European Doctoral Day

What does a PhD actually look like – and how do people get there?

On May 13, the Max Delbrück Center is hosting the European Doctoral Day 2026: “Many Paths to a PhD” at MDC-BIMSB.
Researchers at different career stages will share insights into doctoral research at the #mdcBerlin – from experimental work with organoids and animal models to computational biology and clinical research.

A central part of the program: PhD researchers themselves will talk about their individual paths, including changes in direction, unexpected detours, and the decisions that shaped their careers.

The event is open to Bachelor’s and Master’s students as well as early-career researchers considering a PhD, or who want to learn more about doctoral research in practice.

🗓️ May 13, 2026 – 12:30 PM to 5 PM
📍 MDC-BIMSB (Berlin-Mitte) & online
🔗 Register now

Your path is out there. Come see what it might look like.

#EuropeanDoctoralDay #PhDLife #mdcBerlin

Program:

12:30-12:40 Opening remarks
12:40-13:05 Hanna Hörnberg
13:05-13:30 Nicholas Rajewsky
13:30-13:55 Sonia Waiczies

13:55-14:15 Coffee Break

14:15-14:40 Mina Gouti
14:40-15:05 Emanuel Wyler
15:05-15:15 PhD Reps Short presentation

15:15-15:30 Coffee Break

15:30-16:40 PhD Paths Student presentations (7x 10 mins)
16:40-16:45 Closing remarks

European Doctoral Day 2026 "Many Paths to a PhD" https://www.eurodocday.org/

This event celebrates doctoral education as a dynamic and transformative stage of scientific development. By combining institutional research perspectives with clearly defined personal trajectories, the program highlights both the excellence of MDC research and the diversity of pathways that lead to and shape a PhD, aiming to stimulate students and early-career researchers for their future academic journeys.  The program is structured into two interconnected parts.  Part I – Doctoral Research at MDC: Innovation Across Disciplines. Principal investigators representing diverse research domains — including computational biology and data science, molecular and cellular biology, organoid and stem cell technologies, animal research models, and clinical and translational research — will present how doctoral researchers actively contribute to advancing knowledge. Speakers will outline their central research questions, innovative methodologies, recent discoveries, and the integral role of PhD candidates within their teams. This segment emphasizes doctoral education as a driving force of interdisciplinary collaboration, scientific creativity, and technological innovation.  Part II – Many Paths to a PhD:  Personal Journeys.

The second part of the program is dedicated to illustrating, through lived experience, that there is no single “correct” path into doctoral education. Current PhD researchers will present trajectories that intentionally contrast with one another: a candidate whose doctoral project evolved naturally from earlier academic specialization; another who deliberately transitioned into a completely new discipline; a researcher who first gained professional or research experience before choosing to begin a PhD; a doctoral student who navigated a change of project or direction during the doctorate; and a candidate pursuing a strongly translational or otherwise unconventional path. Together, these perspectives demonstrate that doctoral training accommodates continuity as well as reinvention, planning as well as discovery, and structured progression as well as intellectual redirection.  By presenting research excellence alongside diverse personal journeys, the event aims to inspire Bachelor’s and Master’s students as well as early-career researchers to consider pursuing a PhD. It seeks to encourage reflection, reduce uncertainty, and make visible the plurality of trajectories through which doctoral education can be entered and shaped. Ultimately, the event promotes the PhD not as a rigid academic step, but as an open and empowering framework for developing independent thinkers prepared to contribute meaningfully to science and society.