First CRU5002 Retreat of the Second Funding Period at Drübeck Monastery
For the first time in our second funding period, the members of CRU5002 and selected guests including Steve Johnsen and Heiner Wedemeyer from the CRU5002 scientific advisory board assembled at Drübeck Monastery for a scientific retreat from March 30 to March 31st, 2025. About 60 researchers, clinicians, and doctoral candidates exchanged new results, strengthened their scientific networks, and planned for the path ahead.
The retreat was structured around a series of scientific talks given by the principal investigators of the CRU core- and subprojects, as well as by partners such as the MolPAC program and the Molecular Tumor Board of the UMG. Each group articulated their research findings and proposals with depth and ingenuity, promoting stimulating discussions and productive interactions throughout the retreat.
In addition to the talks, the groups also presented their achievements in the form of scientific posters. These were the center of a poster session taking place in the afternoon on March 30th and allowed individual group members to present and discuss their own work and to get into contact with other researchers. Members of the CRU5002 scientific advisory board awarded the Best Poster of the Retreat prize to Laura Huhnold of SP4 (Ellenrieder). We extend our gratulations to Laura!
The talks and presentations were complemented by a workshop on data management and visualization tools, taught by Nils Beyer, from our Biomedical Informatics Core Project (CP2). In small groups, participants learned to test hypotheses using the data generated by the CRU5002 and displayed in the CRU5002-internal cBioPortal platform. The event included a contest for the most interesting cBioPortal application.
Aside from the rigorous scientific deliberations, the retreat also incorporated an evening 'get together' in the “Weinstube” of the Drübeck Monastery, fostering mutual understanding and camaraderie among the participants. It was not only an opportunity to relax after intense sessions of talks and workshops but also an occasion for informal discussions and networking.
We are looking forward the future cooperation within the CRU5002 and our next retreat in the spring of 2026.