DZL Academy Symposium - Young Scientists Gather in Berlin

"When regeneration goes berserk: challenges and strategies in lung remodeling" was the theme of the DZL Academy Symposium 2023, which brought together 80 young scientists from November 22nd to 24th in Berlin. In each of the six thematic sessions, invited keynote speakers as well as young scientists presented their innovative research projects.

The symposium began with an impressive lecture by Alexandra Naba from the University of Illinois, USA. She presented her work on the molecular composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and shared her experiences in building two leading resources for ECM data, the Matrisome Project and the Matrisome DB. Subsequently, Janine Gote-Schniering from the University of Bern, Switzerland, provided insights into her research on early lung fibrogenesis using human Precision Cut Lung Slices (PCLS). Werner Seeger, the speaker of the DZL, gave an inspiring talk about the groundbreaking milestones in research on pulmonary hypertension over the past 30 years. Sylvia Cohen-Kaminsk from the University of Paris Sud outlined her journey from patenting her drug candidate against pulmonary hypertension to founding her own start-up company. Danny Jonigk from RWTH Aachen impressed with his findings on pathophysiological changes in lung structure through 3D imaging technology, which is currently providing new insights into lung angiogenesis and fibrosis. Finally, Inti Alberto De La Rosa Velázquez from the Helmholtz Zentrum München provided an overview of genomic techniques and services available to DZL scientists.

Exchange and Encounters: Discussions and Cultural Insights in Berlin

The lively discussions following each lecture and the poster session provided ample opportunities for exchanging information and ideas. A particular highlight was the session with Werner Seeger, who, together with the participants, discussed how young scientists within the DZL could be better supported in their careers. The formal part of the symposium concluded with a presentation by Sabrina Semmler, representing the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), who provided valuable information on funding opportunities for young scientists in Germany.

The location in Berlin offered the unique opportunity to visit the Reichstag. For many international young scientists, this was their first encounter with German politics and its history. "The symposium was a great success as it provided an important forum for collaboration among all five DZL sites. Young scientists were able to engage in an open exchange about the challenges of an academic career," summarized the organizers of the DZL Academy.

The symposium was organized by the DZL Academy Board members Dr. Claudia Staab-Wejnitz (CPC-M), Dr. Annegret Zurawski (BREATH), Dr. Aicha Jeridi (CPC-M), and Dr. Da-Hee Park (BREATH), as well as Melanie Penning (CPC-M), Inga Kwapniewska (BREATH), and Aneliya Vasileva (TLRC).