Our MGSE PI, Prof. Dr. Melanie Dammhahn, recently shared her inspiring career journey in a talk titled “Against All Odds: Turning Passion into Profession.” In her talk, Dr. Dammhahn offered insights into the realities of pursuing a career in research — from navigating grant applications to making strategic decisions at critical points along the academic path. 
 

MGSE PhD student Pauline Kibui has successfully defended her PhD thesis titled 'A Multi-faceted Approach to Differentiation of Male Germ Cells from Primates'

MGSE PhD student Weizhao Sun has successfully defended his PhD thesis titled 'Decoding sexual attractiveness: genetic, chemical and behavioral investigation of sexual signaling evolution in parasitic wasps'.

We had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Victoria Shabardina, who gave an inspiring talk titled "How to keep calm and science on?".
Dr. Shabardina shared her personal experience on navigating an academic career and give insights about all components of being a researcher and how to make your way through and enjoy doing research.
 

Our MGSE speaker, Prof. Joachim Kurtz, visited Anne-Frank-Gesamtschule in Havixbeck to give a talk on evolution and adaptation. Using fun, hands-on experiments with gummy bears and mealworms, he helped the students understand how natural selection works in a simple and engaging way.

Dr. Sarah Verlage, research funding advisor at SAFIR gave an insightful talk entitled, "Funding Opportunities and Third-Party Funding for the Postdoctoral Phase”. Dr. Verlage provided a comprehensive overview of the most important research funding programmes relevant to the postdoctoral phase, including both national and international opportunities. Attendees gained practical advice on identifying suitable funding options and navigating the third-party funding landscape. In addition, she offered valuable insights into her current role at SAFIR and the skills required for such a position.

Prof. Dr. Ivan Berg & Prof. Dr. Nicolas Rohner join MGSE as new PIs.

New study by MGSE members on flour beetles shows that insect-specific “immune priming” affects the evolution of pathogenic bacteria. 
For more information, click here

On May 27 and 28, MGSE-ETT Fellow, Dr. Gerald Koudelka, hosted a workshop titled "Evolutionary Arms Race: Predation and Resistance." 
For more information, click here.

We had the pleasure of welcoming Jasmin Firozpoor, who shared her inspiring journey: “Rethinking Plan A: When a Career in Biology Isn’t Just a Straight Line.”  highlighting the challenges and rewards of navigating a career in the life sciences.

We had the pleasure of welcoming back MGSE alumna, Dr Nadja Orthen, who gave an exciting and engaging talk titled "Behind the (lab-) building".
Dr. Orthen shared insights into her journey from completing her PhD to taking on her current leadership role as Deputy Head of Laboratory Building Services at TRON gGmbH,
Her talk was both inspiring and informative, showcasing the wide range of career opportunities!
 

MGSE alumna Dr Taylor Rystrom delivered an insightful talk titled “Bridging the gap between science and society: My transition from researcher to science communicator”.
Dr. Rystrom’s reflections provide valuable perspectives on career transitions within academia. 

MGSE PhD student Yangzi Wang has successfully defended his PhD thesis titled 'The role of the reproductive system in evolutionary adaptation: a genomic and transcriptomic perspective'.

The first MGSE Career Talk of 2025 took place on January 15th at the Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity. Our guest speaker, Dr. Natalie Scherff, delivered an insightful talk titled “Neither Fish nor Fowl – Working Between Academia and Industry.”
Dr. Scherff shared her experiences of balancing roles in both academia and industry, offering valuable perspectives on challenges and opportunities in both sectors. Her talk sparked engaging discussions among attendees, highlighting the diverse career paths available to researchers.
Stay tuned for more MGSE Career Talks throughout the year!