Second meeting of the Integrated Graduate School: “How is it going in my PhD?”

The Integrated Graduate School of SFB 1607 successfully held its second meeting, known as IRTG Days, under the direction of Professor Felix Bock and Professor Verena Prokosch in early October. The event focused on the central theme “How is it going in my PhD?“ which offered participating doctoral students the opportunity to reflect on their research work to date, identify and discuss common challenges, develop action strategies, and sharpen their focus on future steps. Another focus was on reflecting on the first year of the graduate school and its offerings, which are designed to support doctoral students in their upcoming challenges in terms of methodology and content, promote their personal professional development, and enable the translation of basic research into everyday clinical practice.

During the meeting, young scientists from the SFB came together from various working groups at the universities of Cologne, Münster, and Erlangen to discuss individual progress, advise each other, and benefit from the experiences of others. Many participants emphasized how valuable the open exchange and collegial support between the SFB’s subprojects have been for their work to date and will continue to be in the future.

The meeting was accompanied by moderated workshops and small discussion groups. In particular, the presentation by Professor Achim Tresch and his colleague Nils Reiche on the topic of “Single Cell Omics” enriched the IRTG Days, as it provided insight into a research methodology that is expected to be used in many SFB 1607 research projects in the future.

With this second meeting, the graduate school continues its successful series of annual meetings, which give young scientists the opportunity to exchange experiences, establish connections, and develop their content and methodology. We congratulate Johanna Mann on her election as spokesperson for the doctoral students of SFB 1607 and thank Marion Fros for her commitment as spokesperson last year. Work is already underway on the major project of organizing a summer school in Cologne in September 2026.