2026 also gave us an exciting start with the Alumni Talks!

On January 24, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Jennifer Flechsler from the Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit (LGL). Jenny provided a fascinating insight into her job - and surprised many by showing that working at a public authority is anything but monotonous or bureaucratic. Despite being employed at a state authority, research and development are a central part of her daily work. She works on a system for real-time monitoring of respiratory viruses and is responsible, among others, for the introduction and optimization of new diagnostic methods and PCR approaches. She is also actively involved in analyses and outbreak investigations.

As a valuable tip for PhD candidates, she recommended taking statistics courses during their doctoral studies - skills that are often essential in later professional life.

Our second guest, Dr. Sam Ringle, joined us on March 10. During his PhD, Sam had already begun a Master’s in Drug Regulatory Affairs at the University of Bonn, which he successfully completed after finishing his PhD. This master’s degree opened the doors not only to his first job, but later also to renowned companies such as BioNTech and Miltenyi Biomedicine.

His focus was on the development and regulatory advancement of complex biologics and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Since 2025, Sam has been self-employed, advising innovative biotech programs as well as academic spin-offs.

His talk was particularly engaging because he clearly illustrated the many facets of regulatory affairs: from scientific research and legal frameworks to manufacturing and patient access. In addition, he provided participants with valuable advice on entering the (pharmaceutical) industry.

As with our first Alumni Talk, the evening concluded with a relaxed dinner in a small group - a great opportunity for PhD candidates and students to ask questions and exchange ideas.

We would like to sincerely thank both of our alumni for the insights into their work and the many useful career tips.

We are already looking forward to more Alumni Talks this year!