From Connection to Collaboration: How EUGLOH Sparked a Cross-Border Research Success
When Fruzsina Farkas first entered the laboratory at the University of Szeged, she was still in her first year of medical studies. While most of her peers focused on coursework, she chose to spend her free time in the lab, gaining hands-on experience early on.
Then she met Dr. Slavka Kascakova, a biophysicist from Université Paris-Saclay, and became part of an international EUGLOH research collaboration connecting scientists from Hungary and France. “When I went to Szeged, I was surprised to see Fruzsina, a first-year medical student, working in the lab. This is very rare,” Slavka recalls.
The collaboration began through EUGLOH’s research-based learning activities, where Slavka from Paris-Saclay and Prof. Ferenc Peták, also a biophysicist from the University of Szeged, discovered complementary expertise. With support from a seed funding programme at Paris-Saclay*, they launched a joint project entitled “The Study of Lung Fibrosis Remodelling and Its Impact on the Liver”, combining lung research and advanced imaging technologies.
The project explores the relationship between lung and liver diseases—looking beyond single-organ perspectives to understand how different systems in the body interact. By studying how diseases affecting the lungs might also influence the liver, the team takes a more holistic approach to understanding the body. Using advanced imaging techniques, they analyse structural changes in tissues during illness.
Fruzsina quickly took on an active role in the research project, contributing to experimental work in Hungary and collaborating with partners in Paris, where she spent a month working in an international lab environment. There, she gained experience with advanced technologies such as synchrotron-based imaging—tools not available to her in her home country.
Fruzsina’s dedication to the research quickly paid off. She presented the project at multiple scientific events and won two first prizes at student research competitions in Hungary, impressing juries with both the quality of the research and the strength of the international collaboration behind it.
Her work has been featured at several conferences, and she contributed to abstracts submitted to the European Respiratory Society Congress, where the team will present their results. She was also awarded the Viatris TDK Scholarship in recognition of her achievements.
“Being part of this research project has definitely influenced my career,” says the now third-year medical student. “I plan to continue with a PhD and stay in academia, combining teaching and research.”
Beyond awards, the experience transformed her perspective. Working across borders showed her the value of collaboration and helped her understand the real-world impact of research—such as how improved knowledge of lung function can influence patient care.
The collaboration continues to grow, with further research and publications planned. However, for Fruzsina, the experience goes far beyond research results: “Through EUGLOH, I got to meet great people, travel abroad for the first time and be part of international science. I learned so much.”
* France 2030 is the French government’s long-term national investment plan to fund innovation, research, and industrial development in key strategic sectors. The seed-funding programme ANR-19-GURE-0006 at Université Paris-Saclay has been launched under this national funding instrument in order to support collaborations within EUGLOH.