292 My colleagues, friends, & family Every step in my academic career has been one that I did not dare dream off. I never knew how much support I would find in the people around me. Some of them I met along the way, some of them where there all along. They made this all possible. First, Andrea, I need to express my gratitude to you for the opportunity to do this PhD. I am grateful that you chose me among many other candidates for this project. Working with you I grew and learned so much. This has been an invaluable experience. Thank you. Judy, thank you so much for your supervision and your endless support. You shared your knowledge and experience with me but also your friendship. You accepted who I was as a person and as a scientist and you helped me grow. I am grateful to you for all of it. Thank you. Joe, a very special thanks goes to you. You were there from the first day when we were both just scared. We have shared so many adventures, laughs, troubles, failures, and victories during our PhD years. You turned fear into laughter and work into a joyous quest. Thank you, I could not have done this without you. My colleagues, Aleksandrina, the Vicis, and Theo, also provided me with support, valuable help, and a lot of positive vibes, in the different phases of our PhD journey. I also want to thank old friends; without coming across you I would likely never have pursued higher education. I want to thank my best friends, Yvan, Sonja, Vicky, Ionas, Elizabeth Lemon, and Elaine Benes. From beginning to end you were there for me, through good and bad, from far away or from the same desk, you cheered me on, motivated me, and helped me through this endeavor in your own unique ways. Especially, I need to thank my mom Margot, the one that always believed, even when the facts failed her. Thank you, manoula, for never giving in and for always being there. I wouldn’t be anywhere without you. Finally, this thesis is dedicated to my Oma Mia; thank you for giving me your name, and with it, a new space to grow, change, and to become who I needed to be.
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