The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Alumni Chats Series
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Alumni Chats Series
EMBL Alumni Relations

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Alumni Chats Series

Life SciencesEnglish

A series of in-depth conversations with members of European Molecular Biology Lab's Alumni Community. Alumni recall the impact of EMBL on their careers and their memories of time spent there as well as the inside stories behind some of the major research breakthroughs.

Alumni Chat contributors are members of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) community. The opinions expressed are their own and are not necessarily representative of the views of EMBL or any other party. The mere appearance of video content on the EMBL Alumni RSS account does not constitute an endorsement by EMBL.

Audio Production and Editing: EMBL Alumni Relations

Content and Interviews: Angus Lamond and Thomas Vaccari

Music: Eco Technology by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Thanks to: EMBL Audiovisual and EMBL Design

Sponsored by: EMBLEM

© European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

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Phil Avner - Mentors in Paris, Diabetes research and leading EMBL Rome.
28 November 2025

Phil Avner - Mentors in Paris, Diabetes research and leading EMBL Rome.

Philip Avner (Head of EMBL Rome, 2012-2020) sets out his career trajectory in conversation with Angus Lamond (EMBL Group Leader, 1987-1995). From studying agricultural botany at the University of Newcastle to becoming head of EMBL Rome. He highlights his transition from biochemistry to genetics, influenced by mentors like Piotr Slonimsky and Francois Jacob. After a successful career in Paris, he...
Edith Heard - Basic Research, AI, Planetary Biology and the Future of Science
14 November 2025

Edith Heard - Basic Research, AI, Planetary Biology and the Future of Science

Edith Heard (EMBL Director General 2019-2025) discusses her legacy at EMBL with Angus Lamond (EMBL Group Leader, 1987-1995). Edith emphasises the crucial role of unexpected results in advancing scientific discovery and innovation, encouraging researchers to embrace surprising findings, as they often spark new insights and breakthroughs. Edith also provides the context to EMBL embracing the...
Anne Ephrussi - Disproving hypotheses, taking risks and a life of researching the Oskar RNA
31 October 2025

Anne Ephrussi - Disproving hypotheses, taking risks and a life of researching the Oskar RNA

Anne Ephrussi (EMBL Group Leader, Senior Scientist and Director for the EMBL International Centre for Advanced Training 1992-2023) chats with Thomas Vaccari (EMBL Predoctoral Fellow 1999-2004). Anne explains the background to starting her lab at EMBL in the early 90s and the questions she sought to investigate. She encourages young researchers to take risks and also reflects on the future of...
Rolf Apweiler - Big Data growth, from floppy disks to machine learning
16 October 2025

Rolf Apweiler - Big Data growth, from floppy disks to machine learning

Rolf Apweiler (EMBL-EBI Director 1987-2025) speaks with Angus Lamond (EMBL Group Leader 1987-1995) about his start at EMBL as a student helper all the way to jointly leading the EBI. The huge growth of data in life sciences he witnessed and supported along the way and the importance of international collaboration, standardization, and cybersecurity. He reflects on the impact of AI on data...
From Physics to Precision Medicine: Moritz Gerstung Reflects on How AI Is Transforming Cancer Genomics
06 October 2025

From Physics to Precision Medicine: Moritz Gerstung Reflects on How AI Is Transforming Cancer Genomics

Moritz Gerstung (EMBL-EBI Group Leader, 2015-2021) speaks with Angus Lamond (EMBL Group Leader, 1987-1995), discussing his transition from physics to computational biology, driven by the complexities of biological systems. He highlights his work at EMBL-EBI, which focused on cancer genomes and tumour dynamics using next-generation sequencing and AI tools. Moritz emphasised the importance of open...