Campus Life

A quiz hosted by the Finance Department, a behind-the-scenes tour of the biobank, and a relaxed lunch on the lawn — Summer Science Day 2026 offered something for everyone. The event brought together employees from across the Max Delbrück Center and offered inspiring glimpses of the center's future.

Since August, Lilly Spalt has been heading Occupational Health Management at the Max Delbrück Center. Her goal is to create a supportive and healthy work environment for all staff. This year, her focus is on mental health – a wide range of measures are planned.

Lab tours, lively talks, music and awards – Summer Science Day 2025 brought the Max Delbrück Center community together like never before. In addition to food and games, this year's new format created space to spark dialogue across our diverse teams.

Supporting each other and standing up for our values: Resilience is the theme of the 4th MDC Pride Symposium, hosted by our LGBTQI+ community on July 18 at MDC-BIMSB. For the first time, researchers will also take part in the Berlin Christopher Street Day parade under the Max Delbrück Center banner.

Since April 3, MDC-BIMSB in Berlin Mitte has been hosting an exhibition of 40 photographs by iconic photographer Sibylle Bergemann. During the opening, which was attended by her daughter Frieda and granddaughter Lily von Wild, the rooftop terrace was named in Bergemann’s honor.

Coffee after 2 p.m. is a must — this was the motivation that drove plans for a new café on the Berlin-Buch campus. Professor Holger Gerhardt has been involved in the project from the start. We up him at the café not long after its opening.

At the Max Delbrück Center summer party, employees Daniela Dixon, Matthias Runow and Ingrid Ziegenhagen won this year’s Silent Hero Award. The award recognizes the commitment of employees whose hard work behind the scenes keeps our research running smoothly.

The Berlin-Buch campus is currently in third place in the competition organized by Berlin’s state companies — but there are still four more weeks to catch up. The campus’s best first-time competitor was honored at the Bergfest.

Eliska Fürst organizes the running teams representing the Max Delbrück Center in the 5 x 5 km TEAM relay in the Tiergarten in mid-May. The biologist loves running and, as she reveals in our “We at the MDC” series, wants to establish a running culture at the center.

The Berlin-Buch campus promotes sustainable and healthy mobility with new infrastructure and a wide range of activities and campaigns. The German Cyclists’ Association ADFC has now honored the campus’s commitment with its Gold Seal – alongside four other bicycle-friendly employers in Berlin.