Career stories

In the new "Chembion" Research Training Group at Münster University, which is being funded by the German Research Foundation, doctoral students from medicine and pharmacy jointly investigate ways to regulate the function of ion channels in cell membranes. An interview with Prof. Bernhard Wünsch, spokesperson of the Research Training Group and member of the Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre.

Scientists at the University of Münster use a broad spectrum of imaging techniques to investigate structures and processes in the body. Last week, they shared their knowledge with international junior researchers: The participants of the tenth annual Mouse Imaging Academy spent five days training on different methods for examining mice.

The MD thesis of Dr. Robert Seifert, a physician, is based on an interdisciplinary cooperation, supported by the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence. He and his colleagues developed an algorithm for the precise analysis of image data. A WWU dissertation prize was awarded for this.

Dr. Noelia Alonso Gonzalez and Dr. Maria Bohnert have started working as junior research group leaders at the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence. Funding for their work is being provided by a new programme designed by the Cluster to support outstanding female researchers in leading positions.

Lulit Tilahun Wolde, a visiting academic from Ethiopia, is working in a research group at the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence. She brought microorganisms with her that can survive in one of the hottest regions on Earth. She wants to find out how modifications in RNA enable the microorganisms to survive.

The junior research groups at the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence have demonstrated convincing work with their research. After three and a half years, group leaders Dr. Milos Galic and Dr. Sebastian Rumpf are receiving financial support for a further two years.

Usually, interdisciplinary research is especially innovative. This is why the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence is funding five new pilot projects. Young researchers from several different disciplines have to apply for and implement the projects, for which they are themselves responsible.

For two years, working in the Translational Oncology lab, physician Dr. Jonas Lange investigated the properties of lymph node cancer in children. Job rotation provided by the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence enabled him to do the research.

Promising young researchers begin their careers in the international Graduate School of the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence and at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Biomedicine in Münster. Two of them are Jyoti Rao from India and Mitchell Duffy from the USA.

In her research group at the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence, scientist Julia Ghelman is studying which factors define the movement behaviour of cells in the central nervous system. Thanks to “LabAid” she was able to continue her research work while she was pregnant and after her child was born.

At the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence Timo Betz studies the mechanical properties of cells, for example, how they change shape in case of disease. Since of late he is a CiM Professor of Cell Mechanics. His great aim is to bring more physics into biology.

Dr. Milos Galic is a Junior Research Group Leader and he has established his own working group in the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence. What he appreciates most is not only the top-notch research environment but having the opportunity to combine having a family with a career in research.

Dr. Anna Junker works on her first independent research project supported by the postdoctoral programme of the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence. She benefits from the Cluster's Young Academy – a career development network, which junior researchers manage autonomously.

In the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence, junior researchers successfully start their own collaborations. For example, physicist Robert Meißner and biologist Wade Sugden received funding for a so-called pilot project and learned a lot from the interdisciplinary teamwork.

International Master’s students learn at the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence: In the first CiM Summer School students from all over the world work in various labs at the Cluster. They gain insights into a wide range of subjects.

During an external research stay, Dr. Verena Hofschröer learned to work with confocal microscopy from the basics on. She applied her new skills in studying cancer cell clusters. A Train-Gain grant of the Cluster of Excellence supported her stay.

For Yvonne Padberg, a doctoral student in Biology, it was a dream come true: in Ventura, in the USA, she received a prize for the best talk at a prestigious scientific conference for junior researchers. A CiM travel grant for female researchers had made the trip possible.

It is not only experts from the world of biomedical research who will be speaking at the International CiM Symposium from September 13th to 15th. Eight junior researchers will also be presenting the results of their research. Mandy Großgarten, who is a doctoral student in Chemistry in the CiM research group led by Prof. Uwe Karst, is one of them.

At the weekly "BrownBagLunch" of the Cells-in Motion Cluster of Excellence, young researchers exchange ideas on innovative approaches in experimental medicine. The university newspaper 'living|knowledge' now reports on this new network platform. Enjoy reading the original report (in German language).