Prof. Dr. Meytal Landau

W3 Professur

Was hat Ihr Interesse an einer wissenschaftlichen Karriere bzw. Ihr Berufsfeld geweckt?

It started at the age of 6 in which I wondered how drugs work. During pharmacology training I fell in love with protein structure and dynamics. Today I am a structural biologist.

Wollten Sie schon immer Professorin werden?

From the Bachelors. I liked academia and thinking about science.

Was begeistert Sie als Professorin noch immer?

Mentoring lab members, little discoveries on protein behaviours, brainstorming about hypothesis and results, strategies for larger projects involving multiple institutes and fields.

Was gefällt Ihnen an der Arbeit als Professorin?

Ever growing and changing job.

Was gefällt Ihnen nicht ganz so gut an Ihrer Arbeit?

Admin and forms. Sometimes the responsibilities and assignment, which dont allow taking some break is too exhausting.

Gab es kritische Phasen im Laufe Ihrer Karriere, und wie sind Sie damit umgegangen?

Decision making on where in the world to be located/relocated. I followed what decision will have a better feelings even if the rational is indecisive.

Welches sind die Schwerpunkte Ihrer Forschung?

Structure, function and mechanisms of functional protein fibrils involved ininfectious and neurodegenerative diseases.

Muss man sich, Ihrer Meinung nach schon in einer sehr frühen Karrierephase dafür entscheiden, den Weg zur Professur einzuschlagen?

Its not a total must, but it helps being an arrow to the target.

Wie würden Sie die Vereinbarkeit ihres Berufes mit Freizeit und Familie einschätzen?

Poor. No time for much, but still doable with some prioritization and compromises.

Erzählen Sie uns gerne kurz von einem ganz besonderen Moment in Ihrer Karriere.

A discovery in which I understood that some dogmas can be broken. Many discoveries, big or small, lead to a huge excitement of wanting already to share it with the world.

Welche Unterstützungsangebote auf dem Weg zur Professur waren für Sie sehr hilfreich? Gab es eine Person, die Sie inspiriert hat?

My PhD and postdoc mentors gave me a lot of freedom and independence which were critical for my development. Lab members along the way allowed my to enjoy the routine and to have mind provoking discussions.

Welches sind Ihre zukünftigen Visionen, was wollen Sie im Weiteren erreichen?

To see my lab members leave the nest and finding the right path for them.To have more discoveries. To grow into additional roles with more impact on science and politics.

Was würden Sie gerne jungen Wissenschaftlerinnen und Studierenden mit auf den Weg geben?

My advice is to constantly reflect. On what does good for you, where you can observe situations in which fear holds you back, and work on that, to enjoy the little things on the way to a big goal, whether it comes or not, not to get lost in experiments but to constantly think about the questions and goals. To be honest with what you like doing, good at, your willing to invest, and to compromise, and what you are really passionate about.