On November 13, 2025, our research unit gathered at the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung in Munich for its annual symposium. The event served as a vital forum for our research groups to align on subproject progress, exchange cross-disciplinary feedback, and brainstorm future directions. The venue provided an exceptional backdrop for the day, supported by seamless technical coordination and excellent catering.

Advancing the next generation of researchers, the core of the symposium featured presentations from our nine subgroup PhD students. These talks highlighted the rigorous work currently being conducted within the unit and sparked lively scientific debate across all levels of seniority.

As a programatic highlight, we were honored to welcome two prominent external speakers who shared their cutting-edge research:

Dr. Hanna Spitzer: Group Leader at the Institute of Stroke and Dementia Research (LMU Klinikum) and the Computational Health Center (Helmholtz Munich). Dr. Spitzer delivered a compelling presentation on cross-modal machine learning and its applications in understanding both healthy and diseased brain states.

Prof. Dr. Gil Westmeyer: Director at the Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine (Helmholtz Munich) and Chair of Neurobiological Engineering (TUM). Prof. Westmeyer provided expert insights into enveloped particle platforms as innovative gene therapy vehicles for treating retinal degenerative diseases.

The day concluded with a shared sense of momentum, leaving our teams inspired by a day of vivid scientific exchange and collaborative energy.