In a personal milestone I am delighted to share that today I defended my PhD dissertation with distinction, and I am officially a PhD and Dr. Khodami at Universita degli Studi di Padova.

These three years with the International Research Office - University of Padua, under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, were full of both highs and lows, and they led to excellent results.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported me along the way. My supervisor, Prof. Battaglini, always trusted me at every step. My amazing mentor, Jeremy Wolfe from Harvard Medical School, was always available, even when I had a simple question. My second supervisor, Prof. Melissa Vo, welcomed me with open arms and gave me the chance to learn with her at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen.

This was not a simple achievement. It was a meaningful one, and I am proud of what I have done and of the path I have chosen. None of this would have been possible without the support of my family - my mom and dad, my wife, and definitely my cat, Kiki.

Finishing with excellence is not only an achieved goal; it motivates me to work even harder. I am excited for the path that has already begun at the University of Jyvaskyla.

This is one of the most important milestones of my life.

PhD defense milestone PhD defense day at the University of Padova.