It is impossible not to be touched by the horrible situation for the Ukrainian people. As a research group, the most obvious way to help is to offer rooms for a researcher to come here. That is why our group decided to help Nadiia Kravchenko. She has now been in Lund for a couple of weeks. And she is eager to share her expectations and hopes for her time in Lund to be beneficial both for Lund University and Ukrainian research institutes.
Could you use the knowledge you gained during your previous research engagements in Ukraine?
To some extent. In Ukraine, I mostly focused on the microbiome and had limited experience working with Alzheimer’s models. However, I have a lot of background knowledge about the gut-brain axis as well as experience in laboratory work, which will help me a lot when restarting a PhD here in Lund.
Do you still have any dreams of what to do in the future?
Maybe I am a bit naïve, and I know it will not be a straightforward way to do this. Still, I hope that Ukrainian research can develop and be reborn into a more mature state after the war. I see my time here in Lund as a vital contribution to this process, bringing back knowledge that researchers can implement in Ukraine later. This war is definitely not what we wished for, but I hope we can use the time abroad to prepare for a brighter future.
Do you think you got enough help when first coming to LU? Is there something we could improve to facilitate your integration at Lund University?
As a whole, I am impressed by the support I have got from the colleagues in the lab. Not only they willing to help with my scientific project but also giving useful tips how to live in Sweden and deal with daily problems. Also the HR personnel at the university is involved in solving red-tape problems. The only thing I wish worked smoother is getting a sustainable housing situation. LU accommodation was not clear about how it works from the beginning. It is very hard to find a place to live in Lund.
Is there anything I haven’t asked in this interview that you would like to bring up?
The war is the most horrible event in my life. I don’t want to repel people with mournful stories, but I wouldn’t mind talking about it. I see it as my duty to communicate this to people outside of Ukraine and provide truthful information, even though it could be emotional. So far, I have been blessed not to lose anybody I love in this war. But I have never been so afraid as during the first two days in Kyiv. The nearest bomb shelter was unbearable cold to sleep in, and sirens in the street where I lived were barely heard, especially at night. So my friends and I took turns staying awake to know when to hide. Those days were some of the worst I experienced. Still, I have been fortunate since I managed to quit Kyiv fairly soon and had the possibility to go to Sweden, where I can stay since I got a position here. Not everybody is that lucky. Unfortunately, I had to leave my closest people in Ukraine.
