Dear applicants,
Five years ago, I was in your position, applying for the CASL Fellowship. At the time, I had completed my gastroenterology training at Université de Montréal and internal medicine training at McGill University, and was preparing for a two-year fellowship at Bern University Hospital, Switzerland.
It is a bit of a coincidence that led me to do my fellowship in Bern. It is Dr. Giada Sebastiani, with whom I had done research at McGill University, who put me in contact with Dr. Annalisa Berzigotti, hepatologist at Bern University Hospital. We later met at the EASL congress in Vienna in 2019 and I immediately saw in Annalisa great mentoring qualities and was drawn by her field of expertise (portal hypertension, non-invasive methods for the assessment of liver disease, and nutrition and physical exercise in cirrhosis). When she offered me the opportunity to join her team in Bern, I accepted without hesitation. With Swiss citizenship and family ties in the area, it felt like the stars had aligned perfectly.
As I arrived in Bern in January 2020, little did I know that, a couple of months into my fellowship, the COVID-19 pandemic would paralyse the world! My first fellowship year – dedicated to clinical research (and the second year to clinical practice in hepatology, as I had to learn German in between!) – was particularly impacted as non-clinical personnel were asked to stay home and priority was given to research on COVID-19, limiting the prospects for starting new clinical studies in other fields. This experience of social isolation taught me something important about research: how collaboration and team work is essential at every stage, from brainstorming ideas to leading projects.
Thanks to Annalisa and her extensive network, I was still able to contribute to several projects during the lockdown. One of these was a European collaboration on hepatic hemodynamics, which resulted in publications in Journal of Hepatology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. I also co-authored several review articles and book chapters on non-invasive liver disease assessment, as well as dietary and exercise interventions in cirrhosis. These experiences helped me build a research and clinical expertise needed for a career in hepatology.
Beyond research, the fellowship gave me the opportunity to expand my professional network by attending and presenting at conferences, such as the EASL and Swiss Association for the Study of the Liver congresses, and participating in one of the EASL Schools.
There is a lot more I could say about my fellowship experience, but I hope this brief testimony encourages you to apply for the CASL 2025-2026 Fellowship and consider a career in hepatology. My advice would be to find a mentor who is both knowledgeable and supportive, and to seek out an environment where you see yourself thrive both professionally and personally.
Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the CASL for its financial support during this journey, which has significantly shaped my career and my life.
Elise Vuille-Lessard
Recipient of the 2020-2021 CASL Fellowship
Picture legends:
- Photo 1: Online research meeting during the pandemic
- Photo 2: My mentor Annalisa Berzigotti and I, in the hepatology outpatient clinic (“abdominal centre”) of the Bern University Hospital
- Photo 3: Enjoying the Swiss mountains
- Photo 4: Team picture during the pandemic
