Mathias Tschöp is a physician, a scientist, and the Chief Executive Officer of Helmholtz Munich. Tschöp is the rare scientist who can look back on a road that started with basic research in mice and led up to new therapies for patients, revolutionizing the treatment of obesity.

Produced by Thiago Carvalho  / Audio editor Marco Antonio/366. 

Helmholtz Pioneer Campus researchers Maria Elena Torres-Padilla and Boyan Bonev discuss how the organism uses the same epigenetic toolkit to perform tasks as diverse as maintaining the totipotency of stem cells and differentiating cortical neurons. Wolf Reik discovered some of the first molecular mechanisms responsible for epigenetic imprinting of the genome. 

Produced by Thiago Carvalho  / Audio editor Marco Antonio/366. 

Helmholtz Pioneer Campus researchers Vasilis Ntziachristos and Janna Nawroth represent complementary branches of bioengineering: Nawroth mines basic research on the structure & function of organisms to develop novel technology; Ntziachristos applies his engineering know-how and approaches to create new solutions for biomedical problems. We also spoke with Duke University’s Nimmi Ramanujam about bringing bioengineering advances to bear on the needs of marginalized or economically disadvantaged communities. All three researchers gave their perspectives on recruiting and training the next generation of bioengineers.

Produced by Thiago Carvalho  / Audio editor Marco Antonio/366. 

Helmholtz Pioneer Campus researchers Fabian Theis and Paolo Casale discuss how Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are changing biology and medicine. The emerging computational tools are undeniably valuable in organizing the vast amounts of data modern Biology generates – and predicting outcomes with an accuracy that often surpassess human experts. But can AI also help us understand biological processes? Cambridge University Professor Mihaela van der Schaar gives her perspective on the interpretability problem; she also talked about how we can make the field more inclusive and the importance of collaborating with researchers outside of traditional STEM disciplines. It’s biomedical AI, from clinical diagnostics and cell atlases to a new understanding of biology and disease. 

Produced by Thiago Carvalho  / Audio editor Marco Antonio/366. 

In the first episode, Matthias Meier, Johannes Beckers and Roman Stilling talk about ‘organoid’ systems, which are designed to help in disease research and drug testing.

What are the incentives for research and development in organ chips? In the second episode of the podcast series, Matthias Meier, Johannes Beckers and Roman Stilling discuss the question of whether spare parts for the human body will soon be available from the lab.

Nerve damage during surgery can change lives - but what if a simple dye could help prevent it? In this episode, we explore a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionise the way surgeons see and protect nerves in the operating room.