RTG 3096 study program aims to promote a One Health approach to train next generation helminthologists.

Central to the qualification concept is the interdisciplinary research project, bridging at least two One Health areas, namely human, animal, and environmental health. The research project is flanked by a tailor-made educational program and individualised career advancement & mentor support.

The overall aim of RTG 3096 is to equip the next generation of One Health helminthologists with the skills to conduct wide-ranging, forward-looking scientific studies on helminths in humans, animals and the affected anthropogenic environment.

RTG-specific Program

We offer several formats to educate our Doctoral researchers (DRs) in the far-reaching aspects of STH infections in a One Health context:

One Health Guest Seminars (OHGS)

DRs invite scientists from all over the world to the bimonthly seminar series. The international guest speakers give a talk on their most recent research. Afterwards, our DRs discuss science with the visiting scientists, build and extend their scientific network and receive input concerning their projects from the visiting researchers in individual meetings.

The OHGS takes usually place on Tuesdays at 3pm CET / 4 or 5pm EAT and is a hybrid event. Find an overview of the next OHGS here. Our Guest seminar series is open for all interested DRs, Master students, Postdocs or other scientists.

OH Lecture Series (OHLS)

This lecture series is created and conducted by RTG3096-PIs and their Kenyan partner PIs once per cohort. The OHLS teaches basic and advanced knowledge as well as open questions concerning immune responses / resistance to helminth infections, socio-economic and environmental aspects, the situation concerning drug resistance and modeling of infection dynamics as well as financial distress in the context of climate change and changes in political / health agendas.

The first OH lecture series will start in November 2026 and takes place every Wednesday at 9am CET / 11am EAT during the winter semester 2026/2027. You can download the detailed program here. Our lectures series is open for other interested scientists.

RTG Retreat

Once per year all DRs and PIs come together for networking and scientific exchange. During this two-day event, each DR has the opportunity to present and discuss their project. Guest speakers will also be invited to share their expertise.

In addition, there will be sessions for DRs and PIs only, so upcoming questions or challenges can be discussed in a smaller group together with the coordinator and the speaker of the graduate school. During breaks and social events, everyone will have time to connect, exchange ideas, and build networks.

Additional offers

• Seminar series Role Models in One Health and Global Health: Emphasizes the participation of (female) role models in academia worldwide who inform, advice and encourage the DRs about career paths. This series brings together a diverse science community informing about career paths in a colloquial atmosphere with a speaker including a career session after a scientific talk of the guest.
• Hot Topics in One Health Helminthology Colloquium: Particular advances, conceptual redirections, discrepancies and hard points are addressed via the RTG Hot Topics in One Health Helminthology Colloquium once a year. DRs and PIs together organize the colloquium (location, guests) and choose the topic in cooperation with our Kenyan partners and the Mercator fellow.
• Journal club: Journal clubs are likely the most common format of discussion of science and are established in all research institutes. Nevertheless, we want to integrate a bimonthly interdisciplinary journal club dedicated to publications adhering to the One Health concept.
• One Health workshop at an international conference: The DRs have chances to organize a helminthology-focused One Health workshop at an international conference, e.g., the One Health Conference or the One Health congress. DRs choose and invite key speakers, organize the schedule of the workshop and serve as session chairs.
• Tailored skills: Diverse method courses offered by the PIs of the RTG.
• Soft skill workshops: To further educate our DRs in the necessary soft skills, the RTG will organize different workshops, like "Self- and Time Management", "Career Options", Getting Funded" and statistic workshops.

With this range of RTG-specific educational elements, we aim to promote the One Health education and integration of the DRs into the scientific One Health community of infectious disease specialists.

Complementary offers

The RTG-specific educational program will be complemented by educational offers provided by the central FU Infrastructure and collaborating graduate research schools:

The Dahlem Research School (DRS) together with the member program Biomedical Sciences offers a wide variety of courses, lectures and seminars to the DRs.

Furthermore, RTG 3096 is a member program of the ZIBI Graduate School. This roof organization for Infection Biology and Immunity doctoral programs provides contacts and exchange between the doctoral programs dealing with infections and immunological topics hosted by the different Berlin research institutions. Our DRs benefit from joint meetings at ZIBI Students’ Days or at the ZIBI Retreat and take advantage of ZIBI-organized lecture series, workshops, the ZIBI summer school; and other events such as the yearly Science Ethic Politics (SEP) Day. RTG DRs can actively take part in the ZIBI curriculum and may organize ZIBI events (retreat, summer school).

Finally, the Berlin University Alliance provides special help with the "Kick-off your doctorate" retreat, writing weeks, the non-academic Career Day, different soft skill workshops and other formats.