Growing up in the Thuringian Forest in East Germany, I faced the Berlin Wall from the wrong side until it collapsed in 1989. Eight years later, I headed west to study medicine in Würzburg, Bavaria. At the time, western Germany seemed significantly different from the east: there was less urban decay, for instance.

But the differences between eastern and western Germany were minor compared with what I've just experienced trading Würzburg for Oxford. After I graduated last year, I decided to pursue neuroscience research rather than become a clinician. A Wellcome Trust studentship helped me take the next step, and brought me to Britain.

Arriving in Oxford was like entering another dimension — the place seems more like an ancient Greek city-state. It has its own traditions, myths, laws and anachronisms. Imagine being tested on the latest developments in molecular biology while wearing an academic gown, dark suit, white bow tie and plain white shirt.

Cutting-edge science and traditional dress, innovative research and rigid traditions. That's how Oxford is — a living contradiction. It's one of the most fascinating places I've been. Life here spans several centuries and lifestyles. It makes Oxford a special place. And it makes moving here the biggest change in my life so far.