Teresa Fuchs began her academic journey on the Bachelor’s degree programme in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at IMC Krems. International research experience later took her to Kuopio, Amsterdam and Melbourne. Each of these stages helped her to determine the direction in which she wished to develop her career.
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Teresa Fuchs advises: “Go abroad and try new things”
A formative research experience in Kuopio
As part of her Practical Training Semester, Teresa spent six months in Kuopio, Finland. There, she worked in the field of proteomics, which is the science of the totality of all proteins. This experience also helped her to identify her next academic goal. “It was there, thanks in part to my wonderful colleagues, that I realised just how much I wanted to get more deeply involved in cancer research,” explains Teresa.
Studying oncology in Amsterdam
After completing her Bachelor’s degree, Teresa moved to Amsterdam, where she began a Master’s degree in oncology. As part of her studies, she spent six months at Amsterdam UMC. This enabled her to build on her knowledge of biotechnology and delve deeper into oncology. Her next research experience took her even further abroad.
Research and life in Melbourne
Teresa moved to Melbourne for a nine-month research placement. At the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, she gained experience in cancer and immunology research. Life in Australia also gave her the chance to get to know the country. She travelled along the east coast and made friends whom she still fondly remembers today.
Return to IMC Krems
Teresa’s path eventually led her back to Austria. She has been working in the laboratory at IMC Krems since October 2025 and has also taken over management of the Biotech Instagram channel. And because specialist knowledge is very important to her, this semester she has started the part-time Master’s programme in OMICS Technologies and Data Science in Biomedicine at IMC Krems. Her work and her studies now bring a fresh perspective to the Biotech Instagram channel, which could be of particular interest to prospective students.
Teresa’s advice to future students: Stay curious
Going abroad was an important part of Teresa’s academic and personal journey. She therefore advises future students to try out things that might seem daunting at first. “Do things that scare you. Go abroad and try new things. You’ll have a brilliant time and meet wonderful people. Always stay curious and try to be the best version of yourselves,” says Teresa.
Her own journey now continues at IMC Krems. Here, she combines her work in the laboratory with her part-time degree programme. Teresa is excited to see where the next chapter will take her.
