Testimonials

Sean´s experience

My internship at the HRV LABorde was a very positive and enriching experience! What I appreciated most was the high level of freedom and trust I was given in my daily work. I had the opportunity to develop my own ideas, take responsibility for different projects, and find my own ways to approach tasks. At the same time, I always had the support of the team and Prof. Laborde whenever I needed feedback or guidance.

The atmosphere within the HRV LABorde was very open, friendly, and motivating, which made it easy to feel part of the team from the beginning. I especially enjoyed that there was room for creativity and that new ideas were always welcomed. This combination of independence, responsibility, and supportive environment allowed me to learn a lot, both professionally and personally. Overall, the internship gave me a valuable experience and showed me how enjoyable working in a scientific environment can be when there is trust and freedom to develop. I absolutely recommend everyone who is able to do an internship at the HRV Lab, to do so.

Aylin´s experience

My two-month Erasmus+ internship at HRV LABorde was a truly valuable and rewarding experience, both academically and personally. Working in the field of psychophysiology allowed me to gain hands-on experience in an international research environment and deepen my understanding of the relationship between psychological and physiological processes.
During my internship, I had the opportunity to participate in breathing exercises and HRV battery tests. This practical experience helped me connect the theoretical knowledge from my studies with research practice and gave me a better understanding of HRV and its applications in psychophysiological research.
I would also like to thank Prof. Sylvain Laborde and everyone at the institute. They were incredibly kind, welcoming, and helpful, which made me feel comfortable and supported throughout my stay.
This Erasmus+ experience has broadened my perspective on psychophysiology, strengthened my interest in research, and given me valuable memories and experiences that I will carry with me throughout my academic and professional journey.

Taren´s experience

During my internship with the HRV-Team, I really enjoyed the dynamic and collaborative atmosphere within the team, where everyone was approachable and happy to share knowledge. Building on what I had learned in my triathlon course, I got to explore the psychophysiological side of performance: I helped run a study investigating breathing techniques, cognitive tests, and well-being questionnaires, working hands-on with EKG and spirometry equipment for data collection. 

Beyond the study itself, I contributed to the team's external communication by maintaining the website and creating content for social media. 

What I valued most was being trusted to work independently — from organizing and conducting testing sessions to following up on and preparing the data afterwards — which gave me a real sense of ownership over my work.

Ben´s experience

My internship at the HRV LABorde was an incredibly rewarding experience. Throughout my time in the lab, I gained valuable hands-on experience in psychophysiological research, particularly in heart rate variability (HRV), breathing interventions, and experimental study design.

I was involved in several research projects covering different aspects of psychophysiological research. As part of my master's thesis project, I worked on a study comparing different breathing techniques and their effects on heart rate variability (HRV) and respiratory physiology measured by spirometry. My responsibilities included preparing and piloting the experimental protocol, contributing ideas to improve the study design, coordinating participant appointments, calibrating the spirometry system, training new research assistants, conducting ECG and spirometry measurements, and supporting data management and quality control throughout the project.

In addition, I contributed to the interdisciplinary HEMO-ISO project in collaboration with the Institute of Cardiovascular Research and Sports Medicine. This project investigated how different breathing frequencies influence continuous blood pressure responses during repeated isometric exercise, with the aim of improving our understanding of cardiovascular regulation during static exercise. My role involved conducting physiological assessments, including ECG recordings using the BIOPAC system and respiratory measurements during the experimental sessions.

Through regular HRV workshops, I further developed my skills in preprocessing physiological data, artifact correction, segmentation, and HRV analysis using Kubios.

One of the highlights of my internship was the supportive and collaborative atmosphere within the lab. I always felt very well supervised by Sylvain, both during my internship and while working on my master's thesis. He is an exceptionally kind, patient, and dedicated mentor who genuinely cares about the development of his students. I also greatly enjoyed working alongside the PhD students and fellow interns. The open exchange of ideas, willingness to help each other, and shared enthusiasm for research created an inspiring environment in which I learned a great deal.

Beyond the technical skills I acquired, the internship gave me valuable insights into academic research and strengthened my interest in pursuing a scientific career. I would highly recommend the HRV LABorde to anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of HRV, psychophysiology, breathing research, and applied experimental science while being part of a welcoming and highly motivating research team.

Frantisek´s experience

I am sincerely grateful for the entire week spent at the German Sport University Cologne and for all the opportunities, valuable experiences, and insights provided to me during my stay. I learned a great deal about HRV and cognitive testing procedures, while also having the opportunity to contribute to the research through my participation and feedback.

I have already started raising awareness about HRV and the research activities of the HRV Lab at my faculty and within my professional network in Slovakia. It was an incredibly inspiring experience for me, both professionally and personally.

I would also like to add that everyone I interacted with during my stay was exceptionally friendly, helpful, and supportive, which made me feel truly welcome in Cologne. 

It was also an honour to meet Sylvain Laborde. Despite being a highly respected, successful, and busy researcher, he remains very humble and invests a great deal of time in supporting young colleagues and helping them begin their research careers.

Thank you once again for your support, openness, and willingness to share your expertise. I sincerely appreciate it and already look forward to future cooperation

Pedro´s Experience

Overall, this experience has been really positive and rewarding. Right from the start, I was impressed by the friendly atmosphere within the department, both from the supervisors as well as the other interns, with whom I've made some great friends.

As for the supervisors, in my experience they always try to make time to get to know you and find out what your interests are, and they make an effort to give you the opportunity to work on projects and tasks that match your expectations as closely as possible, which has given me the feeling that I am really part of a team and that I am valued within it.

On a professional perspective, I have been involved in a wide range of projects, such as developing research projects, writing popular science articles, learning about and participating in experiments alongside elite athletes, and much more... All of this has allowed me to develop skills such as critical thinking and teamwork, and has boosted my professional career by expanding my scientific background with popular science publications.

As an international student, I found it very easy to fit into the team, as the department is very international and everyone tries to speak English, making me feel included. Furthermore, working in such a multicultural environment helps to develop soft skills and social communication.

Although my internship has come to an end, I am certain that I will continue to work and collaborate with the department on future projects. I would like to give special thanks to Sylvain Laborde for being my internship supervisor and for giving me the opportunity to work on such interesting projects during my time there.

Rene´s experience

My internship at the institute gave me valuable practical insights into psychophysiological research and everyday scientific work. I especially appreciated the combination of hands-on laboratory experience, teamwork, and the opportunity to contribute to exciting research projects. During my time there, I was able to deepen my knowledge in areas such as HRV, EEG, TMS, and respiratory research, while also gaining experience in study organization, data collection, and scientific analysis.

Overall, the internship was a very enriching experience that further strengthened my interest and knowledge in psychophysiology and cognitive neuroscience.

Laura´s experience

In the Winter Semester 2025/2026, I completed my internship here at the HRV LABorde, where I gained various insights into ongoing research projects. I supported data collection, data analysis and literature research. Moreover, I had the opportunity to contribute to the Science Communication of our LAB, which was my favorite part: creating and maintaining this website, Content Creation for Social Media, lecture- and workshop preparation.

What I highly appreciated during my internship: I got hands-on experience and substantial work to do. Additionally, one's own ideas and own initiative were always supported. My tasks were enabling me to widen my horizon and learn new skills. Furthermore, I liked the open-minded and outgoing atmosphere here. I am grateful for the time that I spent here and for everything I learned!