What happens when early-career researchers are given the chance to pursue an idea across borders? For Dr Ruben de Dios Barranco, it meant uncovering how a common sweetener could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For Dr Muireann O’Dea, it led to systematic evidence that natural environments reduce boredom compared to artificial ones.
In this edition of YRMA Voices, they share how the YERUN Research Mobility Award helped them spark new collaborations, strengthen their research, and take key steps in their academic careers.
What impact did the YERUN Research Mobility Award have on your research and professional development?
Dr Ruben de Dios Barranco: “At the McCarthy lab, in Brunel University of London, we discovered that commonly used artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin, can induce cell envelope defects in antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, turning them sensitive again to certain antibiotics. However, we did not know how these compounds could produce this re-sensitisation. The YERUN Research Mobility Award allowed me to collaborate with Dr Christian Lentz, whose is based at The Arctic University of Norway (Tromso), and together we figured out that saccharin produces a permeabilisation of the bacterial cell envelope. This increases the amount of antibiotic that reaches the inside of the bacterial cells, and thus their efficacy. I had the opportunity to establish a collaboration by myself for the first time. Furthermore, this collaboration was a complete success, as the results obtained led to a joint publication in EMBO Molecular Medicine showing the effect of saccharin on bacterial pathogens and its potential use as a medical treatment. Altogether, the Mobility Award has had a great impact pushing forward my research career.”
Dr Muireann O’Dea: “The YERUN Research Mobility Award allowed me to travel to the University of Essex to conduct a field study for a research project with Dr. Wijnand van Tilburg. The study was a success and grew into a larger collaboration that resulted in a publication that was recently accepted in a prestigious psychology journal – Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. The mobility award played a large role in the success of this project.’
Can you share a memorable moment or highlight from your mobility experience?
Dr. Ruben de Dios Barranco: “We already had some hypothesised that saccharin might be permeabilising the bacterial cells to antibiotics. So from a scientific point of view, confirming this with the help of Dr Lentz and his team was the best outcome possible. From a personal point of view, having the chance to visit Tromso (Norway), which is located in a fjord in the very polar circle, was really a fantastic experience I will always remember.”
Dr. Muireann O’Dea: “A highlight of the mobility experience was getting to meet with Dr Van Tilburg and his esteemed colleagues in social psychology over the course of the week to discuss and develop research ideas.”
Did the collaboration initiated through the award lead to any ongoing partnerships or follow-up projects?
Dr Ruben de Dios Barranco: “Given that the collaboration initiated with the YERUN Research Mobility Award was so fruitful, we discussed potential options for collaborating in the future. In particular, the Research Councils of the United Kingdom and Norway have collaboration agreements in place that facilitate joint grant application involving research groups from both countries.”
Dr Muireann O’Dea: “Yes! Dr Van Tilburg and I have continued to collaborate on multiple projects since this award. Notably, we recently received a seedcorn grant to study the impact of social exclusion on meaning in life.”
What advice would you give to researchers considering applying for the YERUN Research Mobility Awards?
Dr Ruben de Dios Barranco: “Certainly, there will be a research group at any of the YERUN member Universities that can help you explore new research avenues or use some equipment or resources that may not be available at your home University. This is incredibly enriching for the development of a project and helpful to gain new skills and connections. So I would totally recommend having a look at the research they do at other YERUN member Universities, contact a research group that could potentially help you to develop your project and apply!”
Dr Muireann O’Dea: “The YERUN award is a fantastic opportunity for early career researchers to foster new collaborations, expand their CV, and develop research interests outside of their PhD. I would encourage potential applicants to look at the Universities involved and reach out to relevant researchers that they work like to work with.”
Thank you, Ruben and Muireann!
The experiences of Dr. de Dios Barranco and Dr. O’Dea demonstrate the transformative potential of the YERUN Research Mobility Awards — not only in advancing specific research projects, but in opening doors to collaboration, skill-building, and broader career development. From lab breakthroughs to lasting partnerships, their mobility journeys are a testament to what can happen when early-career researchers are given the opportunity to connect across disciplines and borders.
Stay tuned for more interviews in the YRMA Voices series as we continue to share the stories of researchers driving innovation across the YERUN network.
.
Short Bios:
Dr. Ruben de Dios Barranco obtained its Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology from the University Pablo de Olavide (Seville, Spain). After receiving a PhD Fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Education, he did his PhD in the same University dissecting the General Stress Response regulatory network of Alphaproteobacteria at the molecular level. After the award of his PhD in summer 2021, he joined Ronan McCarthy’s research group at Brunel University of London, where he currently studies the regulation of bacterial behaviours associated to virulence in the critical-priority pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii and potential strategies to disrupt them.
Dr. Muireann O’Dea is a postdoctoral researcher in Social Psychology at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany. She received her PhD in psychology from the University of Limerick in June 2024. Her research focuses on social exclusion, emotions, and well-being.
