Organization
Two spokespersons, Dr. Mine Altinli (BNITM) and Dr. Peter Amer Arrabiyeh (IVW) and two working group coordinators per working group have been elected to represent the Leibniz PostDoc Network.
For the period of 2023-2024, there are seven working groups that focus on current topical issues within the network. They suggest and implement next steps concerning the following topics:
- Survey
- Communication
- Infrastructure
- Work & health
- Career development
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Sustainability
The core topics covered in the working groups may change over time, new topical focuses can be suggested at every annual meeting and will be voted on. Working groups are open to all postdocs in the Leibniz Association. If you want to join a working group, please do so by contacting the spokespersons and the working group coordinators.
Spokespersons
Dr. Mine Altinli
Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
Mine is a researcher working on virus interactions in mosquitoes at the Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM). Her research focuses on understanding how microorganisms interact with each other in mosquitoes and how we can harness these interactions to control mosquito-borne virus transmission. She joined the Leibniz Postdoc Network to use her experience of being an international researcher throughout her academic life to help support researchers from less privileged backgrounds and advocate for better working conditions for all postdocs.
Dr. Peter Amer Arrabiyeh
Leinbiz-Institute for Composite Materials (IVW)
Meet Peter, an innovative process engineer driving advancements in wet fiber placement at Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe (IVW) since 2020. As a key member of the Interdisciplinary research group TopComposite, he’s reshaping composite material manufacturing. Born and raised in Nazareth, Israel, Peter’s Palestinian-German heritage includes dual citizenship. He earned his Master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Kaiserslautern in 2013, transitioning to industry briefly until December 2014. Returning to academia, he pursued micro-grinding research at the University of Kaiserslautern until earning his Ph.D. in 2021. Now, he eagerly embraces new challenges in the Leibniz Postdoc Network, committed to giving his best.
Alumni:
Dr. Gitta Heinz (DRFZ), Dr. Lydia Repke (GESIS), Dr. Steve Doo (ZMT), Dr. Sami Ullah (DSMZ), Dr. Rajini Nagrani (BIPS), Dr. Marta-Ferreira-Gomes (DRFZ)
Financial officer
Dr. Malgorzata Kogut-Günthel
Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB@TUM)
As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology (TU Munich, Germany), Małgorzata has spearheaded projects focusing on the molecular modelling of taste and odorant receptors. Her expertise encompasses advanced computational methodologies, including virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and Machine Learning for robust data analysis. During her PhD tenure at the University of Gdansk (Poland), she extensively explored intricate protein-ligand and sugar-ion interactions, leveraging advanced computational tools. Her research fellowship at the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science (Gdansk, Poland) concentrated on pioneering approaches to ovarian carcinoma treatment, integrating computational techniques for peptide design, organic chemistry compound synthesis, and thorough characterisation through ELISA and SPR measurements. Małgorzata’s earlier ventures involved investigating the impact of nanomaterials on the HL-60 cell line and peripheral blood neutrophils as models of induced inflammation at Heriot-Watt University (UK). Furthermore, she gained valuable experience through analytical chemistry internships at the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (Germany). Beyond academia, she indulges in winter sports, travelling, dog training, and exploring diverse international cuisines.
Alumni:
Marta Ferreira-Gomes (DRFZ), Lydia Repke (GESIS)
Working Groups
WG 1 – Survey
The goal of WG 1 is to collect and provide data on Leibniz PostDocs to get an idea about who Leibniz PostDocs are and how they are doing at their Leibniz Institutes. We regularly administer surveys, analyze and publish the results, as well as present the results in the Leibniz Postdoc Network, at meetings, or conferences. In summer 2020, we administered the First Leibniz PostDoc Survey to examine employment histories, future career plans and training needs, as well as challenges concerning work-life balance or relationships with superiors. Some of the questions were specifically related to the situation of Leibniz PostDocs with an international background. The results of this survey are available on our website (see Resources).
In winter 2022/23, we run the Second Leibniz PostDoc Survey that aims at providing an update on many aspects asked in the first survey. Additionally, we included new topics in the survey, targeting aspects like working remotely or mental health. With all these questions, we hope to provide evidence on topics that currently matter for Leibniz PostDocs.
WG Coordinators
Dr. Harry Williams
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
Harry is currently a postdoctoral researcher working at the Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) in Hamburg, Germany. At the BNITM, his research is focussed on determining how neglected tropical diseases, in particular bunyaviruses, replicate in the human body using a combination of structural-biology techniques. Before this, he completed his PhD at Keele University (UK) working on a project that focussed on exploring how proteins of the innate immune response recognise and bind to their natural targets on the surface of pathogens.
Dr. Regina Becker
Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi)
Regina is a postdoctoral researcher in the project “Educational Trajectories of Refugee Children and Adolescents” at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories in Bamberg. She studied sociology at the LMU Munich and received her doctoral degree at the University Bremen. Her research interests include educational and labour market integration of different types of migrants. She is involved in the Leibniz Postdoc Network to hopefully contribute to improving the working conditions and career prospects for postdoctoral researchers across all institutes.
Group members:
Dr. Lena Roemer | Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (GESIS)
Dr. Thomas Lösch | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education (DIPF)
Dr. Mine Altinli | Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
Alumni:
Dr. Daniela Fiedler (IPN), Dr. Gundula Zoch (LIfBi), Dr. Johannes Breuer (GESIS), Dr. Verónica Díez Díaz (MfN), Dr. Tamara Heck (DIPF), Dr. Gitta Heinz (DRFZ), Dr. Lydia Repke (GESIS) and Dr. Sabrina Hempel (ATB)
WG 2 – Communication
The working group Public Communication and Advocacy develops and communicates a shared denominator for the heterogeneous interest group of postdocs. Our intention is to raise the profile of postdocs at the Leibniz Association (and beyond) inside and outside of academia.
WG Coordinators
Dr. Gregor Kalinkat
Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Gregor is an animal ecologist at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin. He currently works in a project that aims to develop and test street lightings that reduce negative effects on insects funded via BfN (German Federal Agency for the Protection of the Environment).
Dr. Christian Nehls
Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center (FZB)
Christian belongs to the division of Biophysics at the Research Center Borstel. Since his physics studies, he has been particularly fascinated by interdisciplinary collaboration on questions with medical relevance. One of his major research interests has been membrane-associated mechanisms of bacterial pathogenicity factors and host defense molecules. As a postdoctoral researcher in a current project of the Leibniz Cooperative Excellence, he is investigating the physical basis of bacterial propagation strategies (A risk index for health effects of mineral dust and associated microbes). Christian engages in the Leibniz PostDoc Network to strengthen the scientific mid-level staff, identify blind spots in the system, and address them through communication.
Group members:
Dr. Mine Altinli | Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
WG 3 – Infrastructure
The general aim of this working group is to conceptualise, set up and maintain the communication infrastructure of the Leibniz PostDoc-Network and to expand the reach of the network. We maintain the website, advertise the communication channels like the listserv, and reach out to the PostDoc representatives at the individual institutes. As Felix describes it, this is the “machine room” of the network. Our goal is to reach every PostDoc within the Leibniz society, so that they can experience the benefit of the network.
WG Coordinators
Dr. Maya Giridhar
Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB@TUM)
Maya moved to Germany in 2014 to pursue her Master’s at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern. Further, she completed her Ph.D. in Plant Cell Biology from the University of Bonn in 2021. Since then she has been working as a Postdoctoral researcher at LSB@TUM. Her current research is to use spatial transcriptomics to profile the morphological and transcriptional data in crops using high resolution microarrays. As a member of the Leibniz Postdoc Network, she is thrilled to be a part of the “Machine room” and expand the network.
Dr. Tongta Sae-Ong
Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI)
Tongta currently works as a PostDoc in the Microbiome Dynamics department at Leibniz-HKI. Their main focus is applying bioinformatics knowledge to study the diversities in microbiomes in different human metabolic diseases as well as different environments.
Group members:
Dr. Felix Victor, Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI)
Dr. Johanna Callhoff | German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ)
Dr. Peter Amer Arrabiyeh | Leinbiz-Institute for Composite Materials (IVW)
WG 4 – Work & health
The Working Conditions and Mental Health working group has two main aims: First, we want to address and advocate for key issues postdoctoral researchers face when working at Leibniz Institutes, such as mental health and wellbeing issues, contract issues (i.e., WissZeitVG, Einstufung), and working issues that are particularly exacerbated by the pandemic (i.e., care obligations, contract extensions, social isolation). Based on our international experience, we aim to develop new resources for postdoctoral researchers that help them settling in in Germany. This includes developing a welcome package for Leibniz PostDocs and providing an overview of important official documents that international postdocs need (English versions), resources for networking during the pandemic, and beyond.
WG Coordinators
Dr. Katarzyna Hnida-Gut
Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics (IHP)
Katarzyna received her PhD degree in chemistry from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland in 2014. After PhD she worked as an Assistant Professor at AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow where she was working on the synthesis of functional nanomaterials by electrochemical methods, their characteristics, and application in nano/microstructural chemical sensors, nanomotors, or nanoelectronic devices. As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, she joined IBM Research – Europe, Zurich, Switzerland in 2020. Katarzyna’s research and outreach activities focused on adopting alternative synthesis paths for III-V semiconductor integration on silicon, nanoscale fabrication technologies, and device characterization. During her fellowship, she was looking into the application of electrodeposited InSb-based nanodevices. During this time, Katarzyna was also involved in technology development for RTD and FET integration for pulse generator devices and explored the possibilities of implementing electrodeposited nanowires for close-loop regulation of cellular electrical activity. In 2022 she joined Leibniz-Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany where she continues her work on III-V materials growth and integration for photonic and optoelectronic integrated circuits. Katarzyna solely believes that when people with different backgrounds work together amazing things can be achieved.
Dr. Judith Boldt
German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH (DSMZ)
Judith initially studied bioinformatics and received her bachelor’s degree from the TU München and LMU. She then moved to Paris to combine lab experiments and computational analyses during her master studies ‘Interdisciplinary Approaches to Life Science’ at Université Paris Descartes. During her PhD work at College de France in Paris and UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas she focused on coevolution of genes, as well as protein thermal stability. For her postdoc, Judith is back in Germany, working at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ in Braunschweig. Her projects revolve around natural products from bacteria and brought her back to her roots in bioinformatics.
Group members:
Dr. Jacqueline Kroh | Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi)
Dr. Axel Schulz | German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ)
Dr. Praveen Kumar |Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB@TUM)
Dr. Malgorzata Kogut-Günthel |Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB@TUM)
Dr. Jacqueline Malchow | German Maritime Museum (DSM)
Dr. Daniel Felipe Saldivia Gonzatti | Berlin Social Science Center (WZB)
Dr. Peter Amer Arrabiyeh | Leinbiz-Institute for Composite Materials (IVW)
Alumni:
Dr. Marlene Mauk (GESIS), Dr. Nathalie Topaj (ZAS), Dr. Gillian Dornan (FMP) and Dr. Mine Altlini (BNITM), Dr. Andreas Weich (GEI)
WG 5 – Career Development
The Career Development working group has one main goal: To offer support for the development of essential skills for postdocs. This includes training opportunities on, for example, grant writing, project management, or communication. Hereby, we want to make use of the size and heterogeneity of the Leibniz Association and establish collaborations to make these courses available to a broader audience.
WG Coordinators
Dr. Rajini Nagrani
Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research & Epidemiology – BIPS (BIPS)
Rajini completed her PhD in epidemiology in October 2014 from Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, India and thereafter earned a position as Scientific Officer at the same institute. She later worked as Postdoctoral researcher at Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria and since October 2018 is working at Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research & Epidemiology-BIPS, Bremen. Her research interests are non-communicable disease epidemiology, molecular epidemiology and global health. With the Leibniz Postdoc network she would like connect with her peers, provide information on initial administrative procedures and career development.
Dr. Marta Ferreira Gomes
German Rheumatism Research Center Berlin (DRFZ)
Marta is a Portuguese immunologist working in Germany since 2014. She got her Bachelor’s in Biochemistry and Masters in Medical Biochemistry at the University of Lisbon in Portugal. After that, she moved to Germany, where she started her PhD at the Department of Cell Biology of the University of Jena, investigating the interplay between B cells and the fungus Candida albicans. Since 2019 Marta has been working as a postdoctoral researcher at the DRFZ Berlin, trying to uncover more about how the body long-term stores its immune memory. Active in the Leibniz PostDoc Network as Financial Officer in 2021 and as Spokesperson in 2022 and 2023, she is now thrilled to embrace this new challenge of co-coordinating the Career Development group. Marta strongly believes that Postdocs deserve better support now, so that they can better choose their tomorrow.
Group members:
Dr. Tanja Tu | Institute for German Language (IDS)
Dr. Yvette Meissner | German Rheumatism Research Center Berlin (DRFZ)
Dr. Sabrina Hempel | Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)
Dr. Agata Olszewska-Widdrat | Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)
Dr. Justine Tanoey | Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research & Epidemiology – BIPS (BIPS)
Dr. Peter Amer Arrabiyeh | Leinbiz-Institute for Composite Materials (IVW)
Alumni:
Dr. Sina Fackler (LIfBi) and Dr. Christina Stehle (DRFZ)
WG 6 – Diversity and Inclusion
This working group is dedicated to issues of diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality with regard to the functioning of the Leibniz PostDoc Network and the Leibniz-wide workplace. On the one hand, we want to increase the awareness, acceptance, and importance of the differences between individuals within the Leibniz Association. On the other hand, we want to encourage an atmosphere that enhances mutual respect, active participation, and diverse contributions among Leibniz employees. We plan to implement concrete and sustainable practices of inclusion that will address intersectional inequalities.
WG Coordinators
Dr. Sravanthi Nadiminti
Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP)
Sravanthi obtained her PhD from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, India. She started as a Postdoctoral Research at the FMP in Berlin since January 2023. Her research interests are protein trafficking and organelle biogenesis/maturation in neurons. With the Leibniz PostDoc network, she would like to connect with her peers and work with them to help make Leibniz institutes more diverse and inclusive.
Dr. Marion Henkel
Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP)
Marion is a postdoctoral researcher in the area of laser induced plasmas in deep-sea conditions at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology in Greifswald. She studied physics at the university in Rostock and received her doctoral degree at the Heinrich-Heine university in Düsseldorf. She is involved in the Leibniz PostDoc Network to increase the awareness of the challenges posed by disabilities and promote inclusion through information.
Group members:
Dr. Mine Altinli | Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
Alumni:
Dr. Rebea Kleymann (IGB) and Dr. Kingsly Chuo Beng (IGB)
WG 7 – Sustainability
The sustainability working group is a joint group with the Leibniz PhD Network, being coordinated by Kristine Oevel from the PhD Network.
For more information https://leibniz-phd.net/wg-sustainability/
Alumni:
Elif Köksoy (DSMZ)