Helmholtz Munich hosts emerging global talents in the fields of Epigenetics and Nucleic Acids Research
Talent Forum, November 18-19, 2025
Join us for inspiring talks by international junior group leaders at the forefront of cutting-edge Epigenetics and Nucleic Acids research.
Junior and senior researchers from the greater Munich community and beyond are invited to attend!
Registration is free, but required.
Join us for inspiring talks by international junior group leaders at the forefront of cutting-edge Epigenetics and Nucleic Acids research.
We aim to showcase diverse and innovative global talent on an international stage while fostering peer exchange. Junior and senior researchers from the greater Munich community are cordially invited to attend this in-person event.
Keynote speaker: BOYAN BONEV - Helmholtz Munich
APOORVA BALUAPURI – Boston
MELANIA BRUNO - Naples
ANNA KNÖRLEIN - New York
FRANZISKA LORBEER - Vienna
PIA MACH - Amsterdam
MARZIA MUNAFÒ - Rome
MANUEL OSORIO VALERIANO - Boston
ANDREAS PANAGOPOULOS - Zurich
We look forward to welcoming you!
When: November 18–19, 2025
Where: Helmholtz Munich Conference Center, Neuherberg Campus, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
Host: Maria Elena Torres Padilla, Director, Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES)
talent.forum@helmholtz-munich.de
Registration is free of charge, but required.
Program
Helmholtz Munich Talent Forum, November 18-19, 2025
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
16:00 Welcome
Session Chair: Maria Elena Torres Padilla
16:15 - 17:00 Keynote Lecture: Boyan Bonev (Helmholtz Munich, IES) Epigenetic regulation in brain development, evolution and disease
17:05 - 17:50 Manuel Osorio Valeriano (Boston) Mechanisms of chromatin regulation across scales
17:55 - 18:40 Pia Mach (Amsterdam) Bridging the gap - In vitro dissection of enhancer-promoter communication
Speakers' Dinner (by invitation)
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
09:00 - 10:00 Round Table Information Session for Speakers (Seminar Room 1)
Session Chair: Federico Pecori
10:30 - 11:15 Marzia Munafò (Rome) Oocyte epigenetics: new tools to dissect function
11:20 - 12:05 Melania Bruno (Naples) ERV-driven genomic dynamics of fast evolving gene clusters across timescales
12:10 - 12:55 Franziska Lorbeer (Vienna) DNA sequence encoding of transcriptional bursting
13:00 - 14:30 Networking Lunch
Session Chair: José Terrón-Bautista
14:35 - 15:20 Anna Knörlein (New York) Discovery of a New RNA Modification Triggering Cellular Translational Stress via Chemical Biology Approaches
15:25 - 16:10 Andreas Panagopoulos (Zurich) Tracing principles of cellular heterogeneity
16:15 - 17:00 Apoorva Baluapuri (Boston) Transcriptional Quality Control Mechanisms Preventing dsRNA-Mediated Cellular Toxicity
17:00 Closing remarks, followed by a networking reception