Originally from Germany, Heidemeyer came to Wageningen in 2014 to do her Masters, and started her PhD at the Laboratory of Biochemistry thee years ago. There, she is trying to unravel the mysteries surrounding the plant hormone auxin.
Struggles
In her blogs, Heidemeyer is not planning to shy away from difficult or personal topics. Earlier she featured in a Resource article about the imposter syndrome: the feeling that you’re not capable enough in your job. ‘Of course, it is scary to share your insecurities with a large audience’, she says. ‘But I think it can help to share these struggles.’ She talks a lot with her colleagues and finds that it helped her when she realised that others feel the same. ‘Not everybody is open in talking about these things. A PhD is a stressful job, and I think it is good to know you’re not alone.’
A PhD is a stressful job and I think it is good to know you’re not alone.
Perspective
Writing is also an outlet for her and helps her sort her thoughts. ‘When I write, I automatically search for positive things in stressful times, and that helps me put things into perspective and look at my situation in a lighter way.’ Heidemeyer will be blogging primarily about PhD life, and its ups and downs. Because it’s not all stress, there is also a lot of fun.
Heidemeyer lives in Wageningen with her boyfriend. In her spare time, she loves to do different sports like bouldering, yoga, running and biking. After she finishes her PhD, she wants to pursue a career in science journalism.