Elevating Women in Infection Research
The 7th Infect-Net Network Meeting was held in Würzburg
The seventh network meeting of Infect-Net, the German Association of Women in Infection Research, focused on RNA in infection research. The event, which took place on September 22 and 23 at the Helmholtz Institute Würzburg (HIRI), brought together over 60 female scientists on the Würzburg Medical Campus.
Three organizers welcomed the attendees: Franziska Faber, an associated group leader at HIRI and a professor at the University of Würzburg; Stefanie Kampmeier, the director of the Central Facility for Hospital Hygiene at the University Hospital of Würzburg and a professor at the University of Würzburg; and Gabriele Pradel, the founder of Infect-Net and a professor at RWTH Aachen University.
The scientific program opened with a keynote lecture by Katharina Höfer from the University of Regensburg on covalent RNA-protein networks in phage infections. Subsequent talks by researchers from Würzburg and Bonn explored additional topics in infection research.
Beyond the scientific program, the meeting offered numerous opportunities for professional and personal interaction. During the “Meet the PI” session, early-career female researchers received career advice from established colleagues. At the “World Café” session, participants could propose and discuss topics of their choice.
The second day opened with Claudia Peus presenting on “Age-specific challenges faced by female scientists” at the Institute for Lifelong Learning at the Technical University of Munich, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Gabriele Pradel. Lisa Tölle from the University of Education in Freiburg concluded the network meeting with an interactive session introducing “Moms@Science”. The initiative works to increase the visibility of female scientists who are mothers and improve their working conditions in the long term.
The event was supported by the University Hospital Würzburg, the University of Würzburg, and the Collaborative Research Center DECIDE.
About Infect-Net
The German Association of Women in Infection Research (Infect-Net) is dedicated to connecting women in infectious disease research in Germany and raising awareness of their expertise. Infect-Net aims to ensure that women in infectious disease research are widely recognized and routinely consulted as experts in science policy. In this way, the association contributes to gender-equitable science communication and greater visibility for health-protective research.
