We at the MDC

Lena Fürst, a member of Annette Hammes-Lewin's team, is being honored by the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry for finishing at the top of her biology lab technician training class. In this interview, she talks about the obstacles she has had to overcome and offers advice to other trainees.

The Max Delbrück Center has once again been awarded the “audit berufundfamilie” certification – an acknowledgment of our commitment to supporting employees through all stages of their lives, whether caring for children or aging parents.

Yun-Hsuan Huang spent two intense weeks at the University of Edinburgh as part of the Max Delbrück Center’s PhD exchange program in Medical Systems Biology. She returned with new skills, scientific insights – and a broader outlook on research and collaboration.

According to a survey conducted by the ‘Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut Schad’, the Max Delbrück Center is one of Berlin's best employers and training companies. A good 600 companies took part in the survey, and around 100 received the award – making them ‘Berlins Beste’.

Two women, one mission: Kathrin Saar, our newly elected Equal Opportunities Officer at the Max Delbrück Center, and her deputy Aileen Cunningham want to make women in science more visible and promote equality within our institution.

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.

Stan Gorski has been appointed Head of Strategic Initiatives. He and his team aim to drive strategic developments in areas such as spatial biomedicine, AI, bioengineering and precision prevention. They will also strengthen collaborations among institutions and help set a bold agenda for the future.

Senegalese scientists gained hands-on microscopy and image analysis training during a workshop to strengthen regional biomedical research capacity in Africa. The workshop was headed by Peran Hayes, who will present the project as a contestant in this year’s EU-LIFE Science Vision Talk Contest.

The Zia fellowship supports young female researchers in their professional and personal development. Interested applicants can apply for next year’s fellowship in July and August. Evangelia Nathanail from the Max Delbrück Center is a current fellow — and highly recommends the program.