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Annual Event of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry: Chemistry Day 2026

On June 2, 2026, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry welcomed students, doctoral researchers, staff, and guests to this year's Chemistry Day at the Kurt Alder Lecture Hall. The day was shaped by award presentations, two inaugural lectures, and a poster session by CGSC doctoral researchers.

Förderpreis Presentations

Four young people are standing side by side in front of a green chalkboard, holding their official certificates. From left to right, they are Tobias Hauschel, Noah Sander, Isabelle Schulte-Herbrüggen, and André-Marcel Weßeling.

The four award winners from the chemical institutes of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Cologne proudly present their certificates. From left to right: Tobias Hauschel, Noah Sander, Isabelle Schulte-Herbrüggen, and André-Marcel Weßeling. (Photo: Heike Henneken)

As in previous years, four candidates from the individual chemical institutes presented the results of their master's thesis or their first year of doctoral research to the attending scientific audience. A jury composed of representatives from the various status groups evaluated not only the outstanding scientific work, but above all its presentation to a broad scientific audience.

As always, the jury faced a difficult decision, as all candidates delivered excellent talks. In the end, three second prizes and, with a narrow margin, one first prize were awarded.

The first prize was awarded to André-Marcel Weßeling (Institute of Organic Chemistry). The second prize was shared by Tobias Hauschel (Institute for Light and Matter), Noah Sander (Institute of Inorganic and Materials Chemistry), and Isabelle Schulte-Herbrüggen (Center for Biochemistry).

CGSC General Assembly

This was followed by the annual plenary meeting of the Cologne Graduate School of Chemistry (CGSC). Jan Riemer, spokesperson for the CGSC, reminded all doctoral candidates of their central obligations: the annual meetings with the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC), proof of a course on Good Scientific Practice (GWP) and registration on the Docfile platform.

It is pleasing to note that the remuneration situation for doctoral students has improved noticeably compared to the previous year. In response to a question from the plenary about the position situation, Jan Riemer explained that the number of available budget positions for doctoral students is likely to fall in the coming years due to the loss of chairs as part of the cost-cutting measures.

Laura Plein, Moritz Steiner and Julian Strippel were re-elected by acclamation for a further year as student representatives on the CGSC Steering Committee. They are available as the first point of contact for all doctoral students and can be reached via the CGSC homepage.

Inaugural Lectures

A person conducts a chemical experiment with a liquid in a container that glows bright blue under the light of a UV lamp.

Sabina Hillebrandt demonstrates the photoluminescence of quinine in tonic water under UV light. By adding salt, the quenching effect of chloride ions is shown, which weakens the fluorescence. (Photo: Heike Henneken)

A further highlight of the day were two inaugural lectures, in which the new professors presented their research to a broad audience.

The first lecture was given by Sabina Hillebrandt, Junior Professor at the Humboldt Centre for Nano and Biophotonics, Institute for Light and Matter. In her lecture, she presented her research achievements in the field of organic optoelectronics, with a particular focus on the development of flexible and implantable OLED systems for targeted optical interaction with neural tissue. By combining optogenetics with tailored OLEDs, her group has already succeeded in stimulating individual neurons. Her research aims to develop optoelectronic neurointerfaces that advance the understanding of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The Hillebrandt Lab is supported by an ERC Starting Grant and collaborates closely with partners in neuroscience, medicine, and engineering.

Four smiling people are standing side by side in front of a green chalkboard in a lecture hall. From left to right: Stephanie Kath-Schorr, Sabina Hillebrandt, Prince Ravat, and Axel Griesbeck.

Stephanie Kath-Schorr, Sabina Hillebrandt, Prince Ravat, and Axel Griesbeck following the successful inaugural lecture in the Kurt-Alder Hall during Chemistry Day 2026 at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Cologne. (Photo: Heike Henneken)

Prince Ravat, Heisenberg Professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, then presented his research on molecular chirality. He demonstrated how helically shaped aromatic molecules, known as helicenes, can be harnessed as a design principle for functional organic materials. His group developed a new class of helicene diimides that exhibit enhanced electronic coupling through transannular space conjugation and show promise as chiral semiconductors. He further presented emitter molecules capable of emitting circularly polarized light with an unprecedentedly narrow bandwidth, with potential future applications in energy-efficient displays. His research bridges synthetic organic chemistry, photophysics, and materials science, and is supported by an ERC Starting Grant and a DFG Heisenberg Professorship.

Poster Session in the Foyer

The Chemistry Day concluded with a poster session by CGSC doctoral researchers in the foyer, accompanied by drinks and food. Particularly encouraging was the strong interest shown by students in the early semesters of their bachelor's programs, many of whom already know the doctoral researchers as supervisors from their practical courses, and who took the opportunity to ask questions about ongoing research. 

The doctoral candidates, who presented their posters, impressed the two juries, one evaluating the research depth and breadth and presentation style and the other on the innovation potential of the candidates’ motivation for research transfer.  The event closed with the presentation of the poster prizes to Philipp Holz (Neundorf Group) and Maurizio Sanfilippo (Lindfors Group) and best innovation potential prizes to Vincenzo Brancaccio (Ravat Group) and Hannah L. Dochtermann (Griesbeck Group).

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Cologne congratulates all prize winners and extends its sincere thanks to all visitors for their interest, as well as to all organizers and presenters for their dedication.

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