We are currently preparing the program for the annual MPG LeadNet Symposium 2026 on June 18, 2026 at the Kap Europa in Frankfurt. Please feel free to contact the LeadNet Steering Committee with any suggestions you would like to see in the program.
We would like to warmly invite you to join our exciting conference in 2026! (Please find the registration here.)
The LeadNet Steering Committee
Thursday | June 18, 2026
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Welcome & Introductory Words Patrick Cramer | President Ilka Schießler-Gäbler | Programs and Networks, Administrative Headquarters Hana Gründler and Frank Ohme | LeadNet Steering Commitee |
| Scientific Lightning Talks | |
| 09:00 – 9:45 | Panel 1: Cooperation Fridtjof Brauns – CPTS: How Cells Work Together to Get Epithelial Tissue into Shape Gabriele Bixel – BMS: The Healing Touch: How Blood Vessels Fix Broken Bones Philip Bittihn – CPTS: Emergent Dynamics in Living Systems Liran Samuni – HSS: Tracing the Evolution of Cooperation Through the Lens of Ape Societies |
| 09:45 – 10:30 | Panel 2: Magnification Liss Vazquez Rodriguez – CPTS: Laser Spectroscopy at the Edge of Nuclear Matter Walid Hetaba – HSS: Advanced Analytical Electron Microscopy for Catalysis Research Uladzimir Barayeu – BMS: Understanding Radicals in Living Soft Matter Viola Introini – HSS: The Physics of Malaria Infection Across Scales |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee Break with networking |
| 11:00 – 11:45 | Panel 3: Evolution Hildegard Uecker – BMS: Evolutionary Rescue: Mathematics and the Speed of Evolution Genevieve Housman – HSS: Cell Culture Systems to Interrogate Primate Skeletal Functional Genomics Peter Arndt – BMS: Inferring Demographic Histories of Humans from the Distribution of Heterozygous Sites Susie Lee – HSS: Research Group Reproductive Ageing |
| 11:45 – 12:30 | Panel 4: Modeling Leonardo Impett – HSS: When Images Become Worlds: Video Generation and Visual Culture Luis H. Orellana – BMS: Cracking Sugar Armors: Specialized Bacteria as Underestimated Drivers of Ocean Carbon Cycling Ana Clemente – HSS: Hedonic Foraging: From Reward to Action Fabian Schmidt – CPTS: A Universe Made of Black Holes |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Light Lunch with networking |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | A Third Career Path Beyond Academia and Industry? Introducing the Max Planck Foundation Alex Nemetz (MP Foundation) |
| 14:00 – 14:30 | Sparking Discovery – Advancing Science and Technology Innovation Through Collaboration Maike Kober Hasslacher (Merck) |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Mentoring in the MPG: Experience from the Schiemann Kolleg Katharina Landfester (MPIP Mainz) |
| 15:00 – 15:45 | Current Topics in AI at MPG VP Sibylle Günter |
| 15:45 – 16:15 | Coffee break with networking |
| 16:15 – 17:00 | Scientific Leadership at Different Career Levels in the Max Planck Society: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Perspectives VP Christian Doeller |
| 17:00 – 17:30 | MPG Services Una Sokcevic & Sandra Vengadasalam (Max Planck Information & Technology) |
| 17:30 – 18:15 | Speed Dating |
| 18:30 – 19:00 | Discussion & Conclusion LeadNet Steering Committee |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | Dinner with Networking |
| 20:00 – 21:30 | Poster Session with Networking |
| 21:30 | End of the Event |