PhD student Chelsea Coumoundouros participated in meeting in the Netherlands

ENTWINE research network
The ENTWINE network is a collaboration between researchers and PhD students from five different countries: the Netherlands, Sweden, U.K., Italy, and Israel. ENTWINE focuses on three areas related to informal care: the willingness and challenges to providing informal care, designing technological solutions, and implementation of technological solutions. Chelsea Coumoundouros:

– My PhD project is about exploring implementation of e-mental health programs to support informal caregivers. In one of my studies, I will interview professionals who are working with informal caregivers and the person they care for. I will ask them what barriers and facilitators they anticipate regarding implementation of mental health programs to support informal caregivers in their setting.

International exchange
The participants in ENTWINE meet each year in one of the five countries in the network. They recently had a gathering for four days in Groningen, Netherlands.

– We had seminars, workshops, and lectures. We also shared what we’ve been up to since last time we met, says Chelsea. It was great to see everyone again and to reconnect after only meeting virtually for the past few events.

During the event in Groningen, the PhD students were given the opportunity to develop their skills within different areas, including research communication.

– In one of the workshops, we had an exercise where we told each other about our research as a story. I realized that listening to a story rather than just facts is more interesting and something I will take with me.

Next year, the network will meet in Milan to update each other on their research projects.

Internship within e-Health company
As part of her PhD, Chelsea is doing an internship within the e-Health company Chorus. She has interviewed people who use one of the e-Health solutions that Chorus has developed, to learn about how they have been using the technology.

Next Spring, an internship awaits at the University of Exeter, U.K.

– It will be interesting to do research at another university, to see how they work and to meet new people. I’m also looking forward to doing qualitative research, which has been challenging here in Sweden since I don’t speak the language.

Read more about Chelsea’s internship at Chorus.