"Researching in both China and Denmark has taught me to merge the strengths of each environment"
Nick Yao Larsen recently shared his personal story in Science and Technology Daily to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Denmark and China.
Ten years ago, he moved to China to pursue a double Master's degree in Neuroscience and Neuroimaging at SDC. This marked the beginning of his academic career, and today, he holds a double PhD and works as a postdoc at the Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience at Aarhus University.
Nick has built strong research connections in both Denmark and China and often travels to China to teach at SDC.
“Researching in both China and Denmark has taught me to merge the strengths of each environment. China is driven by high productivity and cutting-edge facilities, while Denmark fosters open collaboration and values feedback,” he says.
During his PhD project, Nick needed access to a specialized machine that was unavailable in Europe, but he was able to use one of the few machines in the world in China. His research focused on studying structural changes in the frontal part of the brain using donated brain samples from individuals with schizophrenia and depression. The findings offer new insights into how these mental illnesses affect brain structure, laying some groundwork for future advancements in diagnosis and treatment.
