Dr Lisa Osbelt-Block

What‘s your nicest memory of Braunschweig and do you have a favorite place?

I remember a very turbulent time studying in Braunschweig. Successes and failures from various lab internships created strong bonds with my lab partners, so there was no shortage of parties after passing internships and exams. My favourite place was the Biozentrum with lots of great and fun memories. I remember an experiment where my lab partner and I were freezing in a 4-degree room staring at a rotting fish in complete darkness in the hope that we had grown glowing bacteria on it. Even today, I still go to the Biozentrum from time to time to follow PhD students' disputations.

Reasons why the TU Braunschweig is a great place to study:

Braunschweig is a small city with short distances and a great study location for research and science, which offers fertile ground for biological research thanks to its networking with other (non-university) research institutions in the region.

Which contents of your studies can you still use in your career today?

Studying biology has challenged and encouraged me on many levels. Good crisis and time management as well as solution-orientated thinking are skills that are valuable and important in this professional field. The basic knowledge acquired during my studies is, of course, indispensable in the years of doctoral studies and research-intensive laboratory work. All in all, the degree programme at the TU prepared me well for my work as a researcher in terms of hard and soft skills.

Are you still in touch with former fellow students? Do you see each other and if so, how often?

No.

What advice would you give current students for their personal career planning?

1. Research is also a career option after your biology degree! I remember when I was a student and was often demotivated by pessimistic career prospects for biologists.
2. Believe in yourself, your ideas and don't let yourself be guided by the opinions of outsiders. The path in research may be rocky and hard (especially as a woman), but it also offers great freedom and the opportunity to make new discoveries off the beaten track.
3. Careers are rarely linear, so take advantage of opportunities, be creative, and don't let yourself be pigeonholed.