“They say ‘Once an EMBO Fellow, always an EMBO Fellow’, and this year’s EMBO Fellows’ Meeting truly brought that to life,” says Urbi Mukhopadhyay, EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow at EMBL Grenoble, France, about the recent meeting. “It was an incredible experience full of exciting science, ranging from plant biology to neuroimmunology, meaningful conversations and new collaborations in the making. But above all, it was about the people. I was lucky to meet so many inspiring scientists who share the same passion and curiosity for science—and whom I am now happy to call friends. I am grateful for the community, the connections and the continued journey with EMBO.”
The EMBO Fellows’ Meeting took place from 27 June to 1 July in Heidelberg, Germany. It brought together more than 100 EMBO Postdoctoral Fellows from more than 30 countries, who engaged in an enriching programme. The meeting started with an inspirational keynote lecture by Robert Tampé of the Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. The EMBO Member and member of the Fellowship Committee presented his research on antigen processing and recognition, and offered insights on how the fellows can navigate the next stages of their careers.
The fellows presented their research, and talked about their diverse professional backgrounds and experiences. They received training in transferable skills and mentoring tailored to their career development, learned about the latest research integrity and sustainability initiatives at EMBO, and had the opportunity to discuss their research with EMBO Press editors and meet EMBO staff members.
The EMBO Fellows’ Meeting was also a good time for the participants to reflect on their experience and the impact of the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship on their career. “Receiving the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship has been a milestone in my career,” says Catarina Nunes, EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow at the MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection in London, UK. “It gave me the freedom to pursue my own research and the confidence to trust my ideas and grow as an independent scientist. The recognition that came with the fellowship opened doors and played a key role in helping me take bold steps into new areas of research. It had a lasting impact on both my work and how I see myself in science.”
Maximilian Stammitz is an EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, Spain. As Mukhopadhyay, he values being part of the community of fellows and looks forward to staying connected: “The EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship has allowed me to transition into an exciting new research frontier, the deep mutational scanning of proteins and their small molecule interactome. I feel honoured to be part of a vibrant and ambitious community of European life scientists, and look forward to witness many of them delivering great science.”
The EMBO Fellows’ Meeting is an annual meeting that the postdoctoral researchers typically attend in the final year of their fellowship. More information about EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships is available online.
