Lectures and Courses

We strive to prepare our students for scientific independence and offer several courses that help develop scientific knowledge, critical thinking skills, scientific discourse and debate. The majority of the courses are mandatory.

"Method and Logic in Biology" Journal Club

The journal club takes place in the first year of our graduate programme and aims to teach critical scientific thinking skills. It provides an overview of current and seminal publications in the field of ageing research. One faculty member chaperones each journal club session. The students are expected to participate in the literature analysis and discussions and will receive feedback by the faculty members during each journal club session.

"Biology of Ageing and Age-related Diseases" Lecture Series

Our PhD lecture series takes place in the first year of the graduate programme and covers the basic science of ageing and age-related diseases by faculty members and external speakers who are leaders in the field. The goal is to introduce key concepts of ageing research and to synchronise your knowledge in this broad research field. It is also an opportunity for discussion with the lecturers. Upon completion of the lecture series the students compose a research proposal of one lecture. This proposal contains a short summary about the current state of knowledge on the topic, an approach to the research question and a conclusion including expected results.

Soft Skills Courses

Publishing one’s own scientific findings and presenting them to the scientific community in internal seminars or at international meetings, developing agile project management skills and building up resilienceas well as a healthy working attitude. These are all essential elements of a researcher’s life. We offer comprehensive training in soft and hard skills by experienced specialists.

Career Mentoring and Management Course

A unique feature of our graduate programme is career mentoring that serves to guide your individual career plan. This training over the course of three years provides you with the nuts-and-bolts expertise required for successful scientific career development including grant and CV writing, as well as techniques to communicate clearly and project self-confidence during interviews. 

Scientific Courses

Scientific courses introduce our students to good laboratory practice, ethical scientific conduct and a range of scientific techniques used in our state-of-the-art core facilities. Some of these courses are offered by our faculty members. We also organize other useful trainings such as  “Statistical Literacy” and “Working with R”, "Processing and Analysis of Scientific Images" and “Graphic Design with Adobe Illustrator”.

German Courses

German courses are offered by the MPI for Biology of Ageing to facilitate integration of our international students in Germany.

Optional workshops for PhD candidates