α and plays an important role in the recovery and regeneration of damaged tissue. While at UC Berkeley, Enrique had the chance to work with various analytical techniques not available at the Biomaterials lab at the University of Oslo, such as quantifying drug release with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which is highly useful method for complementing surface adsorption data obtained through QCM-D, a technique Enrique has become very familiar with during this PhD studies in Oslo.
Now that Enrique has returned to Oslo, we look forward to continuing working on this collaborative project further with financial support from the Peder Sather Center for Advanced Study.
Life is not just work and science
Apart from the new scientific skills to learn, California also provided a wide variety of options to explore. Close to the University of Berkeley is the iconic city of San Francisco, which Enrique had the chance to visit on several occasions, enjoying the beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the traditional Castro neighborhood, and a magical NBA night at the Chase Center. Additionally, following the American tradition of Thanksgiving, Enrique had a chance to also visit other cities in the area, such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and got to briefly enjoy the impressive views of the Grand Canyon, making the research stay a great experience for both the mind and the soul.
All photos by Enrique Oreja Remartínez
