For the health of the community

Health has long been a personal interest for Lilly Spalt. Whether long-distance running, dancing, or Pilates, she maintains a very active lifestyle. ​“To stay fit, I’ve spent years looking closely at nutrition, recovery, and sleep,” she says. The 28-year-old studied psychology in Berlin and after earning her master’s degree, completed a guest semester in public health. ​“From the beginning, I knew I wanted to work in prevention and connect mental and physical health,” Spalt explains.

After working at several Berlin-based startups in the sports and health sector where she helped develop, among other things, an app for holistic running and other digital health services, she came across a job posting from the Max Delbrück Center in early summer of 2025. For the first time, the Safety Unit had advertised a position in Occupational Health Management. Spalt took up the role on August 1, 2025. ​“I held many conversations with employees and developed a concept based on those discussions, which I will now implement step by step,” she says. The concept is not set in stone, she adds; she intends to continually adapt it to changing needs.

Quick access to counseling in many languages

“My approach combines psychology and public health. It is systemic and, above all, evidence-based,” Spalt explains. She has identified eight areas of action for the Max Delbrück Center. Programs will be offered in all of them, but this year’s priority is mental health. ​“At the moment, there are two external contacts who provide psychosocial counseling for employees,” says Spalt. ​“But it’s impossible for just two people to meet the needs of our entire workforce.” She therefore plans to expand services and, starting in April, offer all employees free access to the psychotherapy platform It’s Complicated.

“By answering just a few questions, employees can find suitable experts for very specific issues – both within and outside the workplace ­– and, importantly, in their preferred language,” Spalt explains. ​“They are offered an initial appointment online or in person within 24 hours at the latest and, if needed, can be referred to an appropriate therapist.”

Spalt is also in close contact with First Contact Points staff, who are tasked with resolving workplace conflicts at an early stage. ​“I would like to help make these contact persons easier to find and clarify their respective roles,” she says. In addition, tailored programs are planned for managers and early-career researchers to address the specific pressures these groups face. Doctoral researchers, for example, will have the opportunity to participate in the Dragonfly Mental Health program.

All programs on Intramax and Mattermost

“As the CampusVital programs are ending this year, I am also preparing an independent program on key topics such as physical activity, nutrition, and stress management,” says Spalt. Through sports programs and competitions, she hopes to bring together employees from both of the center’s campuses to strengthen team spirit and identification with the Max Delbrück Center. She also plans to expand non-smoking protections at the center later this year.

Employees interested in the new health programs can find information on Intramax and on the Mattermost channel MDC Health & Wellbeing, which Spalt manages. ​“I encourage all employees to take advantage of these programs,” she says. ​“Only through active participation can we ensure that they continue to receive support in the future.” Anyone with questions is welcome to contact her directly.

Text: Anke Brodmerkel

Contact

Lilly Spalt
Occupational Health Management
Safety Unit
Max Delbrück Center
Lilly.​Spalt@​mdc-​berlin.​de