Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
How Sindija Šmite and Kristína Jamrichová helped strengthen the IMG PhD community—and discovered that they grew alongside it.
A PhD may begin with a research question, but the journey that follows is shaped by much more than experiments, data and publications. The people we meet along the way, the challenges we share and the opportunities we create for one another can become just as important.
Over the past two years, Sindija Šmite and Kristína Jamrichová have helped create many of those opportunities at IMG. As PhD Representatives, they have brought students together, listened to the needs and ideas of their peers and helped turn them into activities and initiatives that strengthened the community. In doing so, they discovered that contributing to a community is not only about what you give—it can also shape what you gain from the experience.
For Sindija and Kristína, that meant learning to communicate, organise and work with different people, but also becoming more confident, adaptable and willing to step outside their comfort zones. Their experience shows how taking an active role in the life around us can open unexpected opportunities to learn, connect and grow.
We spoke with Sindija and Kristína about building the IMG PhD community, growing alongside it and what can happen when you decide to step forward and become part of something bigger.
Before we talk about your role as PhD representatives, could you introduce yourselves? What brought you to IMG and what research are you currently working on?
Sindija: I come from Latvia, where I started my undergraduate studies and first got involved in cancer research. Later, my path took me to universities in Poland, France and eventually the Czech Republic. Along the way, I became more and more interested in immunology, but in the end life brought me back to the Czech Republic, where I joined the Laboratory of Cilia Genetics and Pathology at IMG. My current research focuses on understanding how mutations in cilia, tiny organelles that play surprisingly important roles in the body, can contribute to obesity and affect the brain.
Kristína: I am currently finishing my third year as a PhD student in the Cancer Biology Lab, led by Dr. Čermák. After finishing my Master’s degree in Olomouc, I still felt that I wanted to explore science further and challenge myself with new topics, so pursuing a PhD seemed like the right choice for me. My research focuses on discovering new substrates of ubiquitin ligases and understanding their roles in health and disease. The nice thing about this topic is that it can take you into many different areas of biology, depending on what you discover. So, in a way, I can venture into almost any field based on the substrate.
“Communication, teamwork, organisation and adaptability are not separate from science. They are part of becoming a strong scientist and professional.”
– Sindija Šmite
What made you decide to become a PhD representative?
Sindija: When I first joined IMG, I was eager to become part of the student community, meet new people and have some fun together outside the lab as well. I had some previous experience with student organisations, so becoming a PhD representative felt like a nice opportunity to try something similar in a new environment and contribute to the community around me.
Kristína: The decision was actually quite personal because I had never done anything similar before. I consider myself rather introverted and shy when it comes to socializing, so becoming a PhD representative was partly a way of challenging myself. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone, become more confident, and be a little braver about putting myself out there. It has definitely enriched my life, both personally and professionally. Networking is such an important part of science, so I think this experience has also helped me grow as a researcher.
If you had to describe the IMG PhD community in just a few sentences, what would you say makes it special?
Sindija: I would say our PhD community is diverse, open and caring. People from different labs really do spend time together, both on campus and outside of it, which makes a big difference. It is amazing to have friends who understand the lifestyle, the daily struggles, the small victories and the very specific PhD joys. That shared understanding is really valuable.
Kristína: Firstly, I would say that it is a real community. We actually know each other, interact with each other, and are willing to help one another. I don’t think that is something you can take for granted in a large research institution. There is also a sense that you can come to other PhD students with a problem, whether it is related to research or something completely different, and there will usually be someone willing to help.
Many students know the PhD representatives mainly through the annual conference, but your role is much broader. What have you actually been working on during your term?
Sindija: Over the past two years, we have worked on a range of events and activities aimed at bringing people together. We organised the annual Christmas parties, career-related events, a summer BBQ and also some more relaxed community events for food lovers, such as a kimchi preparation masterclass and zimnica. For me, these events are important because they create space for people to meet beyond their immediate lab environment. Sometimes a casual event is exactly where new friendships, collaborations or good conversations start.
Kristína: One of the main things I wanted to do during my term was create more opportunities for PhD students to get together outside of their individual labs. I wanted to organize events that felt meaningful and enjoyable, but also give other students the opportunity to get involved and organize things themselves. Before becoming a representative, organizing an event seemed quite intimidating to me. You start wondering: How do you actually organize something? How do you announce it? Where does the funding come from? Who do you need to contact? So I wanted to learn how all of this works myself and, at the same time, make it easier for other students to do the same. Hopefully, someone who has an idea for an event now feels that it is actually possible to make it happen.
Last year you collected feedback from fellow PhD students that inspired this year’s new conference concept. What was it like seeing students’ ideas turn into a real initiative?
Sindija: It was encouraging to see the thoughtful responses, and it became clear that our community is interested not only in research itself, but also in the added value a PhD can give us: the skills, perspectives and confidence that can be transferred to other areas of research, science-related careers or even life more broadly. That became one of the main ideas behind this year’s conference: focusing on the toolset we need for the future, so that we can become stronger, more competent scientists and professionals.
Kristína: It was really rewarding because this was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to achieve as a representative. I didn’t want collecting feedback to be just a formality where people give you their opinions and nothing happens afterwards. Seeing that some of those ideas could actually be turned into something tangible made me very happy. It felt like the students’ voices were genuinely being heard, and that was probably one of the most satisfying parts of the role for me.
Looking back, which achievement are you personally most proud of?
Sindija: I think I am most proud of helping to create moments where people genuinely connected. Some events may look simple from the outside, but if they make people feel more welcome, more supported or more part of the community, then they matter. I am also proud that we managed to keep the community active in different ways, from scientific and career-focused events to more informal gatherings.
Kristína: I think it would have to be last year’s conference. Organizing a conference is already a big challenge, but doing it outside the campus made it even more complicated. There were so many things to think about, and it required a lot of coordination and teamwork. In the end, though, seeing everyone come together and the conference actually happen was very rewarding. I would like to thank everyone who helped us, especially our former PhD coordinator, Eliška Koňaříková, who supported us throughout the process.
“Being a PhD representative made me realize that having a supportive community around you makes a huge difference, both professionally and personally.“
– Kristína Jamrichová
Looking back, how has this experience changed you?
Sindija: I think it has made me better at distributing responsibilities, working in a team and communicating more directly. It has been a good reminder that organisation is not only about making a plan. It is also about staying flexible when real people, real schedules and real life get involved.
Kristína: I think I became more confident, but at the same time, also more humble and grateful. I am very grateful that this experience allowed me to meet so many interesting and genuinely kind people. I also learned how much invisible work goes into making things happen. When you attend an event, you usually only see the final result, but there is a lot of planning, communication, coordination, and problem-solving happening behind the scenes. It taught me that teamwork really does make the dream work. And I think that lesson has also helped me in my research, because science is very much about working with other people and learning how to communicate and solve problems together.
Which skills have you developed as PhD representatives that you think will help you throughout your scientific career?
Sindija: I would say communication, teamwork and project management were the main ones. We had to coordinate with different people, understand what the community needed and turn ideas into concrete events or initiatives. I also learned how important it is to listen properly. Science is often seen as individual work, but in reality it depends a lot on collaboration, communication and being able to build something together.
Kristína: Definitely communication, organization, teamwork, and project management. But I think one of the most important things I’ve learned is how to listen. When working with different people, everyone has their own ideas and priorities, so learning to understand different perspectives and find common ground is something I think will be valuable throughout my scientific career.
Do you think being a scientist today requires more than excellent research? How did this experience influence your perspective?
Sindija: Yes, I think so. Excellent research is still at the centre, of course, but scientists today often need a broader skill set. After a PhD, people explore many different paths: some stay very close to research, while others move into science-related roles in industry, communication, policy, management or other areas. This experience made me appreciate even more how valuable it is to build a rich skill portfolio. Communication, teamwork, organisation and adaptability are not separate from science. They are part of becoming a strong scientist and professional.
Kristína: Definitely. Excellent research is necessary, but I think networking, resilience, and knowing how to be kind to yourself are just as important. Science comes with a lot of failure and uncertainty, so learning how to deal with setbacks without taking them personally is essential (which was not always easy for me). Networking also opens doors to new ideas, collaborations, and opportunities. Being a PhD representative made me realize that having a supportive community around you makes a huge difference, both professionally and personally.
What is your wish for the future of the IMG PhD community?
Sindija: I hope the community will continue to grow and become an even stronger network. I hope people keep showing up, supporting each other, sharing ideas and also having fun together. And I hope we do not forget about the foosball table. It deserves some love too from time to time.
Kristína: I hope people will continue to be excited about organizing events, getting involved, and building on the great PhD community we already have. I’m also curious to see how the new representatives will shape the community in their own way and what new ideas and changes they will bring. I think every new team brings a different energy, and I’m excited to see where they take it.
Many new PhD students will be joining IMG in the coming weeks. Based on your own experience, what advice would you give them to help them make the most of their PhD journey?
Sindija:See your fellow PhD students as a support system, because no one will understand your experience quite like they do. These friendships can become really precious. Be friendly, take the coffee break, go for dinner together, say yes to small conversations. Even a short chat can go a long way. Sharing the experience with others makes the whole PhD journey richer, lighter and much more meaningful.
Kristína: Get involved, meet people outside your lab, and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Your PhD is not only about your research, so make the most of the people and opportunities around you. And don’t be too hard on yourself — things will not always go as planned, and that’s okay. There is no protocol for life, as my boss likes to say, “protocols are fluid.” You have to learn to adapt, accept that things will sometimes change, and find your own way through it. Good luck.