Graduation Day:International Graduate School of Neuroscience honors its graduates

First medical student completes MD-programme

Nine young scientists received their PhD diplomas on December 4th during the graduation ceremony of the International Graduate School of Neuroscience. Rector Prof. Dr. Axel Schölmerich addressed the graduates, who received their PhDs in neuroscience on this day. Among them was Thomas Grüter, who is the first medical student to complete the IGSN programme. During the ceremony, prizes were also awarded to the winners of this year’s pupil competition organized by the IGSN and Collaborative Research Centre 874. The students from schools in Bochum had participated in the writing competition entitled “Licht aus, Hirn an! Wenn Du schläfst, legt Dein Gehirn erst richtig los”, which focused on brain and sleep.

The IGSN – a role model in scientific education

Since 2001 the IGSN has been offering an English language doctoral programme, which brings junior scientists from all over the world to the Ruhr University and educates them in all facets of neuroscience. Since then, including this year’s alumni, 136 young scientists have received their PhDs in neuroscience. In his welcoming speech, rector Prof. Dr. Axel Schölmerich commended the IGSN as a role model for scientific development and education, and remarked on the graduates’ excellent career possibilities on the global employment market.

First graduate of the MD-programme and first graduate of the Qualification year programme

In cooperation with Collaborative Research Centre 874 “Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes” and the Medical Faculty, the IGSN has recently developed an MD-programme. It offers medical students the opportunity to do research in neuroscience at a very early stage in their scientific career. The IGSN together with the CRC 874 herewith contributes to a better education and integration of future clinical neuroscientists. The first graduate of the programme is Thomas Grüter, who successfully defended his thesis on the molecular mechanism of schizophrenia with summa cum laude.

With Selver Demic the Collaborative Research Centre 874 could also celebrate its first graduate, which had undergone a one-year qualification year before the three-year doctoral programme started, financed by a CRC 874 scholarship.

Winners of IGSN school contest receive prizes

Even more congratulations were in order on Graduation Day. The winners of this year’s IGSN school competition received their prizes from dean and director of the IGSN and speaker of the CRC 874, Prof. Dr. Denise Manahan-Vaughan. The pupils from schools in Bochum had sent in entries with their thoughts on the contest theme “Licht aus, Hirn an! Wenn Du schläfst, legt Dein Gehirn erst richtig los!” (What does our brain do, while we sleep?) and had impressed the jury with their creativity.

Click here for more information and photos of the event.