Diversity

Practiced in the art of bringing diverse groups of people together, Dilek Güven joins the Max Delbrück Center as our new Diversity Coordinator. “We are already diverse. I want to find ways to further our sense of togetherness,” she says.

During the second annual Diversity Week, our community took part in a series of events. They ranged from simulating the environments of disabled people, to discussing the importance of a diverse workplace. The aim was to raise awareness and to foster a welcoming work environment for everyone.

In a commentary, Dr. Sofia Forslund of the Max Delbrück Center and her colleagues outlined challenges faced by transgender scientists and presented ideas on how to tackle them. To commemorate Pride Month in Berlin, Forslund discussed the commentary’s genesis and future efforts at greater inclusion.

The artists Elisabetta Citterio and Claudia Cagliano have created portraits of nearly 60 female researchers from nine countries. Twenty-five of them can be viewed in the "STEM Passion" exhibition until March 12, 2024 in the Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine Berlin.

Sanja Drakulic, Jean-Yves Tano and Michaela Herzig from the People & Culture department were the catalysts behind the Max Delbrück Center’s first ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week. In this interview, Sanja and Jean-Yves share the inspiration behind the initiative along with some takeaways.

Biomedical research is mostly geared towards white men. During the Berlin Science Week, researchers discussed how this can be changed and how questions of diversity can be better taken into account in laboratories. Didn't have time to join? We have documented the event for you as a video.

The Max Delbrück Center will host its first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week, from November 13 to 17, 2023. The event will foster engagement, support, and unity of its research community, and will feature workshops, panel discussions, and community activities at its Buch and Mitte locations.

When the PRDM16 gene mutates, heart muscle cells undergo changes in their metabolism. This increases the risk of congenital heart failure in women more than men, as a ECRC research team led by Sabine Klaassen and Jirko Kühnisch reports in “Cardiovascular Research.”

Data science has long been part of our research – including artificial intelligence. However, AI has also permeated the daily lives of many people. At "Insights," we were curious: What books would ChatGPT & Co. recommend for laypeople interested in molecular medicine? The result: three bestsellers.

On August 1, 2023, Sofia Forslund will take up a W3 Professorship in Applied Microbiology at Charité. She will continue her scientific work at the ECRC, which involves close collaboration with researchers from the Max Delbrück Center and Charité.