Alumni of the Department of Natural Sciences

Kathrin Schmitt, Chemistry

A globetrotter with ambitions: Flying from one country to the next, looking after customers during the day, eating out with them in expensive restaurants in the evening and flying back home the next day. For many, this sounds like an adventure and they would do it in a heartbeat. For Kathrin Schmitt, it's her daily work.

Moritz Eidens, Applied Biology

He and a fellow student recognised an important problem in modern medicine during their Bachelor's thesis: due to genetic differences, people do not always tolerate medication equally well. As a result, the students developed a quick and inexpensive genetic test in their Master's thesis, which was soon followed by the founding of a company to market the new product.

Sina Herrmann, Chemistry with Materials Science

Sina Herrmann completed her bachelor's degree in 2013. She is now a sales engineer at GKN Filters and travels around the world to advise customers. "I didn't want to end up in some lab." - Her path into science was anything but traditional.

Yu Zhang, doctorate in biology

Yu Zhang spent five years researching for his doctorate in Professor Edda Tobiasch's research group. He received a magna cum laude for his doctoral thesis from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in 2014 - it doesn't get any better than that. Today, Zhang works as a manager and expert in cell and gene therapy at a large Chinese company. In this interview, he explains why he no longer hates sparkling water and how he feels about his biggest experiment yet: his life in Germany.

Johannes Steinhaus, Materials Engineering

From university to industry, back to university for his doctorate and now a professor at H-BRS: Johannes Steinhaus' passion as a researcher is polymer materials. He is also a kickboxer - is there perhaps a connection?

Kathrin Mertens, Applied Biology

Kathrin graduated with a double degree from H-BRS and Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, and then stayed in Scotland for her doctorate. After several years at the renowned Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London, Kathrin now works as a Clinical Trial Lead at a German pharmaceutical company in Vienna.

Bryan Frey, Applied Biology

He went to the University of Aberdeen, H-BRS's Scottish partner university, to complete a double degree specialising in immunology. Bryan Frey is currently studying for a Master's degree programme in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Heidelberg. - What he liked most about the Rheinbach Campus, apart from the sound education, was the international flair with many students from all over the world.

Julian Mumme, Chemistry with Materials Science

He has a job that is exciting like few others: Julian Mumme works as a detective. Not in criminal investigation, however, but in industry: as a failure analysis engineer at TÜV Rheinland, he finds out why industrial components have broken.

Marina Ley, Chemistry with Materials Science

The variety of chemistry and materials science modules on offer, the helpfulness of professors and lecturers, practicals in modern laboratories and "the excellent organisation of the course" made it easy for her to complete her studies within the standard period of study.