STMM Summer Symposium 2025

For the second edition of the STMM Summer Symposium, we assembled another exciting line-up that showcased engaging science from health and life sciences research. Students had the opportunity to present and discuss their own research in the form of posters, poster and flash talks, or selected short talks.

The morning began with an innovative Impulse Talk from Dr. Kai Melde (Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials, University of Heidelberg) on "Ultrasound & Holography: New Avenues Beyond Medical Imaging", offering fresh perspectives on cutting-edge medical technologies.

Following the impulse talk, four outstanding students, representing the various members that make up the STMM, presented their research in detail.

• Sheila Vormehr, Dr. rer. nat. student in the the Clinical and Molecular Dermatology Section: "Shaped by the Liver: How NRAS-Mutant Melanoma Evolves to Grow"
• Nicolas Schommer, Physician Scientist in the HI-TAC program and working in the Department of Cardiology, Angiology, Haemostaseology and medical Intensive Care: "PAD4 Drives Neutrophil Inflammasome Activation and Cardiorenal Injury in Type 1 Diabetes"
• Lukas Neckermann, Dr. med. student in the Molecular Hepatology, II. Medical Department: "A Translational Murine Model of Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure Reveals Prognostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Potential of ABCB5⁺ Cell Therapy"
• Sophie Busalt, Dr. sc. hum. student at the Center for Preventive Medicine and Digital Health (CPD), Division of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine: "Heat Risk Perception, Vulnerability, and Protective Behaviour: Insights from a nationwide Survey in Germany"

The diverse range of topics, selected from all submitted abstracts, demonstrated the breadth and quality of translational research being conducted across our academic community.

The mid-morning featured an insightful Panel Discussion titled "After the doctorate" with three young panelists sharing their diverse career paths:

• Veronika Knebusch (Public health & policy making)
• Dr. Deblina Chakraborty (Clinical Researcher in Industry)
• Dr. Swathi Lingam (Academic publishing)

This panel provided valuable insights into various career trajectories available to doctoral graduates, addressing practical questions about transitioning from academia to different professional sectors.

Before lunch, student flash talks advertised the poster presentations, building anticipation for the afternoon sessions. This year, the poster sessions were organized thematically, to allow all presenters to engage with each other’s posters:

Poster Session A covered Cancer Research, Cardiovascular Research, Immunology and Inflammation, Metabolic Diseases, and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

Poster Session B encompassed Neuroscience and neurodegenerative diseases, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Regenerative Medicine and Tissue engineering, and Medical Imaging and Diagnostics.

The symposium successfully maintained its tradition of providing an excellent forum for scientific exchange among doctoral students from the Medical Faculty Mannheim and partnering institutions.

This year’s symposium was followed by the official Inauguration Ceremony, with guest speakers from the ministry, the university, and our medical faculty.

Abstract Booklet

The full program, all abstracts, poster numbers, and presenting information remain available in the downloadable abstract booklet.