SPARK Discoverers Visual

A dialogue between science and art

From November 1 to 10, 2024, researchers and science enthusiasts will come together during Berlin Science Week to discuss important questions about science and society. Kicking off the week, the Max Delbrück Center will present its photo exhibition “Discoverers” for the first time.

On November 1, 2024, the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association will open its series of events during Berlin Science Week 2024 with a special concert and a unique portrait exhibition. The exhibition will feature researchers from the Max Delbrück Center and their work, sensitively captured by photographer Pablo Castagnola.

The evening will begin with a concert special from the well-established Spark series: Renowned jazz vibraphonist David Friedman will demonstrate his art of musical improvisation, performing with pianist and Spark co-organizer SooJin Anjou. They will play music by Handel, Gershwin, Monk, and Friedman himself.

Following the concert, there will be a discussion with the musicians, photographer Pablo Castagnola, and researchers Nikolaus Rajewsky and Michela Di Virgilio whose portraits – along with many others – will be featured in the “Discoverers” exhibition. Together, the panel will explore the possibilities and limitations of improvisation in art, daily life, and science.

Guests will also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the portrait series by Pablo Castagnola, who was born in 1969 in Buenos Aires and grew up surrounded by photography. In his photos, he explores identities with sensitivity, curiosity and an attentive eye – they are authentic and tell real stories. Castagnola lives in Berlin.

Spark: Creative processes in the arts and science & Vernissage “Discoverers”

When: Friday, November 1, 2024, 6 – 8 pm 
Where: Berlin Institute of Medical Systems Biology of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC-BIMSB), Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115 Berlin
Language: English

The exhibition will be open during Berlin Science Week from November 2 to 10, Monday to Friday between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm. Please register for your visit at the reception of the MDC-BIMSB, Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115 Berlin.

Selected additional events:

Berlin Brains on Tour: Sex and Gender in Mental Health: Why Sex Matters

More and more people are suffering from stress and depression. To effectively help them, studies using animal models are indispensable. But how can mental health be studied in animals? And what influence does sex have on the course of the illness and its treatment? Hanna Hörnberg and Tobias Pohl provide insights into the biology of the psyche. Their research illustrates how significantly sex can impact mental health and well-being, and what new therapeutic options might result from it.

With Hanna Hörnberg, Max Delbrück Center, group leader of the "Molecular and Cellular Basis of Behavior" lab, and Tobias Pohl, scientist and group member

When: Tuesday, November 5, 2024. 7:30 - 9 pm

Where: movie theatre, Zeiss planetarium, Prenzlauer Allee 80, 10405 Berlin
Language: English

Berlin Brains the joint event series of the Urania and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, the Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, the Einstein Center for Neuroscience, the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Collaborative Research Center 1315.

Unlocking the Future: AI Revolution in Biomedical Imaging

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming research and medicine – among other things, by helping us analyze vast amounts of image data that the human eye alone can barely process. The collaboration between human intuition, knowledge, and machine precision is expected to help uncover disease mechanisms more quickly, develop new drugs, and improve medical diagnostics. But is this just hype? What can AI really do today? Mathematician Christoph Karg offers insights into how computers learn, what AI can already achieve, and the challenges researchers still face. Afterward, guests can explore complex 3D images using virtual reality and take a look at the brain of a fruit fly.

With Christoph Karg, postdoctoral researcher in the “Biomedical Image Analysis” lab of Dagmar Kainmüller

When: Thursday, November 7, 2024, 6 - 7:30 pm
Where: MDC-BIMSB, Hannoversche Str. 28, Elsa Neumann Room, 10115 Berlin
Language: English

 

Further information

Full program of the Max Delbrück Center during Berlin Science Week 2024

 

Contact

Jutta Kramm
Head of Communications
Max Delbrück Center 
+49 30 9406-2140
jutta.kramm@mdc-berlin.de or presse@mdc-berlin.de

Max Delbrück Center 

The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (Max Delbrück Center) is one of the leading biomedical research centers internationally. Nobel Prize laureate Max Delbrück, born in Berlin, was a pioneer of molecular biology. At its locations in Berlin-Buch and Mitte, researchers from around 70 countries analyze the human system – the fundamentals of life, from its smallest building blocks to cross-organ mechanisms. Understanding what controls or disrupts the dynamic balance within a cell, organ, or the entire body allows us to prevent diseases, diagnose them early, and stop them with targeted therapies. The insights from basic research are intended to quickly benefit patients. The Max Delbrück Center, therefore, promotes spin-offs and collaborates in networks. Particularly close are the partnerships with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin in the joint Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) and the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité, as well as the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK). The Max Delbrück Center employs 1,800 people. It is 90% funded by the federal government and 10% by the state of Berlin. www.mdc-berlin.de