Two professors from Ulm: Research for women in science!

Two professors from Ulm: Research for women in science!

The latest funding from the Margarete von Wrangell Junior Professor Program at Ulm University brings promising news for the scientific community. Two junior professors, Ani Grigoryan and Rebecca Halbgebauer, will be selected to further develop their research initiatives and support talented young female scientists.

Ani Grigoryan, who researches at the Institute of Molecular Medicine, specializes in the mechanisms of stem cell aging. Her work includes leading a junior research group that studies old blood stem cells. For her outstanding achievements, she received an ERC Starting Grant worth 1.5 million euros in 2024. In collaboration with Dr. Yuan Xia, who studies breast cancer metastasis, Grigoryan wants to make significant advances in the field of stem cell research.

Research approaches and promotion of young talent

Rebecca Halbgebauer leads her junior research group at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Trauma Immunology at Ulm University Hospital. Her research focuses on trauma-related acute kidney injury, the body's immunological reactions to severe injuries, and the role of adipose tissue in this context. She has Dr. Farahnaz Rayatdoost as a postdoctoral researcher who studies the effects of severe injuries on blood clotting and immune function.

In order to improve equal opportunities in science, the program aims to strengthen the situation of junior professors and postdoctoral researchers so that they have better prospects of becoming a professor for life. At this point, the program, which provides a total of 9.13 million euros in funding, is particularly important. It is supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg and the European Social Fund and offers around 30 grants for qualified women in science.

Background information on funding

The Margarete von Wrangell Junior Professor Program, named after Germany's first full professor of plant nutrition, has established itself as crucial to promoting equality in science since its inception. The proportion of women in permanent professorships in Germany is only 23 percent, although women are more successful in obtaining degrees and doctorates.

In addition, as part of the Professor program taken further steps to improve equality. Since 2008, over 900 professorships have been funded. Despite a high proportion of 46 percent of doctoral students, the proportion of women in higher positions is falling significantly.

The great need for equality concepts is also reflected in current statistics: in 2007, the proportion of women among professors was 16.2 percent; however, in 2022 it rose to 28 percent. Such developments underscore the urgency of taking targeted action to support women in science through programs such as the Margarete von Wrangell Junior Professor Program.

Overall, this funding is a step in the right direction to sustainably improve both research and equality between women and men in science.