9I

2024-25 Travelers' log

Canada

Mutahar Safdar

Mechanical Engineering


Student wearing safety glasses with machine learning software
Mechanical Engineering PhD Candidate Mutahar Safdar at Apollo-Clad in Edmonton with the deployed machine learning software (visible on the bottom screen)
"Through the Graduate Mobility Award, I had the opportunity to undertake a one-month research visit at Apollo-Clad Laser Cladding in Edmonton as part of the Canada-Germany AI-SLAM initiative. My doctoral work focuses on developing machine learning (ML) models for real-time defect detection in additive manufacturing, and this visit allowed me to deploy and validate these models on production-scale laser systems. During my stay, I worked alongside engineers and operators to integrate ML pipelines with Apollo’s hardware, conducted tests under varying process conditions, and demonstrated three on-machine ML applications—defect prediction, anomaly detection, and microstructure classification. I also contributed to documentation, source code handover, and initiated discussions on future collaboration for production-scale deployment. I sincerely thank the team at Apollo-Clad for their generous support, technical guidance, and commitment to collaborative innovation throughout the visit. This visit was a crucial step toward bridging academic research and industrial implementation, providing insights into the practical challenges and opportunities of using AI in manufacturing. The experience not only strengthened my technical skills but also deepened my appreciation for collaborative R&D. I am grateful to 9I GPS for enabling this impactful mobility experience."

France

Ophélie Proulx-Giraldeau

Département des littératures de langue française de traduction et de création

Art exhibit in dark tunnel
Photo prise lors de l'exposition Finir en beauté par Sophie Calle dans le cadre des Rencontres de la photographies d'Arles 2024.
"Mon séjour de recherche de 70 jours à Paris m'a permis de rencontrer plusieurs professeurs et de participer à une rencontre du laboratoire de recherche sur la littérature contemporaine Fab Litt à l'Université Paris 8. Cela m'a permis d'avancer rapidement dans mes recherches et de découvrir plusieurs ressources méthodologiques que je ne connaissais pas. Aussi, j'ai profité de ce séjour à Paris pour aller à la Bibliothèque nationale de France et consulter une série de documents qui aurait été inaccessible autrement. J'ai même eu la chance d'aller voir une exposition de Sophie Calle à Arles (l'artiste sur laquelle je fais ma thèse) et de la rencontrer lors d'une séance de signature. Je me sens beaucoup plus outillée pour préparer mon examen doctoral, maintenant que j'ai récolté toutes ces informations à Paris."

Germany

Roman Akhmetshyn

Physics

Two students next to poster presentations
Roman Akhmetshyn and his new collaborator, Mariia from Taras Schevchenko Kyiv National University, in front of their posters.
"The Bad Honnef Summer School “A New Era in Exoplanet Atmosphere Observation and Characterisation” was an intense and highly productive experience. From Monday to Friday, our schedule was packed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Each day included several lectures on exoplanetary atmospheres, their study, chemistry, and dynamics. Following the lectures, we participated in hands-on sessions with real data, where we analyzed an exoplanet transit, derived its transmission spectrum, and performed molecular retrievals to determine the abundances of various molecules. In the evenings, we attended engaging poster sessions and informal gatherings, which provided valuable opportunities for networking and learning about others’ research and university life in general. On Wednesday, we went on a hike to a nearby mountain with stunning views of Bad Honnef and Bonn. That evening, after dinner, we attended a lecture on scientific writing and communication. On Friday, we presented the results of our workshop sessions to the other participants. Overall, I gained extensive theoretical knowledge about exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres, as well as valuable hands-on experience in data analysis. I also established a new collaboration with Mariia Lobodenko from Kyiv National University, with plans to conduct exoplanet transit observations together at the Mont-Mégantic Observatory. Additionally, I networked with numerous students and professors from European universities and shared my research experience at 9I."

Florencia Fungo

Chemistry

Student preparing samples in laboratory.
From Sample to Super-Resolution: Preparing the DNA nanotube samples in the wet lab before imaging.
"I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to conduct a research internship at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. During this experience, I had access to and learned MINFLUX, a cutting-edge fluorescence microscopy technique, which we successfully applied to our samples. This advanced technology allowed us to study our DNA-based materials with unprecedented resolution, beyond what is possible in our lab at 9I. Moreover, we contributed to the microscopy community by providing a robust and adaptable nanoscopic ruler, facilitating the optimization and standardization of high-resolution fluorescence imaging techniques. This internship allowed to bring valuable knowledge and technical expertise back to 9I, fostering innovation and strengthening collaboration in our research group."

Namibia

Charlotte Spruzen

Earth and Planetary Sciences

"I travelled to Namibia to undertake a research project, specifically studying microbial rock formed just before the evolution of animals. I travelled to Southern Namibia to help and advise on my labmates' project, then spent 2 weeks in Northern Namibia to collect samples and field notes for my final PhD chapter."

Pakistan

Mehwish Abid

Peter Guo-Hua Fu School of Architecture

Student reading archival document.
Lahore Improvement Trust Archive at Kharak Singh Haveli (Akbari Kutub Khana) at Lahore Fort, Pakistan.
"I participated in the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP), traveling across the Juneau Icefield in Alaska for six weeks. With the glaciers serving as our classroom, I learned about glacier science from interdisciplinary perspectives. I participated in field data collection and gained valuable skills in glacier travel, expedition life, art-science connections, and community living."

Panama

Tess Morelli

Biology

Fish swimming, two students researching coral and a student snorkeling
Field surveys in Coiba National Park, Panama
"Through the Graduate Mobility Award, I was able to visit Panama, the field setting of my master’s project. My thesis will assess how decapods influence the response of Pocillopora corals to environmental conditions. My project is co-supervised by Dr. Frédéric Guichard (9I) and Dr. Matthieu Leray (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute). During this first visit to Panama, I conducted field surveys in Coiba National Park; I identified new sample sites, deployed sensors, and collected coral, decapod and sediment samples for preliminary analyses. At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s (STRI) Naos Laboratories, I worked alongside Dr. Leray’s students and learned several new techniques. These included decapod dissections, sample processing for stable isotope analyses, coral tissue extraction, and chlorophyll quantification. I am very grateful for this experience which allowed me to develop essential field and laboratory skills, build in-person connections at STRI, and see firsthand the system that I am studying."

Katie Nelson

Biology

Student collecting samples in the rainforest.
Katie Nelson collecting measurements of greenhouse gas emissions from the soil in hypothesized future warmer and drier conditions.
"The GMA facilitated my field season working on one of the most long-standing research stations in the tropics, Barro Colorado Island in Panama. The data I collected there are critical to my PhD research, and this process has allowed me to work with a wide network of tropical ecologists from all over the world."

Qatar

Gui Li

Department of Integrated Studies in Education

Collaboration between team members
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
"This internship helped me develop a well-rounded set of skills in research, project management, and cross-cultural work. For research skills, I improved at doing structured literature reviews and comparative case studies, especially through my independent research comparing higher education inequalities in China and Kazakhstan. Through working on climate education projects and handling CAPS's branded products procurement, I gained real experience in project coordination. This helped me become more precise in planning and more adaptable when solving problems. Overall, these experiences didn't just build my technical skills - they also showed me how important flexibility, critical thinking, and intercultural understanding are in professional work."

Switzerland

Alice Bruneau

Experimental Medicine

Student in front of building.
Alice Bruneau in front of the WHO logo at Headquarters in Geneva.
"I was selected for a 24-week internship at the headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. There, I worked in the Department of Digital Health and Innovation, more specifically working in the Innovation Hub. I worked with WHO scientists and expert groups on creating a normative guidance, engaged with countries for the Demand Catalyst programme, and participated in various meetings pertaining to digital health, AI, governance of innovation, and global health. I also had the opportunity to participate actively in the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025. The GMA support helped me cover my travel expenses to and from Geneva, Switzerland."

USA

Marlena Reil

Computer Science

Team of researchers ski touring on an icefield.
On the Juneau Icefield as part of the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP).
"I participated in the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP), traveling across the Juneau Icefield in Alaska for six weeks. With the glaciers serving as our classroom, I learned about glacier science from interdisciplinary perspectives. I participated in field data collection and gained valuable skills in glacier travel, expedition life, art-science connections, and community living."

Manoosh Samiei

Computer Science

Group photo of participants.
Analytical Connectionism Summer School 2025 – Group Photo
"The summer school focused on the concept of bias in machine learning and behavioural psychology and how it affects learning. We had lectures every day from 9 AM to 4 PM, followed by group discussions for our final project from 4 PM to 6:30–7 PM. It was intense but highly enjoyable and informative. I presented my research as a poster to a community of researchers and also completed a group project closely related to my own work. In the project, we tested a reinforcement learning algorithm with pessimistic and optimistic biases across multiple environments, which is very relevant to how the brain performs reinforcement learning influenced by prior experiences. We then presented our group projects and gained feedback. I also had the opportunity to discuss with other professors at Gatsby working on related topics, such as dopamine and reinforcement learning, as well as with fellow students. These connections are excellent collaborators for my PhD research. The brainstorming during the project and feedback from the poster sessions were extremely valuable."

Kyle H White

Surgical and Interventional Sciences

Student looking at Grand Canyon
Taking in the view of the Grand Canyon
"During my time at Utah, I secured multiple collaborative authorships, Networked with neighbouring PIs, and honed my technical skills in assays such as HiChIP, ChIP, and HiC. Alongside this, I discovered the beautiful landscapes of western America."

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International LicenseThis work is licensed under a .
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, 9I.

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