News
Workshops and Lectures
Lectures
Challenges in Immunosciences is a lecture series organized by the Master's program in MedImmun and is open to our PhD students. It is a great opportunity to get to know the PIs of the Graduate School/Cluster of ImmunoSensation.
You can find the schedule here.1
Please find here2 the information of the summer Research Ethics series. Please feel free to select these ones which are interesting for you.
When? Thursdays 17:15-18:45
Where: lecture hall, teaching building (building 10)
When? March 18, 2025, 10 am-11:30 am
Where? Teaching building, room A010.1.10 (hybrid, online joining is possible, I will ask for it after registration)
Please register in eTraining
Embarking on a PhD is an exciting yet challenging journey. Stress, perfectionism, imposter syndrome and burnout are common struggles - often influencing research progress and well-being without us realizing it.
This 90-minute introductory lecture will provide initial insights and practical reflections to help you foster mental health and productivity throughout your doctoral experience.
What to expect:
✔ A clear overview of the connection between mental health and academic performance
✔ Insights into common challenges such as burnout, perfectionism, and work-life imbalance
✔ An introduction to evidence-based strategies: mindfulness, self-compassion, and cognitive restructuring
✔ Practical tips for building resilience through boundary-setting and time management
This session is designed to spark awareness and provide a foundation for further exploration—helping you cultivate balance, resilience, and clarity during your PhD journey. Join us for inspiration and actionable insights!
Workshops
When? September tba, 2025 9 am- 5 pm
Where? teaching building, Venusberg-Campus 1, roomA010.1.04
Please register in eTraining
Day 1:
Introduction and Welcome
From Images to Numbers
From Numbers to Images
LUNCH BREAK
Multi-Dimensional Data,
Region of Interest and Segmentation
Pre- and Post-processing for a better Segmentation
How Filters work
Day 2:
Measurements: Counting and Locating Dots
Measurements: Lengths
Measurements: Area
Measurements: Volume
LUNCH BREAK
Batch Processing
Measuring Dynamics
Intensity Changes
Position Changes
Manual Tracking
Automated Tracking
Depending on the progress, the topics might be covered at a shifted time.
Please prepare your own laptop/desktop computer, and install the latest version of Fiji in advance.
For further information, please contact MCF: https://btc.uni-bonn.de/mcf/
When? September tba, 2025
Where? online via zoom
Please register in eTraining
1. Introduction to the Microscopy Core Facility
- 2. Principles of Light Microscopy
- Properties of Light
- Optical Elements of Microscopes
- Imaging with Microscopes
- Confocal Microscopy
- Advanced Microscopy Techniques (FRET, FLIM and FCS)
3. Quantitative Image Analysis
The course will be held by Dr. Gabor Horvath
gabor.horvath@uni-bonn.de
https://btc.uni-bonn.de/mcf/
When? Monday September 29, 2025 10 am - 3 pm
Where? online
Please register in eTraining.
This workshop you can add to your GSP part within your Curriculum.
Ever wondered what a data management plan is and why care to write one? Ever been unable to open a file, find the most recent version of a file, or worse, lost an important file? Regardless if small or big and transdisciplinary, all projects can generate enough (digital) research data to become confusing and susceptible to loss.
This workshop provides you with do’s, don‘ts and best practices that help keep your project data safe, secure and well organized until you are ready to share or reuse it. Start your next project or enhance your current one by introducing RDM!
Time: July 16-18, 2025 (including breaks)
Location: Venusberg-Campus
Please register in eTraining
Prerequisite: The course requires basic knowledge of R or participation in the introductory 3-days R course
The 3-days course “RNA-seq Data Analysis with R” covers general aspects like sequencing, alignment, quantification and quality
control and focuses on R/Bioconductor tools (e.g. DESeq2) for normalisation, differential expression and visualisation.
R data structures like the Summarized Experiment-class will be explained.
Time: July 10 - 15, 2025 (including breaks)
Location: Venusberg-Campus Lehrgebäude
Please register in eTraining
The 4-days course „Hands-on Introduction to R“ introduces the R programming language which is
commonly used in bioinformatics data analysis and visualization. The course covers data types and
structures, data manipulation such as subsetting and merging, data import and export and visualizations.
No prior knowledge of R or programming is assumed.
When? May 27, 2025, 9 am - 5 pm
Where? online via zoom
Registration: https://www.umfrageonline.com/c/zgcstagn
The number of participants is limited (first come, first served)
Which project should I do next? What would be the best next move? Where should I focus
my efforts? Should I look for another academic position or leave academia? Is this abstract
I’ve written good enough?
The path of the academic is full of decisions, and they all seem crucial. However, many of the hurdles we face in our decision-making stem from the way we think about the decisions themselves and several documented cognitive biases. In this workshop, we will work on emotional and psychological aspects of decision-making such as worry, procrastination, regret, and decision paralysis. We will also review the most common biases affecting our decision-making process as academics and practice some useful tools and strategies to reduce their impact.
When? March 10th 10 am-12 pm OR April 8th OR May 6th 10 am-12 pm
Where? Lecture building, Venusberg Campus 1 (room tba)
Please register in etraining
This 2-hour short workshop aims to raise awareness on the topic and provide you with useful information to further your understanding and education in this area. We will explore various aspects of GSP through a case study, discussing how these principles apply in real-life situations.
As someone who has completed a trainer course in this field, I am excited to lead this workshop and share my insights with you. This workshop will also be a great opportunity for open discussions, where you can ask questions and clarify any uncertainties.
This workshop can be added to your curriculum. It is especially useful for those of you in the first year of your PhD, though advanced PhD students are, of course, also welcome to join.
Prof. Sonia Garel will talk about her scientific research and her experience with the scientific career ladder. To allow personal interaction we limit the participant number to 15 and we will have contribution both from the invited scientist and the workshop participants in the form of talks and posters.
Research of Prof. Garel:
Her research group on “Brain development and plasticity” researches how functional forebrain circuits, which enable sensory perception, motor responses and cognition, wire up during development.
https://www.ibens.bio.ens.psl.eu/spip.php?rubrique14&lang=en
Career path of Prof. Sonia Garel:
After earning her PhD in Developmental Biology in University Paris 6 (France), Sonia Garel completed a post-doctoral stay at UCSF (San Francisco, USA). Subsequently, she became assistant professor at the IBENS. Since 2008, she is heading the team Brain Development and Plasticity. She is a recipient of the European Young Investigator Award (EURYI), the EMBO Young Investigator Program, the Antoine Lacassagne award and the ERC consolidator program.
If you would like to join the workshop with Prof. Garel, please contact alexandra.kraemer@uni-bonn.de for further information
Time: February 10 - 14, 2025 (including breaks)
Location: Venusberg-Campus Lehrgebäude
Please register in eTraining
The 3-days course „Hands-on Introduction to R“ introduces the R programming language which is
commonly used in bioinformatics data analysis and visualization. The course covers data types and
structures, data manipulation such as subsetting and merging, data import and export and visualizations.
No prior knowledge of R or programming is assumed.
Time: February 17-21, 2025 (including breaks)
Location: Venusberg-Campus
Please register in eTraining
Prerequisite: The course requires basic knowledge of R or participation in the introductory 3-days R course
The 2-days course “RNA-seq Data Analysis with R” covers general aspects like sequencing, alignment, quantification and quality
control and focuses on R/Bioconductor tools (e.g. DESeq2) for normalisation, differential expression and visualisation.
R data structures like the SummarizedExperiment-class will be explained.
Where? online
Please register in eTraining
Description
As a PhD candidate you are the project manager of your own PhD project. The Getting Started-Workshop supplies you with the tools you need in order to plan and execute your PhD project as effectively and efficiently as possible. You discuss and test basic strategies and techniques of a good project- and time-management. This allows you to organize yourself and your workload in better ways. Based on your existing working habits, you will learn more about which type of worker you are and how you can further improve your working situation. Depending on the interests of the participants we also deal with such topics as: How to write efficiently? How to communicate with your supervisor? How to deal with stress and crises? How to stay motivated?
Contents in brief
- Project-Management
- Planning with Milestones
- Agile Strategies and Techniques
- Time Boxing
- Adjusting Plans
- Efficient Time- and Self-Management
- Setting Priorities
- 80/20-Rule
- Pomodoro Technique
- Structuring your Work Day and Week
- Communication with Supervisor
- Efficient Writing
Upcoming Events in 2025
The Cluster Science Days 2025 is a 2-day symposium held at the Biomedical Center (BMZ) in the University Hospital Bonn.
In 2025, the 13th edition of Cluster Science Days takes place in Bonn. The symposium provides the ideal platform to share your research with the ImmunoSensation immunology community in Bonn. We offer insightful talk sessions covering diverse fields of immunology, interactive poster sessions and interesting networking events.
The 2025 International School of Advanced Immunology will take place from September 14 to 19 at the Seehotel in Maria Laach.
This marks the fourth installment of the school, a collaborative event organized by the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation at the University of Bonn and the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) at Osaka University.
The school is held annually alternating between Japan and Germany and offers a unique learning environment for early-career scientists while strengthening the collaboration between the two institutions. In a 4-day intensive course, 50 selected international PhD students and early postdocs have the opportunity to engage with a faculty of 15 world-renowned experts, exchanging ideas, insights, and expertise.
All research projects are welcome for application!
In the framework of lectures, open discussion rounds, think tank workshops and “Meet-the PI” table rounds you have the possibility to enhance your skills on all levels of immunology, learn about the different career paths of the participating PIs and network with your colleagues.
Our Summer School this year will take place in our beautiful hood, the Siebengebirge, with all the advantages of this area.
Further information and the invited speakers can be found in the flyer3.
All requirements for your application (including the application link) can be found in the application form4.
The number of participants is limited (first come, first served).
Application deadline is April 27th, 2025
We are looking forward to your application and a great time in the Siebengebirge!
The DGfI Translational Immunology School (TIS) 2025 is taking place July 3 to 5 in the Kongress Hotel in Potsdam.
The 3-day program will cover a range of topics, including advancements in diagnostics, new research technologies, innovative immune interventions, and emerging immunotherapeutic principles. Participants will also delve into the latest developments in stem cell therapy, gene therapy, tumor immunotherapy, and strategies for achieving transplantation tolerance.
PhD students, MD students and Postdocs working in a Cluster group can apply for fellowships for the DGfI TIS 2025. The fellowship covers the registration fee including courses, accommodation and full board.
If you want to apply, please contact alexandra.kraemer@uni-bonn.de
Application deadline: February 05, 2025
Please upload your application here: sciebo.de5
More information on the event can be found here: dgfi.org6
For more information on all our events and seminars, please visit our homepage at immunosensation.de/events5.
Travel Grants
The next round for the ImmunoSensation Travel Grants is open now!
Deadline is April 25, 2025
Here is some general information:
Travel Grant 1: Technical Exchange are for BIGS Immunosciences and Infection members and Postdocs, who are working in a group of a Cluster member.
Travel grant 2: Meetings and Seminars are for BIGS Immunosciences and Infection members only!
If you are PhD student within the Cluster, but not a graduate school member, you should consider applying for a membership. Contact alexandra.kraemer@uni-bonn.de for further information.
Travel Grant 3: Social Media Support is for Non-BIGS Immunosciences and Infection members (e.g. other students and postdocs) who want to help the ImmunoSensation Social Media Team creating content for the Cluster channels. Funding is available up to 500€ per application. Please be aware that ImmunoSensation Travel Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis and there is no guarantee for funding. Financial support granted by the Cluster can usually only be used for reimbursement. That means, travel costs and meeting fees have to be paid in advance by the applicant (or the applicant's PI/lab).
It is also possible to apply for a travel grant retrospectively after the trip.
Application Forms
Links
- https://uni-bonn.sciebo.de/s/C7W7di1CMfuNpMS
- https://uni-bonn.sciebo.de/s/XUgQzHyo7TMxZQ1
- https://uni-bonn.sciebo.de/s/pl3xNAx9GlKuQiM
- https://uni-bonn.sciebo.de/s/2lKZtXEw4E6R7p9
- https://www.immunosensation.de/events
- https://dgfi.org/akademie-fuer-immunologie/translational-school/
- https://www.bigs-immuno.uni-bonn.de/bonn-international-graduate-school-of-immunosciences-and-infection/medien/bigs-medien/1st-round-1-technical-exchange-2025.pdf/@@download
- https://www.bigs-immuno.uni-bonn.de/bonn-international-graduate-school-of-immunosciences-and-infection/medien/bigs-medien/1st-round-2-travel-grant-meetings-2025.pdf/@@download
- https://www.bigs-immuno.uni-bonn.de/bonn-international-graduate-school-of-immunosciences-and-infection/medien/bigs-medien/1st-round-3-blog-support-2025.pdf/@@download