Scandinavian Summer Abroad

Scandinavian Summer Abroad Neuroscience major Casey Arkoette '28 is conducting cutting-edge research in Copenhagen, Denmark while exploring the local culture.

By Kelsey Goodwin
July 7, 2026

For many STEM students, studying abroad feels like a luxury they can't afford while juggling needed lab hours and credits. Casey Arkoette '28, a neuroscience major, says W&L helped him find a way to spend a summer in Copenhagen, Denmark, while pursuing his passion for research and keeping him academically on track.

This summer, Arkoette is living and working in Copenhagen through DIS Abroad (Danish Institute for Study Abroad), spending his days helping postdoctoral researchers investigate the genetic roots of Alzheimer's disease. It's the kind of hands-on scientific experience that undergraduates dream of being able to add to their resume, with the added bonus of the North Sea just minutes from their front door.

Arkoette knew early on that he wanted to study abroad at some point during college, but finding a program that worked for a pre-med neuroscience student wasn't simple.

"I knew I wanted to do something that would still let me be lab-focused and research-focused, so I can help build my resume," he says.

That's where Cindy Irby, study abroad adviser and associate director of Washington and Lee's Center for International Education, stepped in to help. After Arkoette described what he was looking for - a research or lab-based experience in Europe that wouldn't derail his academic progress - Irby pointed him toward DIS. The program, which connects students with courses and lab placements across Copenhagen, made the logistics simple.

"The application process was really easy," Arkoette says. "It saves me the time of having to apply to every lab position in Europe." The credits he is earning through the program this summer also transfer to W&L.

Arkoette is enrolled in DIS' Microbrains Lab: Modeling Neurodegeneration, a course that sits at the cutting edge of Alzheimer's research. The lab focuses on neurons, astrocytes and microglia derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), human cell models that, combined with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, offer insights into early disease development that research on mice has so far repeatedly failed to provide.

His instructor is Kristine Freude, a professor of cell biology and biochemistry at the University of Copenhagen who earned her Ph.D. in human genetics from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and the Free University of Berlin and completed postdoctoral research at the University of California, Irvine. Working directly under her guidance in a working stem cell lab, Arkoette says, is a rare opportunity for an undergraduate and one that is perfectly tailored to his research interests.

Arkoette's day-to-day involves attending lectures where Freude walks the class through her past research and current projects, followed by lab sessions that can stretch anywhere from 90 minutes to five hours. Right now, the class is working on a project related to APOE, a gene that, when inherited in a specific double variant, significantly raises the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The class is growing neurons, previously stem cells, with different APOE variants to analyze gene expression, morphology and neurite outgrowth. At the end of the program, students receive a certificate of lab competency and a professional reference from Freude.

Outside the lab, Arkoette is getting a genuine taste of Danish life. He lives in a student residence hall in the Amager neighborhood in southern Copenhagen, which he describes as quieter and more residential than the city center. He lives near the beach, surrounded by more locals than tourists, and is about 30 minutes by metro from his lab in the north of the city.

The living situation has been one of his favorite parts of the experience. Each floor of his building includes Danish residents who invite international students to join in their social lives.

"There are locals that always want to interact with you," he says. "They'll bring you out and help you cook."

Arkoette is also training for a half marathon he plans to run on his last day in Denmark, and his daily runs have given him a window into local culture. This summer has also coincided with the FIFA World Cup, which lifelong soccer fan Arkoette has been soaking up fully. He has been watching matches at local sports bars and going out with Danish friends on weekends.

"I chose a great year to come here," he says.

Arkoette points out that his experience is a useful reminder that studying abroad doesn't have to mean a semester or year away. For students in biology, neuroscience, pre-med or related fields who assume that international experience isn't an option, programs like DIS and other opportunities offered through W&L's CIE network offer rigorous science courses, real research opportunities and transferable credit. Arkoette appreciates that the program also meant he could achieve his study abroad dreams without missing Spring Term in Lexington, one of his favorite things about his time on campus.

"I really like my springs in Lexington," he says.

Learn more about partner programs through the Center for International Education and book an appointment with CIE staff to learn about study abroad and Spring Term Abroad courses.

If you know any W&L students who would be great profile subjects, tell us about them! Nominate them for a web profile.