I was drawn to the LMCB PhD program because of the friendly atmosphere, the vast options of lab rotations and the possibility to go on an exchange to UCSF. The program also included small group tutorials and frequent opportunities for presenting my research to the scientific community. These have helped me to get a solid understanding of the skills and requirements needed as a life scientist. After rotating through three different labs and getting hands-on experience in research areas varying from ophthalmology via viral biology to autophagy, I chose to join Dr. Robin Ketteler’s high-throughput screening group at the LMCB. Robin and the LMCB in general have been supporting me on my path from day one. Apart from the research, I have been able to expand and improve my skills in a variety of fields.  I have been involved in teaching (demonstrating), public engagement, organisation of student/research related events (such as conferences at UCL and abroad, PhD/career “student evenings”). Furthermore, I did a 3-month internship at a 3D printing company. The LMCB community and UCL Advances have been very supportive in helping me to go from “interesting idea” to testing a business model: customized lab equipment and science communication tools as a novel service for the life sciences sector. I strongly believe that the mentoring and scientific education and I have received as a PhD student at the LMCB has made a big impact on preparing me for my subsequent career path.