Graduate-School
CRC/TR 296 integrated Research Training Group
Our integrated Research Training Group (iRTG) programme aims to provide PhD students as well as associated MD students and postdocs enrolled in CRC/TR 296 projects with an excellent scientific training and most supportive environment for a successful career in basic and translational thyroid/endocrine research at interfaces with neurology, cardiology and hepatology, giving rise to the next generation of successful endocrine researchers.
Who we are

iRTG Fellows
Currently, 28 graduate students are enrolled in our iRTG at different locations - among them:
6 PhDs and 2 MDs in Essen
4 PhDs in Lübeck
5 PhDs and 6 MDs in Berlin
1 PhD in Dortmund
2 PhDs in Munich
1 PhD and 1 MD in Leipzig
All PostDocs working in CRC projects are encouraged to join iRTG lectures, seminars and workshops.

Student representatives
Anna Molenaar: PhD student at Helmholtz Munich in the group Neurobiology of Diabetes.
I studied molecular Biotechnology in Freising and I now work on the topic of MCT8 deficiency as a part of project P05. As iRTG speaker I want to make sure that the graduate students stay connected across the various sites that are part of the CRC.
Joshua Seifert: PhD student with a passion for modeling livers in the petri dish to wring some mystery out of pathological lipid metabolism.
I love being versatile, so when I'm not busy cloning and optimizing assays in molecular biology, I'm cheering on my cell cultures and have a soft spot for biomedical data analysis.

Speaker Team
Heike Heuer: Speaker at UDE, Professor for Molecular Thyroidology
Helge Müller-Fielitz: Co-Speaker at UzL, Group Leader - Interaction between Tanycytes and the Hormone Axes
Peter Kühnen: Co-Speaker at Charité, Professor for Experimental Pediatric Endocrinology

Coordination
Simone de Leve: Scientific Coordinator of the integrated Research Training Group
I am happy to help with any questions regarding our iRTG curriculum and to assist with any kind of problems that arise during your journey to a successful graduation. I am keen to receive feedback to improve our curriculum and activities to ensure optimal scientific conditions for everyone.
What we do

Lectures
We are fully aware that each PhD student starts with a different scientific background. In order to bring you all on the same level of knowledge, our curriculum starts with a mandatory lecture series that introduce you to all LOCOTACT-relevant topis
The lectures have taken place as interactive seminars via Zoom between January and July 2021. They have been recorded so that everyone who joins our consortium at a later time point can easily catch up in order to aquire a basic knowledge in thyroid hormone (TH) physiology and signaling as well aspects of cardiovascular, brain and liver research.
See here our lecture plan to get a deeper insight into the topics. Please feel free to contact the respective lecturer if you have any questions.

Seminars
These monthly seminars take place via Zoom and are divided into two parts:
Journal Club: One recently published paper is presented by one of our iRTG fellows. This will not only help you to be ‘up to date’ with current literature about your research field but you will also learn to critically review publications and transfer this critical thinking to your own projects.
Progress Report: Two iRTG fellows will provide progress reports about their doctoral thesis including an introduction into the topic and methodology. Like this, you can train your presentation skills, receive feedback to your project and exchange information between LOCOTACT researchers at different locotations and in different projects.

Workshops
The iRTG closely collaborates with the local graduate schools at the different CRC locations to offer the maximal variety and flexibility of workshops and soft-skill courses. As many courses are currently conducted digitally, it is in most cases also possible to attend courses at other CRC locations.
All iRTG members who work in projects conducting experiments with lab animals, will have the possibility to obtain a FELASA B certificate in a combined theoretical and practical workshop. Please contact me if you need further information.
Moreover, we also organize customized closed workshops. In 2021, we offered the following closed workshops:
- GraphPad Prism Statistics Workshop
- Basic German Course (ongoing)
- Scientific Writing Workshop

Outings
Working in a CRC/TR means that our iRTG members are spreaded over the whole country. Nevertheless, it is important to be part of a team of fellows who go through the same phases of a doctoral project as you do.
"What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love, give it the best there is in you, seize your opportunities, and be a member of the team." – Benjamin Franklin
Therefore, we meet as often as possible with the whole group to strengthen the group dynamics, to exchange ideas and challenges and to have some fun time!
For example, in November 2021 we met in person for a Scientific Writing Workshop. In the evening, we had the nice opportunity to visit Münster's Christmas Market and enjoyed some tasty Glühwein.
News
Upcoming Workshop

Research Data Management in Medical and Biomedical Sciences
20.+22.06.2022, 9.00 am - 12.30 pm online Workshop Coach: INF-Project, Research Data Services, ZB MEDUpcoming Workshops

(Multiplex-) In situ hybridization techniques
27.-29.06.2022 Location: Essen Host: Heuer, MayerlMurine primary culture systems to study TH action in liver
27.-29.06.2022 Location: Essen Host: MöllerUpcoming Seminar

Journal Club & Progress Report
20.05.2022, 1 pm JC: Adriana Arrulo Pereira PR (P14): Alison-Michelle Naujack PR (P17): Sabrina AsaadNew PhD candidates!

We have two new PhD candicates in our iRTG!
Larissa Anthofer works in P03 and Devon Siemes in the INF project. Good luck with your projects!
Welcome to LOCOTACT!
Upcoming Workshop

Editing, Processing & Analysis of Scientific Images
16.-18.05.2022 online Workshop Coach: Dr. Jan Brocher (www.biovoxxel.de)
Integrated Research Training Group (iRTG)
Prof. Dr. Heike Heuer (Speaker at UDE)
Dr. Helge Müller-Fielitz (Co-Speaker at UzL)
Prof Dr. med. Peter Kühnen (Co-Speaker at Charité)
Our integrated Research Training Group (iRTG) programme aims to provide PhD students, as well as associated MD students and postdocs enrolled in CRC/TR 296 projects with an excellent scientific training and most supportive environment for a successful career in basic and translational thyroid/endocrine research at interfaces with neurology, cardiology and hepatology, giving rise to the next generation of successful endocrine researchers.
Detailed information on our iRTG curriculum can be found here.

The iRTG offers a highly interdisciplinary curriculum at the interface between clinical and basic research
- to foster the development of young researchers (PhD students & MD students, early career postdocs) to highly qualified and excellent scientists
- to provide a strong basic and translational education in local control mechanisms of TH action
in close interaction with local graduate schools:

How to apply
Interested in joining our iRTG? Open positions are listed here. Necessary documents for application are:
- CRC/TR 296 application form
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Degrees certificates
1. Please send application form, CV and degree certificates via E-Mail as a single pdf-file to: irtg-locotact@uni-due.de
2. Please download the
and send it to your two references; please kindly ask them to e-mail the form directly to irtg-locotact@uni-due.de