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Participants of this year’s Nobel Laureate Meeting at Lake Constance include both young and established scientists from Ulm University. The 68th annual convention is taking place in Lindau’s newly renovated Inselhalle from 24 to 29 June. Roughly 600 distinguished students, doctoral students and postdoc researchers from around the world are coming together to meet with 39 Nobel Laureates from the fields of medicine and physiology.

Dr Julia Zinngrebe, assistant physician in the Paediatrics Department at Ulm University Hospital is among the young scientists who qualified for participation in a multi-level selection process. Professors Hartmut Geiger and Harald Baumeister are also representing Ulm at a scientific exhibition being held on the MS Sonnenkönigin and organized by Baden-Württemberg International. Geiger and Baumeister will be presenting their research addressing the regeneration of stem cells and the use of digital instruments in clinical psychology and psychotherapy.

Intensive exchange between young scientists and Nobel Laureates
Dr Julia Zinngrebe, who is originally from Hanover, conducts research in the Ulm Paediatrics Department in the field of childhood leukaemia. Her field of specialisation is acute lymphatic leukaemia (ALL). Her research focuses on investigating the role that fat cells present in bone marrow play in the development of this disease, and she has already received several distinctions in her short career. Upon finishing her medical degree in Ulm, Zinngrebe spent two years conducting research at University College London. Since 2015, Zinngrebe has been working in the Ulm Paediatrics Department as a research assistant and assisting physician. She received a scholarship for the Else Kröner Research Training Group in Ulm, and this year, she is again able to concentrate completely on her research, thanks to financial support from the Hertha Nathorff Programme. Zinngrebe won a doctoral award from the Ulm University Society for her doctoral thesis.

“In Lindau, I am looking forward to many interesting encounters and an intensive exchange with other young scientists and, of course, with the Nobel Laureates”, says the 31-year-old scientist. This year’s Laureate meeting in medicine will address the themes of “the internal clock”, gene therapy, the roll of science in the post-factual age and the scientific publication process.

Setting off to the Island of Mainau on board the MS Sonnenkönigin
The culmination of the five-day event will be the joint boating excursion to the Island of Mainau on board the MS Sonnenkönigin. Representatives of the federal government will accompany the convention participants and honorary guests on their boat ride. Numerous scientists from around 20 research institutes and universities from around the state of Baden-Württemberg will also be presenting their research on board, including scientists from Ulm University. The floating exhibition was organised by Baden-Württemberg International.

Professor Harald Baumeister is one of the presenting scientists from Ulm. The head of the Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Department is researching the use of digital methods and instruments in diagnosis of and therapy for mental disorders. This includes developing special smartphone apps to diagnose illnesses, internet-based health interventions and the use of digital speaking assistants (chatbots). Stem cell researcher Professor Hartmut Geiger from Ulm will also be on board. The head of the Institute of Molecular Medicine is researching regeneration of these cells that are particularly suitable for division and regeneration. He is especially interested in reversing cellular aging processes. The long-term aim of molecular aging research is to enable humans to remain healthy while growing old.

Following the convention, 20 young scientists from 17 countries will be touring the Baden-Württemberg research landscape. Their journey includes a visit to Ulm University (3 July). Here young scientists will have the opportunity to learn about the main focuses in medical and molecular-biological research as well as the excellent research conditions offered in Ulm.