First doctoral disputation of the HIRI graduate program “RNA & Infection”
Sandra Gawlitt successfully defended her dissertation
On March 28, Sandra Gawlitt successfully defended her doctoral dissertation. She is the first graduate of the HIRI PhD program “RNA & Infection”, which inspires and challenges doctoral students to develop into independent scientists at the interface of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and infection biology.
HIRI department head and graduate program director Chase Beisel and Sandra Gawlitt. Photo: HIRI / Luisa Härtig
After completing her MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Marburg in 2019, Sandra Gawlitt joined the Helmholtz Institute Würzburg (HIRI) as the first student in its newly established graduate program. As part of the program, she rotated through three labs of her choice before joining the group of HIRI department head and program director Chase Beisel. Her research in the Beisel lab focused on CRISPR-based combinatorial screens.
Congratulations, Sandra!
About “RNA & Infection”
The graduate program “RNA & Infection,” established in 2018 at the Helmholtz Institute Würzburg (HIRI), trains doctoral researchers at the intersection of RNA and infection biology. It offers fully-funded, project-independent PhD positions with flexible start dates and a unique rotation system through multiple laboratories. Participants investigate the role of RNA in pathogens and infected hosts to develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The structured training program includes in-depth training in cutting-edge techniques such as RNA and single-cell sequencing, CRISPR-Cas genome editing, and machine learning. It is complemented by workshops, seminars, international conferences, and scientific retreats. Since the program's launch, 13 students have been admitted.
