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International affairs
View to the coast in Haifa
Market in Jerusalem
Jerusalem
See it for yourself!
Text and Photos Daniel Heinze
“To introduce doctoral students to
state-of-the-art molecular cell biology
and quantitative biology research that
forms the basis of modern medical
research“ – this is not only the mission
of the existing PhD programs at the
MDC but also of the new program being
developed.
SignGene, the nickname of the
German-Israeli Helmholtz Research
School “Frontiers in Cell Signaling
& Gene Regulation”, is the latest
initiative led by Claus Scheidereit
(MDC Cancer Program Coordinator) and
supported by Aaron Ciechanover (2004
Nobel laureate, Technion) that grants
25 PhD students from Germany and
Israel the opportunity to do research at
world-class institutes in two different
countries. SignGene will bring the
MDC together with two universities in
Israel: the Technion-Israel Institute of
Technology in Haifa and the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. Students are
supervised by two PIs (one in Germany
and one in Israel) and are expected to
visit the partner country for a minimum
of 6 months. The schedule is challenging
and involves intensive training and
courses, annual progress reviews by a
joint thesis committee, PhD retreats,
and summer/winter schools in Germany
and Israel.
Each research campus has its own
unique offerings and character. The
Technion campus has an atmosphere
that is both antique and modern
owing to the use of light and shining
stone everywhere, and even has its
own amphitheater. On the other
hand, newer buildings like the one for
biomedical engineering offer a great
place to work with a spectacular view
over Haifa straight to the coast and
the Mediterranean Sea. The city has a
youthful, progressive feel and, aside
from the beach, offers the famous
Bahai Gardens and short ways to
ancient sites like Caesarea, Tiberias,
the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, and the
Golan Heights.
In contrast, Jerusalem offers a
touch of spirituality, lively markets,
and a plethora of historical and
religious places like the Via Dolorosa,
the Western Wall, the Dome of the
Rock on the Temple Mount, the Shrine
of the Book, Tower of David, and Yad
Vashem. The Mount of Olives is only a
30 min walk and offers the best view
of the Old City. A central location and
good transportation make Jerusalem an
excellent starting point for exploring
the rest of the country such as Tel Aviv,
the West Bank (Bethlehem, Jericho,
Ramallah), or the Dead Sea.
In addition to the outstanding
research opportunities that are offered,
the future participants of SignGene
won’t run out of places to see during
their stay in Israel. The country offers
a lot and it is nice to be there, in
particular in winter. One shouldn’t miss
this opportunity to see this fascinating
country.
info After presenting his PhD project at the
joint German-Israeli mini-symposium in Haifa,
Daniel stayed on to explore the country. A trained
Human Biologist, he joined the MDC in 2010 where
he works in the group of Claus Scheidereit on
DNA damage-induced NF-KB activation and gene
regulation.
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