Graduate Students’ Day 2010

On October 26th Helmholtz Zentrum München celebrated Graduate Students’ Day for the third time. Prof. Dr. Günther Wess, CEO, and Dr. Christian Langebartels, head of the Department of Program Planning and Management (PPM), invited all PhD students at the Center to a festive program in the auditorium to celebrate the launch of HELENA, the Helmholtz Graduate School Environmental Health, to elect the graduate student representatives and – in line with tradition – to present the annual Graduate Student Awards.

Dr. Christian Langebartels opened the “launch ceremony” of HELENA with a welcome speech to the graduate students, the representatives of the two Munich partner universities, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wenzel, Technische Universität München, and Dr. Isolde von Bülow, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, as well as Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Mewes, spokesperson of HELENA and Prof. Dr. Oliver Eickelberg, spokesperson of the Helmholtz Research School “Lung Biology and Disease”.

Looking back at the past year, Dr. Langebartels said that the approximately 450 PhD students from over 30 countries had made a major contribution to the success of the Center, both with regard to the number of publications and with regard to their impact. He congratulated the successful junior researchers and promised them that with HELENA, they would have even more intensive support in their career development and excellent national and international cooperation opportunities during their PhD studies.

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wenzel, former dean of the Center of Life and Food Sciences Weihenstephan of Technische Universität München, encouraged the young scientists to take their future in their own hands: Own ideas and self-management are indispensible qualities for a successful researcher. The intensive support and guidance provided by HELENA would help students maintain their focus on what is feasible.

Dr. Isolde von Bülow, director of the Graduate Center of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, praised the opportunity to look past the boundaries of one’s own research and to become acquainted with the seven other thematic fields of Environmental Health offered in HELENA. She called on the graduate students to take advantage of the intensive support and guidance they receive through HELENA, but not to give up responsibility for their own research. She encouraged them to carry out their docotral studies with enthusiasm and commitment – not forgetting to have fun along the way.

Prof. Dr. Oliver Eickelberg, spokesperson of the Helmholtz Research School “Lung Biology and Disease” pointed out that HELENA not only provides broad scientific expertise, but also comprehensive training in the so-called “soft skills” – communication, leadership and management. In his opinion, it is indispensable for a successful scientist to be well trained in both areas – and HELENA provides excellent conditions for this. Moreover, Professor Eickelberg reminded them not to forget to celebrate: Each little success is an important contribution to science.

In conclusion, Dr. Monika Beer, head of the Graduate Students’ Office in the Department of Program Planning and Management (PPM) presented the concept of the graduate school and the new credit point system. Furthermore, she drew attention to the new HELENA website, which went online in conjunction with the opening of the graduate school: www.helmholtz-helena.de.

This year’s Career Lecture was held by Prof. Dr. Rolf Issels. Under the self-chosen title “Per aspera ad astra” (Issels: “freely translated, this means no risk – no fun”) the physician and biochemist outlined the path of his therapy concept from basic research to clinical breakthrough.

In 1982, as research fellow at Harvard University, Issels began studying the effect of heat on tumor cells. In 2007 he was able to present the results of the world’s first randomized phase III study, which confirmed the effectiveness of regional hypothermia in combination with chemotherapy, a method he and his group developed.

“A broad education, an excellent scientific environment and contact with the leading scientists in their respective fields are important requirements for working successfully,” Professor Issels explained to the audience of students and graduates. However, the decisive factor for him personally was the “instrument” Clinical Cooperation Group with which Helmholtz Zentrum München set new standards –not only for German research. In 1999 Issels became head of the clinical cooperation group “Hyperthermia in Tumor Therapy”, which was founded jointly with the Medical Clinic III of the University Hospital Medical Center Grosshadern, and in 2008 he established the start-up company MedTherm GmbH.