
Educating a New Generation of Future Researchers
Multiscale integrative research performed by MBExC scientists offers unique opportunities for the interdisciplinary training of early career researchers coming from a basic science or medical background. The Hertha Sponer College targets particularly talented students and early career researchers interested in further personalized research training and career advice to spark and foster enthusiasm for research at the boundary of the natural sciences and biomedicine. The overall aim is to promote cutting-edge, interdisciplinary early career researchers on their way to independence, to thus educate a new generation of future research leaders.
Vision & CommunityOrganization
College Members

Vision & Community
The Hertha Sponer College aims to promote students and early career researchers who intend to pursue an academic career at the interface of the natural sciences and biomedicine. The College's program is based on the specific training needs of students, early career scientists and clinicians at various stages of their career. Training measures are designed to promote the scientific and personal development, networking among collegians, with PIs, and the community. To foster early independence, specific fellowships are available for research-oriented clinician scientists and for postdoctoral junior fellows.
The Hertha Sponer College offers two career development tracks: The basic scientist track is dedicated to excellent students as well as early career researchers of the natural and life sciences interested in quantitative, interdisciplinary research. The clinician scientist track promotes excellent medical students and residents by providing a framework that supports them in combining clinical training and practice with research within the scope of MBExC. The educational concept complements existing programs for structured education available on the Göttingen Campus.


Dr. Heike Conrad
Hertha Sponer College Coordinator &
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Manager
heike.conrad[at]med.uni-goettingen.de
Phone: +49 551 39-61305
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College Program
Hertha Sponer (1895–1968)
The Hertha Sponer College was named after the German physicist Hertha Sponer (1895-1968), who came from Neisse, Upper Silesia (in present-day Poland). In the early 20th century, a scientific career was still unusual and difficult for women. Together with Lise Meitner, Emmy Noether and Hedwig Kohn she was among the first female physicists in Germany.
After studying physics in Tübingen and Göttingen, Hertha Sponer received her Ph.D. in physics at the University of Göttingen, and later was one of the first women to become a professor here. She left Göttingen under the repressive regime of the National Socialists and moved to the US, to work at the Duke University. In American exile, she married her former Göttingen mentor and nobel prize winner James Franck, who, like many other colleagues, also emigrated. The college was named after Hertha Sponer to honor her interdisciplinary work in physics and chemistry, which resulted in numerous scientific publications.

HSC Board Members:
Prof. Dr.
Claudia Steinem (Head)
Uni-ChemProf. Dr.
Stephan E. Lehnart (Deputy)
UMGProf. Dr.
Axel Munk
Uni-MathProf. Dr.
Christine Stadelmann-Nessler
UMGHSC Representatives:
Coordinator:
Dr. Marie-Kristin Schreiber
(Postdoc) UMGYuna Werchner
(MD-track researcher) UMGDr. Heike Conrad
HSC Coordinator &Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Manager
College Members
Hertha Sponer Collegians (in alphabetical order):

Hebatallah Abdelrasol
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Carlos Aguilar
(Doctoral researcher) UGOE-Bio
Dr. Alexey Alexeev
(Postdoc) UMG
Julius Bahr
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Elena Cotroneo
(Doctoral researcher) UGOE-Chem
Aleyna Diniz
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Kenneth Ehses
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Fadhel El May
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Dr. Funsho Fakuade
(Postdoc) UMG
Paula Favoretti do Prado
(Doctoral researcher) UMG/MPI-NAT
Svilen Georgiev
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Jonathan Götz
(MD-track researcher) UMG
Moritz Grumann
(MD-student, B.Sc. Phys) UMG/UGOE-Phys
Lars Henning Hansen
(cand. M.Sc.) MP School Matter-to-Life
Daniel Härtter
(Postdoc) UMG
Inés Hojas Garcia-Plaza
(Postdoc) MPI-NAT
Victoria Hunniford
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Sophie Hümmert
(Doctoral researcher) MPI-NAT
Nare Karagulyan
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Dr. Myeongkyu Kim
(Postdoc) MPI-NAT
Taehee Kim
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Elisabeth Koert
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Angeliki Koufali
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Julia Kurlovich
(Postdoc) UMG
Aiste Liutkute
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Frederike Maaß
(Doctoral researcher) MPI-NAT
Tabea Lilian Marx
(MD-track researcher) MPI-NAT
Johanna Mayer
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Tiago Mimoso
(Doctoral researcher) UGOE-Phys
Sophia Mutschall
(MD-track researcher) UMG
Gesine Müller
(Doctoral researcher) UGOE-Bio
Magdeline Nathan
(Doctoral researcher) MPI-NAT
Sabina Nowakowska
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Leonie Schadt
(Doctoral researcher) MPI-NAT
Dr. med. Gabriel Riedemann
(Clinician) UMG
Dr. med. Lennart Roos
(Clinician) UMG
Smruti Rout
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Jannis Schaeper
(Doctoral researcher) UGOE-Phys
Dr. med. Julia Schmidt
(Clinician) UMG
Kea Schmoll
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Constantin Schott
(MD student / cand. M.Sc.), UGOE-Maths
Dr. Marie-Kristin Schreiber
(Postdoc) UMG
Aylin Seedorf
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Michael Gani Setya
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Izzatullo Sobitov
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Dr. Kostika Sofroni
(Postdoc) MPI-NAT
Dr. Thomas Staudt
(Postdoc) UGOE-Maths
Dr. Vitali Telezki
(Postdoc) UMG
Abigail Trebilcock
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Dr. Anna Vavakou
(Postdoc) UMG
Roman David Ventzke
(cand. M.Sc.) UGOE-Maths
Kim-Chi Vu
(MD-track researcher)
Paulina Wanken
(Doctoral researcher) UMG
Jasper Wedemeyer
(MD-track researcher) UMG
Justus Wegener
(MD-track researcher) UMG
Milan Weitzel
(Doctoral researcher) UGOE-Chem
Yuna Werchner
(MD-track researcher) UMG
Maximilian Winkler
(Doctoral researcher) UGOE-Chem
Dr. Bettina Wolf
(Postdoc) UMG
Dr. med. Christian Wrobel
(Clinician) UMG
Malo Wurst
(MD-track researcher) UMG
Dr. Maria Zerche
(Clinician) UMG
Yannik Zühlke
(MD-track researcher) UMGHSC Fellowships (in alphabetical order):

Constantin Cretu
(Junior Fellow) UMG
Dr. Carola Gregor
(Junior Fellow) IFNANO
Dr. Julia Preobraschenski
(Junior Fellow) UMG