Luis Greiffenhagen

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Tell us a bit about your current role and responsibilities

I got my PhD position about a year after I finished my master's degree in Edinburgh. Writing my thesis on deep water corals was the most important step in my career. I was not familiar with deep-sea research in the beginning, and I was not planning on pursuing a career in this field at all. But I got so heavily inspired throughout the research I conducted for my masters, that I chose to focus on this area moving forward.

During the year after I graduated, I kept applying for related jobs and eventually got the incredible opportunity to go on a deep-sea research expedition with the National Oceanography Centre UK. After that, I got an offer for a PhD position to explore the role of deep-water coral reefs in the global carbon cycle, at the University of Bremen, Germany.

In my PhD, I solely work on my project, with a great team of experts in the field. I design my research questions, work in the lab, and write publications for scientific journals. I also attend conferences, collaborate with scientists from other countries, and advise another student on their own master’s project. I analyse sediment cores, take coral samples and am involved in mapping the deep sea floor.

What is the most satisfying part of your role?

As part of my PhD, I get the fortunate opportunity to go on research expeditions. When researching the deep sea, which is so incredibly understudied, sometimes I still have this childlike feeling of being one of the last explorers. There are still new seamounts, species and natural phenomena found during almost every deep-sea expedition. Many parts of our deep ocean are not even mapped out yet, so these expeditions are always exhilarating and satisfying.

Another great part of my PhD is the excitement when getting back the first results of a study, and the joy of creating my own story around a research paper. It's just awesome!

What part of your role do you find the most challenging?

I went into a geology-heavy PhD project as an ecologist. There are a lot of geology subject areas where I lack background knowledge. However, I am working on closing that knowledge gap and it can be very rewarding to learn new things. Everyone around me appears to know so much more, which can be intimidating.  While doing a PhD, it is important not to forget that other academics were all in your situation once and probably felt the same way.

Do you have any advice for students looking for employment in your field?

Do not give up on looking for jobs and take opportunities as they come. Make use of the amazing contacts that The University of Edinburgh and your master's degree make available for you. Also, do not underestimate yourself. I never thought I would get into this master's programme and if it wasn't for a friend’s support, I would have never applied. Be confident and you can be anything. Dream big! It is not easy to find positions, but if you are genuinely interested in something and you find the motivation and drive to become knowledgeable about it, eventually that determination will pay off.

Tell us a bit about your background and why you chose Edinburgh

I did an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in natural sciences but was always passionate about the ocean, marine ecosystems and how they interact with human activities. I spent most of my time scuba diving since I was 15 years old. Witnessing both the climate and the biodiversity crisis in the ocean with my own eyes heavily motivated me to dedicate myself to this issue.

I completed some internships here and there, but I did not find a way to turn this passion of mine into a profession until I found this master's degree, MSc Marine Systems and Policies, through a friend. It was the most incredible time to finally study what I loved. Within the master’s, you could then pick the subjects you were interested in the most and specialize in them, narrowing down your focus.

There are so many world-leading experts in Edinburgh, and it was just incredible to hear them speak in this programme. I was inspired every single day. Within one year, I learned as much as in a four-year undergraduate degree. The assignments were incredibly diverse and included lots of discussions, which I appreciated.

Coming from a non-English-speaking country, I was rather insecure in the beginning, but after this degree, I feel very confident about speaking publicly in an international environment. This master’s course was fortunately diverse, and I made some of the best friends for life during that year.

Finally, my experience studying in Edinburgh, my favourite city in the world, is hard to describe in words. The university buildings and their architecture were very movielike, the culture of Scotland was uniquely amazing, and the surrounding nature of the sea and mountains made the quality of life there unbeatable. Part of my heart will always stay in Edinburgh, and I am 100% sure that I will return and live there again in the future. Completing this master's was one of the best decisions I ever made for myself.

What was the highlight of your studies?

Besides being able to do my thesis with amazing researchers from Edinburgh and getting ongoing support to publish it in a scientific journal, the highlight for me was how this master’s was directed and organised by the course coordinators during a challenging time. They could not have dealt better with the immense challenge of the pandemic and lockdown hitting right as my masters began.

Within a few weeks, they transformed the entire programme from in-person to online. Multiple people I know did not have a great year doing their master’s in 2020, but in Edinburgh, they managed to make an outstanding, exciting, and interactive programme for us. They took every opportunity to organise events online and even reversed those changes as soon as it was possible.

Arriving in a new country without knowing anyone during lockdown, was daunting. However, the course directors made us all feel at home, built a strong community, organised guest lectures from all over the world and even a virtual reality field trip. I’m still not exactly sure how this was possible so we all agreed they must be superhuman.

Do you have any advice for current students?

Be confident, choose your thesis wisely, and don't forget to enjoy the process!