Interview

„GrK 1172 boosts your research“

Melanie Kremer was holder of a scholarship of the GrK 1172 from 2005 until 2009. After her studies of biology at the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe-university in Frankfurt she dedicated herself to cancer research. In the group of Prof. Dr. Barbara Schnierle at the Paul-Ehrlich-institute (PEI) in Langen she did her doctoral thesis on “Investigation of new experimental therapies of the cutaneous T cell lymphoma“. Later on she started working with the group of Prof. Dr. Gerd Sutter at the PEI, where she examines the protective effect and the underlying mechanism of the modified Vaccina Virus Ankara (MVA) as pox serum of the next generation.

How did GrK 1172 called your attention?
Prof. Dr. Barbara Schnierle told me about GrK 1172.

What tipped the scales for your application for GrK 1172?
The additional training and support within GrK 1172 sounded promising.

What were your expectations to the program?
I wanted to extend my knowledge through offered courses and lectures and to get insights in other research fields. Furthermore I expected well supervision during my work on the doctoral thesis.

Did the program meet your expectations?
The lively exchange with other fellows and the offered courses enabled my to enlarge my horizon. The additional supervision within GrK 1172 pushed my work.

Had GrK workshops and interaction between the scholars been stimulating for you?
The events and interactions with other doctoral candidates supported my own research and showed me additional aspects of science.

Do you think that scientific work profited from the integration of the doctorate in GrK 1172?
I was able to bring in new aspects in my doctoral thesis and therefore to push it through a broad basic knowledge and insights in other areas of research.

Does your participation have any kind of positive influence of your further career planning or even of the job-acceptance?
Through my membership of GrK 1172 I learned how to deal with other research areas and to transfer different aspects. Therefore it was easy for me to familiarize myself with my new research topic and I was able to bring in a lot of those things I had learned during my scholarship.

Whereby does your current work differ from GrK 1172 research?
Now I am dealing with the research on new vaccine for different diseases. Therefore I am still working in an applied research area. For my doctoral thesis I worked in cancer research, but now I am working on a virological and immunological basis.

Which are your advices to interested students?
GrK 1172 offers the opportunity to study further and therefore pushes one’s own studies. Additionally other students support you and you can further make beneficial contacts for your time after GrK 1172.