The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Alumni Chats Series
Science & Ideas
About
A series of in-depth conversations with members of European Molecular Biology Lab's Alumni Community. Alumni recall the impact of EMBL on their careers and their memories of time spent there as well as the inside stories behind some of the major research breakthroughs. Alumni Chat contributors are members of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) community. The opinions expressed are their own and are not necessarily representative of the views of EMBL or any other party. The mere appearance of video content on the EMBL Alumni RSS account does not constitute an endorsement by EMBL. Audio Production and Editing: EMBL Alumni Relations Content and Interviews: Angus Lamond and Thomas Vaccari Music: Eco Technology by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay Thanks to: EMBL Audiovisual and EMBL Design Sponsored by: EMBLEM © European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
Episodes
- Mary Holmes - Recounting EMBL's establishment and becoming its first Librarian
Mary Holmes, EMBL's first librarian from 1974-1998, recounts the establishment of EMBL and the early Szilárd library with Thomas Vaccari. She also reflects on technological advancements and her husband Ken Holmes' role at EMBL Hamburg.
- Sara Fahs - EMBL's interdisciplinary ethos and adapting to a career in industry
Sara Fahs, an alumna of EMBL, shares her experiences with the institution's interdisciplinary approach and her transition from academia to an industry career. The conversation was recorded in July 2025.
- Sara Courtneidge - Memories of Lennart Philipson and research of the src structure
Sara Courtneidge shares her recollections of Lennart Philipson and details her research on the src structure, emphasizing the crucial role of funding in basic scientific research. The interview was conducted in 2022.
- David Owen - Bridging Basic Research and Pharmaceutical Innovation
David Owen discusses his career path from pharmacology academia to the pharmaceutical industry and his experience establishing EMBLEM. He explores the challenges of transitioning between these sectors and the role of technology transfer in…
- Giorgia Guglielmi - Using storytelling to combat scientific misinformation
Giorgia Guglielmi, an EMBL alumna, discusses her research, career shift to science writing, and the challenges of combating fake news in science communication. She also shares her pride in winning the John Kendrew Award.
- George Simos - Asking fundamental questions and the joy of discovering new truths
George Simos, a former EMBL fellow, shares his experiences at EMBL in the 90s, his return to Greece, and his work on hypoxia, emphasizing the excitement of new discoveries. The conversation was recorded in July 2025.
- Thomas Graf - The future of personalised cancer treatment and the role of basic research in the Covid19 response
Thomas Graf discusses personalised cancer treatment and the role of basic research in the Covid-19 response. He also offers advice for young scientists in this July 2022 interview.
- Erin Tranfield - Lunar Dust, the electron microscopy toolbox and making science accessible for all.
Electron microscopy expert Erin Tranfield shares her journey from researching air pollution to studying lunar dust at NASA. She explains the high resolution of electron microscopy and discusses its applications in space exploration, emphas…
- Ilaria Piazza - Experiences of a new PI and the value of travel on scientific curiosity.
Ilaria Piazza, a former EMBL fellow, shares her journey to becoming a group leader and discusses how international experiences foster scientific curiosity. She also mentions winning the John Kendrew Award. This interview was conducted in J…
- Denis Duboule - Hox genes, finding joy in the process of discovery and memories of Fotis Kafatos
Denis Duboule reflects on his tenure as an EMBL Group Leader, the influence of EMBL's environment on his scientific identity, and shares memories of Fotis Kafatos. He also discusses Hox genes and his experience giving the inaugural Kafatos…
- Maria Tosches - Evo-Devo and the cerebral cortex of reptiles.
In this episode, former EMBL predoctoral fellow Maria Tosches discusses her research on evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) and the cerebral cortex of reptiles. She also reflects on her time at EMBL and her experience receiving t…
- Claire O'Donovan - Swiss-Prot and the impact of AI on Database Curation
Claire O'Donovan, a pioneer in computational biology, shares her career journey at EMBL-EBI, discussing the evolution and global impact of the Swiss-Prot protein database. She emphasizes the significance of open data, collaboration, and in…
- Leo Burger - 40 years of building innovative and high quality equipment in the Mechanical Workshop at EMBL
Leo Burger, who led EMBL Heidelberg's Mechanical Workshop for over 40 years, reflects on his career building innovative equipment. The interview was conducted in March 2024 by Thomas Vaccari and Angus Lamond.
- Sigrid Reinsch - From cell biology to outer space
Sigrid Reinsch details her transition from EMBL to NASA, covering challenges, NASA's focus on human space exploration and life in extreme environments, and the importance of education programs and funding. This is part of the EMBL Alumni C…
- Wieland Huttner - Establishing EMBL's PhD programme and co-founding MPI-Dresden
Wieland Huttner, former EMBL Heidelberg group leader, shares insights with Thomas Vaccari on establishing EMBL's PhD programme. Huttner also discusses co-founding the Max Planck Institute in Dresden.
- Eric Wieschaus - Groundbreaking research in Drospohila and staying grounded after Nobel success.
Eric Wieschaus, a former EMBL Group Leader, speaks with Thomas Vaccari about his Nobel Prize-winning Drosophila genetics research conducted at EMBL. He also shares insights on maintaining humility after significant recognition and his dedi…
- Jacqueline Dreyer-Lamm - Lab Builds to Sustaining Research Around the Globe
Jacqueline Dreyer-Lamm shares her experiences at EMBL, detailing her work in lab construction, course creation, and initiatives to support scientific research globally through equipment donation. She also discusses her subsequent role in a…
- Phil Avner - Mentors in Paris, Diabetes research and leading EMBL Rome.
Philip Avner details his career path, including his move from agricultural botany to genetics and leadership at EMBL Rome. He discusses his mentors and his efforts to integrate EMBL with the Italian scientific community.
- Edith Heard - Basic Research, AI, Planetary Biology and the Future of Science
Edith Heard reflects on her tenure as EMBL Director General, highlighting the significance of unexpected findings in scientific progress and EMBL's role in planetary biology and AI research.
- Anne Ephrussi - Disproving hypotheses, taking risks and a life of researching the Oskar RNA
Anne Ephrussi, a former EMBL Group Leader and Director, shares insights into her lab's early research and the questions she pursued. She advises young scientists on risk-taking and touches upon the future of Oskar and RNA research in this…
- Rolf Apweiler - Big Data growth, from floppy disks to machine learning
Rolf Apweiler, former Director of EMBL-EBI, reflects on the significant growth of data in life sciences, from floppy disks to machine learning. He discusses the impact of AI on data curation and annotation, and highlights the importance of…
- From Physics to Precision Medicine: Moritz Gerstung Reflects on How AI Is Transforming Cancer Genomics
Moritz Gerstung reflects on his transition from physics to computational biology, detailing his work at EMBL-EBI on cancer genomics using AI and next-generation sequencing. He highlights the importance of open data access and discusses the…