Third TRR332 Retreat in Munich

The TRR332 recently held its third annual retreat in Munich to discuss current progress and plans for the second funding period. The event brought together emerging principal investigators in a "new kids on the block" session. Their display of recent data, methods and project plans were of great importance to see their fit for the consortium. A highlight of the retreat was a keynote speech delivered by Steffen Massberg of LMU on the topic of immunothrombosis and the partnership between neutrophils and platelets during coagulation. This talk sparked lively discussions among attendees and set the stage for productive conversations throughout the rest of the retreat.

Two plenary discussions were also held to promote reflections on the pressing issues of neutrophil heterogeneity and means of translating basic scientific discoveries made within TRR332 into clinical applications. These discussions allowed participants to share knowledge and insights from their respective areas of expertise and will hopefully foster collaboration across different fields of study.

In addition to the presentations and discussions, three sessions focused on practical matters relevant to young researchers. A mentoring session provided guidance on grant writing, including tips on where to submit proposals and how to navigate administrative regulations. Another session offered advice on balancing family responsibilities with a successful scientific career, while a third explored next career steps and strategies for becoming an independent researcher within the German academic system.

To recognize outstanding contributions to the field, awards were given for the best poster presentation of each category: Dennis Nagel & Nastassia Kabankova (UDE) for project A5, Panagiotis Sidiropoulos for project B4, and Darleen Hüser & Eva Gričar for project C5. The paper of the year award was competitively reviewed by our scientific advisory board and was given to Ali Ata Tuz from the university of Essen in recognition for his work on NETs in post-stroke immune suppression. Congratulations to all awardees!