Date: Sept 2024 to Jan 2025

Place: Online/Remote

Competences and reflection on the learning undertaken: This course has been very beneficial to understanding all the pieces of a research proposal. The required readings and sources helped me understand general social science research and all the key aspects I needed to consider when writing my proposal. Additionally, the assessments were relevant for proposal writing and adjacent skills, including a video presentation and peer feedback. These helped refine my proposal and other skills, such as presentation and constructive, critical feedback skills. The timelines for the submission were challenging to manage along with other responsibilities. Still, even that helped me understand the pressure I may work under during the entire PhD study.

I wish there had been a live, synchronous aspect to the course, as both the professor and the tutor were highly knowledgeable, and it would have been a rich experience to hear directly from them. However, the tutor was readily available via email and accommodating to personal circumstances, making my journey a bit easier.

Date: September 2024-January 2025

Place: Online/Remote

Competences and reflection on the learning undertaken: This course has been a fantastic help to understand better some of the methodologies I plan to use in my research, such as the case study. The materials provided were relevant, and the assignments were highly practical, refining my qualitative skills, which I really appreciated and learned from. Through the course, I have had the opportunity to parctice using Nvivo, a software widely employed for qualitative research. I had previously used it, but not systematically, to carry out high-quality qualitative data extraction and analysis. I feel more confident and prepared to use this software and plan to build on my learning.

Date: 12/05/2025

Place: UOC Edifici C

Summary: PhD student Francesco Ciongoli and I delivered a presentation to all attendees of the Brain Awareness Week session, hosted by Dr. Marco Calabria, Dr. Elena Muñoz, Dr. Juan Luis Garcia and Dr. Ferran Prados. Our presentation focused on the various methodologies used in our lab for neuroimaging acquisition and brain stimulation. We provided a live demonstration of a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) montage, along with real-time acquisition of functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) data.