GAUSS Career Blog

Career Information and Announcements

2025/05/05
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (6 June 2025, 11:30-13:00, online) with Dr. Florian Habenstein (Lead Data Scientist, Merck): “From Molecules to Machine Learning: My Journey Through Science and Data”

We’re happy to announce our next virtual GAUSS Career Impulse Session, this time with Dr. Florian Habenstein, Lead Data Scientist at Merck Life Science. Join us for an insightful session with Florian, where he will explore his journey from a PhD student to becoming a digital transformation expert and data scientist.

  • Date: Friday, 6 June 2025
  • Time: 11:30-13:00 (appr.)
  • Location: online via zoom
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you would like to attend.

About the speaker: Florian is a Data Scientist who earned his PhD in 2020 at the University of Göttingen. Based at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (now MPI for Multidisciplinary Sciences), he conducted research in protein engineering and live-cell super-resolution microscopy as part of the GGNB Biomolecules program. Following his PhD, he joined Merck Life Science as a Digital Transformation Expert and Data Scientist. Since 2023, Florian has held the position of Lead Data Scientist, driving data science and digital transformation initiatives while advising organizations and management on strategic digital topics.

About the sessions: Our Career Impulse Sessions offer a platform for interactive and informal exchange about career-related topics for PhD students and postdocs in the Life and Natural Sciences. By inviting PhD holders with different career paths, we would like to illustrate the broad range of potential careers for PhD students and postdocs and give inspiration for career choices.

2025/05/04
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (11 July 2025, 11:30-13:00, in-person) with Dr. Merit Wildung (Group leader at altona Diagnostics GmbH): “From Basic Research to Product Development: Thriving in a Role with Diverse Tasks in Regulated Industry”

We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Session, this time with Dr. Merit Wildung, Group leader at altona Diagnostics GmbH. Join us for an insightful session with Merit, where she will will share her career journey from academia to a leadership role in industry.

  • Date: Friday, 11 July 2025
  • Time: 11:30-13:00 (appr.)
  • Location: in-person
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you would like to attend.

About the speaker:

Merit studied Molecular Medicine (M.Sc) at the University of Göttingen. In 2014, she started her doctoral thesis within the „Molecular Medicine“ study program at the University of Göttingen focusing on multiciliogenesis. After completing her Ph.D, she joined the R&D department at altona Diagnostics GmbH in Hamburg as a scientist. Five year later, including a maternity leave, Merit was promoted to Group Leader R&D Assays at altona Diagnostics last year.

In her presentation, Merit will provide insights into her current role as a group leader, where she oversees a small team of scientists and technicians. Her responsibilities also include close collaboration with various departments – such as Marketing and Regulatory Affairs – as well as preparation of regulatory-compliant documentation required for registering PCR-based in vitro diagnostics tests.

About the sessions:

Our Career Impulse Sessions offer a platform for interactive and informal exchange about career-related topics for PhD students and postdocs in the Life and Natural Sciences. By inviting PhD holders with different career paths, we would like to illustrate the broad range of potential careers for PhD students and postdocs and give inspiration for career choices.

2025/04/28
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop “Job Hunting and Application Skills”, 25-26 August 2025

We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service workshop “Job Hunting and Application Skills” by Gaby Schilling.

Target group: Postdoctoral scientists and late-stage PhD students who are currently applying or planning to apply for a position in industry or other areas outside academia.

Goal: Becoming familiar with all steps involved in the application process.

Dates: Monday and Tuesday, 25-26 August 2025
Duration: 1.5 days: Monday, 13-18h; Tuesday, 9-17h
Location: in-person on North campus
Trainer: Dr. Gaby Schilling

Registration: Please register here and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

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2025/04/27
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop: “Project Management for Postdocs” (30 Sept – 1 Oct 2025)

We are happy to announce our upcoming GAUSS Career Service workshop “Project Management for Postdocs” by Dr. Peter Schröder.

This workshop is intended for Postdocs and Junior PIs in the Natural and Life Sciences.

  • Dates: Tuesday and Wednesday, 30 Sept – 1 Oct 2025
  • Duration: 1.5 days, Thursday: 10-17h, Friday: 10-14h
  • Location: online
  • Trainer: Dr. Peter Schröder

Registration: Please register here (in case you are not registered yet) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop contents:

This workshop intends to facilitate synergistic effects and implement basic project management culture to increase the efficient use of resources and improve teamwork. The trainer will pick up existing problems and work on solutions together with the participants in a mixture of „ex-cathedra“ teaching, jointed and group phases.

Topics:

  • Planning scientific projects
  • Monitoring and controlling scientific projects
  • Managing scientific objectives
  • Managing my team
  • Planning daily work
  • Strategic planning
  • Structuring work and workplace
  • Risk & output management
  • Communication in scientific projects
  • Time & Ressourcemanagement tools

Testimonials by former participants:

“Peter is a great teacher! His workshop covered the basics of how to plan any project effectively. I’ve learned important lessons on how to respond to unforeseen challenges and how to produce a concrete, adaptable plan. Highly recommend this course to anyone”

“It is a great workshop to join if you want to learn about project management and apply it to everyday research life in just two days. The lecturer gives wonderful explanation what every step of the project management is used for and uses vivid examples to show how to do them. I am surprised how much I learnt within this short time to make a positive change in my plans.”

2025/04/27
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (17 October 2025, 11:30-13:00, in-person) with Dr Saskia Gressel (Patent Attorney at HOFFMANN EITLE (Biotech)): “From pipettes to patents: how I became a Patent Attorney in a European Intellectual Property boutique firm”

We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Session, this time with alumna Dr Saskia Gressel, German and European Patent Attorney at HOFFMANN EITLE (Biotec), Munich, and Representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

  • Date: Friday, 17 October 2025
  • Time: 11:30-13:00 (appr.)
  • Location: in person
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you would like to attend.

About the speaker:

What does a patent attorney do, and what makes this career path so unique? With appr. 14,400 European Patent Attorneys and 4,200 German Patent Attorneys, our work plays a critical role in bridging the gap between cutting-edge innovation and legal protection. In this talk, I will share insights into the daily life of a patent attorney in private practice, particularly in the field of biotechnology.

I will take you through my own career journey – from studying Chemistry and Biochemistry at LMU Munich to research projects with Prof. Jennifer Doudna at UC Berkeley, completing my PhD at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen with Prof. Patrick Cramer, and transitioning into intellectual property (IP) law. I will discuss what it’s like to work in an IP boutique firm, the challenges and rewards of handling biotech IP cases, and how my scientific background informs my legal practice.

If you’re curious about careers at the intersection of science, law, and innovation, this talk is for you!

About the sessions:

Our Career Impulse Sessions offer a platform for interactive and informal exchange about career-related topics for PhD students and postdocs in the Life and Natural Sciences. By inviting PhD holders with different career paths, we would like to illustrate the broad range of potential careers for PhD students and postdocs and give inspiration for career choices.

2025/04/26
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop “Conflict Management”, 4 Nov 2025

We are happy to announce our upcoming workshop “Conflict Management” by Dr. Neela Enke.

Dates: Tuesday, 4 November 2025
Duration: 1 day (9:00-17:00h)
Location: in-person in North campus
Trainer: Dr. Neela Enke

Registration: Please register here and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop Description:

The ability to deal with conflicts is a key component of professional conduct and an important factor for personal and professional success. The workshop enables the participants to experience conflict as agent of innovation, professional and personal development. Conflicts are often perceived as painful, disruptive and stressful. Only rarely the potential for innovation and change is realized and appreciated. This seminar examines conflicts in regard to their chances and challenges to introduce a constructive concept of conflict as social normality. The participant’s conflict solution competences are strengthened and activated to deal with difficult situations. Professional communication as tool for conflict solution is explained and practiced.

Testimonials by former participants:

“Reflecting common mechanisms of conflicts greatly improves understanding of underlying psychology. Neela did a great job in this vivid workshop highlighting these mechanisms both theoretically and interactively!”

“The workshop teaches conflict management skills from a theoretical and practical perspective. The group exercises contribute to making the workshop interactive and entertaining. The trainer is competent, approachable and responsive to the participant’s question. I recommend this workshop to anyone who is interested in conflict management.”

2025/04/25
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop “How to Apply for a Professorship in Germany”, 12-13 November 2025

We are happy to announce our new GAUSS Career Service workshop “How to apply for a professorship in Germany” by Franziska Jantzen.

  • Dates: Wednesday, 12 November 2025, 9:00-16:30h and Thursday, 13 November 2025, 9:00-12:30h
  • Location: in-person on North campus
  • Target Group: Postdocs aiming to pusue an academic career
  • Trainer: Franziska Jantzen
  • Registration: Please register here (in case you are not yet registered) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description

This workshop is designed to answer to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the appointment process for professorships in Germany. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the entire process, from application to negotiation. Key topics include optimizing application documents,preparing effectively for interviews and academic presentations and understanding unwritten rules and micropolitical dynamics often at play in the process. Participants will focus intensively on preparing you for the appointment committee interview and will develop communication and argumentation strategies to handle challenging questions with confidence. These strategies will be practiced in small groups with the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from peers.