We at the MDC

Starting in May, Anne Ziemke will head the staff unit Strategic Programs, Resources, and Implementation at the Max Delbrück Center. She aims to further improve the conditions for excellent research and to forge closer collaboration with other research institutions.

Is your colleague notoriously argumentative? Too much pressure from the boss? In stressful situations or conflicts at work, a confidential conversation with an independent third party can help. At the Max Delbrück Center, 17 employees serve as “First Contact Points” (FCPs). Meet four of them.

Doctoral student Philipp Roth went to New York as part of the Max Delbrück Center Exchange Program in Medical Systems Biology. In this interview, he discusses his research collaboration with a lab at NYU and how the exchange benefitted him in ways he could not have imagined.

Caroline Schweiger-Eisbacher is the new Scientific Advisor to the Vice President of Helmholtz Health, Maike Sander. In this role, Schweiger-Eisbacher helps facilitate collaboration and communication across the Helmholtz Health network.

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.

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.

For some researchers, a career in industry would never be an option. Others appreciate the practical relevancy of working at a company. Postdocs at the Max Delbrück Center can find out which path is right for them through the “Academy meets Industry” program.

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.

Without great scientists, there is no great research. For this reason, the Max Delbrück Center supports young researchers and science managers through various mentoring programs – both internally and externally. In this installment of “We at MDC,” mentees and mentors talk about their experiences.