Life of P.I. is a series of talks conceived, organized, and designed for master’s and bachelor’s students majoring in biosciences. 

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The idea for this event first took root in June of 2023 after attending Angela Nieto's Bertalanffy lecture. In her talk, she detailed her scientific and personal development throughout her research career. We wondered whether we could organize a similar setting to get to know our own lecturers from the developmental and stem cell (DSCB) major better. In a span of a few weeks, we shortlisted and booked speakers, and the first event was held exactly three months after the Bertalanffy lecture which started it all. 

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The talks were originally devised for DSCB students, but as the first season of talks progressed, we soon realized that the format led to spirited, interactive, and insightful discussions extending to topics pertinent to anyone considering an academic career in scientific research: the replication crisis, balancing a family life, the current state of publishing research, dealing with imposter syndrome, advice on preparing for the PhD, and much more. Furthermore, the events were met with very positive feedback from students and lecturers alike, and helped provide important perspectives on just how variable the path to becoming a PI can be. After the pilot run, we decided to devise a second instalment for fall of 2024 and expand it to all research areas in the faculty of life sciences. In tandem, the target audience included master’s students from all majors of the Molecular Biosciences program and bachelor’s students in biosciences. Now, season 3 is on the horizon which will feature another diverse set of speakers. The lineup has speakers from institutes in Heidelberg and abroad, at different career stages, and working across various fields, ranging from infectious disease, immunology, and cancer to embryonic development, stem cells, and structural biology. To broaden the scope beyond academia, this season also includes voices from industry and publishing for the first time.

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We look forward to welcoming you to another engaging and lively season of Life of P.I.!​

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Where is it happening? 

​All events will take place in room 00.005 at COS (INF 230).    

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When is it happening?
To avoid scheduling conflicts with ongoing lab rotations, courses or lectures, we tried to be mindful when booking time slots. Therefore, all events will take place from 17:00 to 18:00/19:00. 

 

What if I can't join in person?
If you cannot attend an event in-person, feel free to join online as we will be streaming the talks on Discord here

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