GAUSS Career Blog

Career Information and Announcements

2024/12/01
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (20 Feb 2026, 11:30-13:00, online) with Dr. Marcel Forster (Project Manager at Syserso Networks GmbH): “From biochemistry to telecommunications – my journey into project management”

We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Session, this time with Dr. Marcel Forster, Project Manager at Syserso Networks GmbH in Hanover.

  • Date: Friday, 20 Feb 2026
  • Time: 11:30-13:00 (appr.)
  • Location: online
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you would like to attend.

About the speaker:

Marcel completed his PhD in biophysical chemistry at MPI-NAT on the topic of solid-state NMR spectroscopy of membrane proteins in 2021. After joining a contract research organization (clinical research) for a while, he now works for Syserso Networks GmbH as a project lead where he is responsible for the implementation of telecommunications projects. In his talk, Marcel will give insights on his transition from academia to industry, talk about his daily tasks and share his view on the role of a project manager and personal career choices.

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.

2024/12/01
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (17 April 2026, 11:30-13:00, in-person) with Dr Lukas Schulte (Team Lead Applied Analytics & AI, Boehringer Ingelheim): “Leveraging AI to identify new therapeutic concepts to benefit patients: My Big Pharma journey and what I learned about working in Industry”

We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Session, this time with alumnus Dr Lukas Schulte, Team Lead Applied Analytics & AI in the Computational Innovation Unit at Boehringer Ingelheim, Biberach.

In his talk, Lukas will provide insights into the academia-to-industry transition and what it takes to succeed there, his learnings in the 7 years since his PhD, his current and past roles, how Big Pharma R&D operates and the ambition of Computational Innovation at Boehringer Ingelheim.

  • Date: Friday, 17 April 2026
  • 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:

From 2014-2018, Lukas pursued his PhD at the Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in the department of Prof. Dr. Holger Stark and in the GGNB Program “Biomolecules”. In his PhD work, he developed algorithms and software for Cryo-EM data analysis utilizing Machine Learning.

After graduating, Lukas joined ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions, Oberkochen, in November 2018 as a Research Scientist, where he leveraged AI/ML in Computer Vision for defect detection in automotive OEM production lines. He was promoted to Senior Scientist in early 2022, and later that year, decided to move to Boehringer Ingelheim in Biberach as Senior Scientist Machine Learning in the Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences department.

Here, he worked on diverse projects, including virtual screening of Antibodies, ML-based steering of granulation machines and data-based identification of diseases to be added to the Boehringer Ingelheim portfolio. He was promoted to Principal Scientist Machine Learning in 2023, and after the inauguration of the new corporate function Computational Innovation, he took over the role of Team Lead Applied Analytics & AI, where together with this team and colleagues all over the organization, he develops methods to identify better targets and better biomarkers to ultimately create a benefit  for patients worldwide.

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.

2024/11/03
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop “How to find your postdoctoral position”, 5-6 Feb 2026

We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service workshop “How to find your postdoctoral position” by Dr Dagmar Sigurdardottir.

This workshop is intended for early postdocs and late-stage PhD students who are looking for their first or next postdoctoral position.

  • Dates: Thursday, 5 Feb 2026, 9:00-17:30h and Friday, 6 Feb 2026, 9:00-16:30h
  • Duration: two full days
  • Location: in-person on North Campus
  • Trainer: Dr Dagmar Sigurdardottir
  • Workshop Category: Knowing and Marketing Yourself

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 description

Post-doctoral positions are usually not that hard to get but finding the right one that can firmly establish a professional career is really challenging. At the same time, scientists towards the end of their PhD don’t have a lot of time to spend on the search for the right post-doctoral position. Therefore, this workshop provides a compact overview of relevant aspects and the opportunity to explore one’s own preferences. Specifically, participants learn to define their own criteria for a successful post-doctoral position, develop their targeted search and application strategy, assess the relative benefit of post-doctoral grants and prepare to harness the full potential of their post-doc interview.

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2024/11/02
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (30 January 2026, 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, 30 January 2026
  • 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.

2024/11/01
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop “How to get into the non-academic job market”, 27-28 January 2026

We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service workshop “How to get into the non-academic job market” by Dr Philippa Cook.

For postdoctoral researchers with an international background, it can be a real challenge to get into Germany’s non-academic job market following an academic position. The entry routes into jobs are not always transparent, candidates are often not well-informed about what to expect in the application process and not everyone can offer German language skills. Where and how you can look for a job outside classic academia depends on your qualifications and skills set, on your individual life situation as well as on knowing about possible entry paths and strategies, the (unwritten) rules of the game and other parameters. This workshop offers assistance with this – tailored specifically for the needs of international scholars – and will encourage participants not just to prepare for this transition in a focused way but to create an action plan which they can start to implement.

Dates: Tuesday and Wednesday, 27-28 January 2026, 9-16h
Duration: 2 full days, 9-16h
Location: in person on North campus
Trainer: Dr Philippa Cook

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:

Continue Reading →

2024/10/30
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 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.

2024/10/29
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (7 Nov 2025, 11:30-13:00, in-person) with Dr. Christina Kerntke (Compliance Manager at BioNTech): “From B Cells to BioNTech: My Journey into the GxP-Regulated World”

We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Session, this time with Dr. Christina Kerntke, Quality Compliance Manager at BioNTech SE. Join us for an insightful session with Christina, where she will share her career journey from academia to a leadership role in industry.

  • Date: Friday, 7 Nov 2025
  • Time: 11:30-13:00 (appr.)
  • Location: in-person on North campus
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you would like to attend.

About the speaker:

From 2017 to 2021, I pursued my PhD within the PhD Study program “Molecular Medicine” at the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Immunology in the group of Prof. Wienands, focusing on B-cell interactions and their receptor landscape. During this periode I experienced the typical highs and lows of doctoral life, along with the more unusual challenges of a global pandemic. After completing my PhD, I decided to take the leap into the pharmaceutical industry. With only little prior GxP knowledge, I started as a scientist in Quality Control (QC) at BioNTech IMFS GmbH in Idar-Oberstein, a BioNTech subsidiary and manufacturing site, where I encountered many formative “firsts” in my professional career.

After more than 3.5 years, my path led me to BioNTech’s headquarters in Mainz, where I now work as a Compliance Manager. In my talk, I will share insights into my journey through the GxP-regulated universe, what my daily work and responsibilities look like, and the many challenges, compromises, and successes I have experienced so far. I will also reflect on my transition from academia to industry and the lessons I learned along the way.

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.