Interviews and Stories

Short biography

Dr Maria Patra joined the IMPRS-LS program in 2010 after completing a Master’s program in Biochemistry at the TUM. She was working at the Adolf Butenandt Institute of the LMU in the lab of Prof Dr Jörg Tatzelt and Prof Dr Konstanze Winklhofer, where she completed her PhD thesis titled “Effects of Parkin and mutant Huntingtin on the NF-kB signaling pathway” in 2015. Maria now works as a research scientist for the biotech company MorphoSys, based in Martinsried, Munich.

Why did you choose to do your PhD with IMPRS?

The international aspect of IMPRS sounded very appealing to me, as you gain access to an excellent worldwide scientific network by being a member of this exceptional PhD program. IMPRS not only provides insights into different institutes and scientific fields based in Munich, but also different cultures from all over the world. I greatly enjoyed this colorful bouquet of inspiration possibilities within the last few years - both on a professional as well as on a personal level.

Why did you choose Munich and what did you find to be the best aspects of studying at the LMU?

During my Master’s program at the Technical University Munich, I already experienced that Munich holds huge potential for fruitful collaborations and exchanging ideas with experts from various research fields. Therefore, I decided to stay here and deepen my research activities in this promising surrounding.
As I was interested to do my PhD in Neuroscience and concentrate on neurodegenerative diseases in particular, one group at the LMU offered the most compelling research topic to me. Furthermore, the institute I chose, was also integrated in many other research alliances, which complemented the scientific network provided by IMPRS.

After completing your PhD you made the decision to move from academia to industry. Why did you decide to switch and how did the IMPRS-LS help with preparing you for your career in industry?

During my PhD, I was able to participate in many helpful workshops funded by IMPRS, which all contributed to my personal development. The workshop which contributed most to my current career focused on career mentoring: We did not only get input from a highly proficient trainer, but also learned from valuable experiences shared by other IMPRS students. As the trainer was already familiar with the participants from previous workshops, the consulting regarding career chances was taking place not only on a professional, but also on a personal level. In general, I consider this to be a very unusual but extremely positive aspect that IMPRS is interested in and takes care of their students’ future opportunities after the PhD.

What advice would you give to students considering studying here?

If you want to be part of an excellent academic network, get to know not only talented PhD colleagues, but even find life-long friends, deepen your scientific and personal development during your PhD as well as receive comprehensive support from the IMPRS coordinators whenever difficulties arise, I would highly recommend you to apply for this intriguing PhD program.

Short Biography

Daniel Hornburg studied molecular biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, USA). In 2010, he received the EXIST entrepreneurial fellowship (BMBF) for the development of enzymatic complexes to degrade resilient substrates. Daniel joined the lab of Matthias Mann for his PhD studies in 2011 where he devised, developed and applied proteomics technologies to investigate neurodegenerative diseases. As postdoctoral fellow, Daniel has joined the group of Systems Immunology at the MPI of Biochemistry in 2015 to work on clinical proteomics. During his stay at the MPI of Biochemistry he has been strongly involved in research associated with the ToPAG (Toxic Protein AGgregation in Neurodegeneration) project. ToPAG is a prestigious six-year interdisciplinary research project funded by the EU and carried out by two Max Planck Institutes. Key to the success of this project is collaborative research and the exchange of ideas and results between several cutting edge labs from different institutes.

What do you like about IMPRS?

The IMPRS program offers unique opportunities on multiple levels. Firstly, the impressive repertoire of scientific soft skill workshops not only allowed me to acquire new expertise in a broader context but also to specifically develop core competences, for example, in scientific writing and grant application. Secondly, IMPRS provides a great, interdisciplinary scientific network that fueled many collaborative projects we have published in recent years.  Thirdly, I am confident I will benefit from an active alumni network in my future career.

Why did you choose Munich and what did you enjoy about living in this city?

Munich offers one of the biggest science clusters in Europe providing ideal conditions to perform interdisciplinary research. In addition, Munich is a great city to live in. Warm summers and just one hour to get to your favorite snowboarding spot in the alps during the snowy winter months…

What did you find to be the best aspects of studying at the MPIB?

You will find world leading experts in both basic biological research as well as technology development. That combination is very powerful and exciting.

You have been very involved in research relating to the prestigious ToPAG research project. How did you become involved and what have you learnt from this experience?

How did the IMPRS program help to prepare you for your postdoc?

First and foremost, the workshops offered in the IMPRS program were extremely valuable to pursue a scientific career. Moreover, the IMPRS coordination office provided great support and valuable feedback throughout my PhD that helped me to shape and prepare my future career steps. What advice would you give to students considering studying here? Establish and make use of your scientific network. Science is a team effort!

Short biography

Amy Gerc completed her PhD in microbiology at the University of Dundee in Scotland in 2014 and moved to Germany shortly afterwards. She joined the IMPRS-LS coordination office in November 2015 as a trainee in science management and is currently involved in organizing many aspects of the IMPRS-LS PhD program.

Why did you decide to come to Germany and how did you adjust to the changes in language and culture?

The decision to come to Germany for me was a simple one. My husband (boyfriend at the time) is German and has lived and worked in Munich for more than 10 years. After completing my PhD in Scotland I was in a position where I knew I could start on something completely new and the opportunity to move to Germany seemed too exciting not to embrace. In terms of culture, Munich certainly has it’s own traditions however I wouldn’t say that it is hugely different to our way of life in Scotland (except for the fact that the weather is a million times better!). You can certainly get by in Munich only speaking in English as it’s a very international city, however, since many of my friends and family are German I knew I wanted to learn the language. I have to admit this was not easy! I am now fairly fluent and I believe my learning the language has really enriched my experiences here.

Why did you decide to apply to IMPRS-LS for the position as a trainee in science management?

Throughout my PhD I was involved in the organization of a number of events, particularly public outreach events, and I knew that the planning, development and organization of these activities was something that I really enjoyed. Whilst I knew I wanted to stay in science, I was keen to explore options away from the bench. The Max Planck Society has an excellent reputation in Germany and I believed that working as a trainee in in the IMPRS-LS coordination office would be a great way into the world of science management.

How did it feel to switch sides from being a PhD student to becoming a manager of a PhD program?

For me, this felt like a natural progression. Working in science management, I am of course no longer working in the lab and whilst I do miss some aspects of lab work, I am very much enjoying the change and the opportunity to learn so much in a different field.

Can you briefly describe your job in more detail?

The IMPRS-LS coordination office is responsible for the organization of almost all aspects of the IMPRS-LS PhD program, including overseeing the entire application process. Since I started working in the office, I have gradually become more involved in different projects. At the moment I am involved in the organization of the IMPRS training workshops, the biannual IMPRS seminar, the annual IMPRS retreat, the IMPRS lecture series, the IMPRS newsletter and various other activities that IMPRS is involved in organizing throughout the year. I am also involved in the selection process for new IMPRS-LS candidates. On a day-to-day basis my job is quite variable. At the moment we have been working a lot on the design and content for a new website and are preparing for the arrival and integration of our new IMPRS-LS students.

What have you learnt during your time at IMPRS-LS and do you think you can make a difference in this environment?

A lot! I am a generally organised person, however I have to admit working in a coordination office in Germany has been an eye-opener. I have learnt a lot about the amount of work that goes into successfully running a PhD program, how attention to detail is very important and how important it is to constantly be thinking about the next steps to ensure the IMPRS-LS maintains it’s position as a top class program. In the coordination office we are always very open to new ideas from students and of course also from colleagues. I definitely feel like I have the opportunity to make a difference.

What do you like most about your current job?

I really love how I am able to be involved in lots of diverse projects. I am also in the lucky position that I am able to keep up to date with the amazing science that’s taking place in the institute whilst also having a chance to influence the general organization of so many different aspects of the program. It’s great to see how our hard work in the office translates into making a difference for our students and faculty. 

How does completing a PhD in Germany compare with your own experiences in Scotland? 

I would say that overall the process is fairly similar. As I was not part of a structured program in Scotland, it was more difficult to participate in the excellent soft skills workshops that our students have access to. Otherwise, I also presented my research at national and international meetings, was required to present my work at “Thesis Committee Meetings” and of course wrote my thesis and had my viva at the end of 4 years of research. I believe that one of the great things about science is how international it is, I can easily relate to the IMPRS-LS students' experiences. 

What advice could you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in science outside of academia?

Get involved as much as possible! I think it’s really important to show initiative and drive by really being active in your participation in a variety of different projects throughout your PhD. It’s easy to get a bit too involved in your research and to forget sometimes that there is a world outside of your research field. Taking a step back and participating in something a bit different now and again can also really help with keeping your PhD research fresh and exciting.