Job Shadowing
In 2022, the NextGenMedChem Group of the GDCh Division of Medicinal Chemistry invited all poster awardees of the Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry conference to a Job Shadowing Event for the first time. Due to the positive response, this offering was added to the Division's permanent events programme; the event is generally organised by industrial members of the NextGenMedChem Group. The event gives early-career researchers an insight into the day-to-day work of a medicinal chemist in industry.
The 2025 job shadowing event organised by the GDCh Division of Medicinal Chemistry was held on 29 and 30 October, hosted by AbbVie. All poster award recipients from the 2025 Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry conference – Markus Müller (TU Dresden), Katharina Meisel (University of Mainz), Fabian Ertl (University of Regensburg), Taha El-Jourani (TU Braunschweig), and Katharina Distler (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg) – were invited to AbbVie’s research site in Ludwigshafen.
During their visit, participants gained valuable insights into the daily work of medicinal chemists and explored different career opportunities within the field. They toured laboratories and other research facilities, and through interactions with experts in fields such as biology, computational chemistry, and DMPK, the participants experienced first-hand how interdisciplinary teams collaborate on drug discovery projects. The event was described as an exceptional and eye-opening experience, providing a realistic perspective on how drug discovery is conducted in industry.
The 2026 job shadowing event, organised by the NextGenMedChem group within the Division of Medicinal Chemistry, will be hosted by Sanofi (Frankfurt am Main) and Merck KGaA (Darmstadt).
“My job shadowing day at AbbVie in Ludwigshafen was a truly inspiring experience. The day was very well organised, and the team was incredibly welcoming, taking their time to give insights into AbbVie’s research and development processes and their daily responsibilities. This gave me an impression of how the different teams in Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, DMPK, and Computational Chemistry work together to efficiently advance their research projects. Furthermore, the open and engaging conversations provided valuable career advice and personal perspectives that I want to integrate into my own journey. I am genuinely thankful for this opportunity and for the valuable impressions and inspiration it gave me for my own career path.” (Katharina Distler, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)
“It was an amazing experience! We had the chance to gain valuable insights into the daily work of various drug discovery departments at one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Everyone did a fantastic job presenting the different fields and career opportunities at AbbVie. Due to the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, we felt comfortable asking all kinds of questions without hesitation. Thanks to everyone involved for this great and inspiring day!” (Taha El-Jourani, TU Braunschweig)
“The job shadowing was very exciting and a great opportunity to gain deeper insights into the pharmaceutical industry. Presentations and lab tours provided us with a lot of information and impressions about R&D in industry, and Q&A sessions led to helpful tips for our own careers. Personally, all of my important questions about industry were answered during the two days, and I was able to figure out what I want and where I want to go in my own career.” (Fabian Ertl, University of Regensburg)
“For someone who only knows the academic world, it was a unique opportunity to gain insights into how drug design works in a company. I gained valuable information about the different departments, which helps me to picture myself in some of them and not in others. Seeing how excited you all are about your jobs gave me a boost of motivation for my PhD. The open and kind atmosphere made me feel comfortable asking any questions, also about job interviews and recruitment at AbbVie. A highlight for me was the MedChem quiz, which I think should be a regular training session for all PhD students in MedChem.” (Katharina Meisel, University of Mainz)
The 2023 job shadowing event of the GDCh Division of Medicinal Chemistry took place on 26 and 27 July and was hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim (organiser: Christian Kuttruff). All poster awardees of the 2023 Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry conference, Tonia Kirschner (TU Dortmund University), Max Huber (University of Erlangen), Lukas Schneider (University of Zurich), and Josef Braun (TU München) were invited to Boehringer Ingelheim’s main research site in Biberach an der Riss, Germany. During their visit, the participants gained insights into the daily work of a medicinal chemist and the diverse career paths available in the field. They also had the chance to tour the company’s laboratories, including the parallel synthesis and process research facilities. This allowed them to understand how collaborative research project teams operate within the industry. The students appreciated this exceptional experience, which offered a realistic perspective on job profiles in the industry that might otherwise remain unclear before applying for positions outside academia. The event was deemed a great success, and the NextGenMedChem group plans to continue the job shadowing event, with Bayer as the host in 2024.
"I really enjoyed it. There was a great and varied programme with presentations, discussion rounds, and (lab) tours. It was fascinating to see how many different experts collaborate in modern drug research, which was beautifully illustrated by the 3D session. It was great that many of you, especially from different areas, took the time for us and answered our questions in a relaxed atmosphere. Overall, the event was a fantastic experience and provided many interesting impressions of how research in medicinal chemistry works in the industry." (Max Huber, University of Erlangen)
“For me, the most interesting or helpful thing was to see how teams are formed and work together in everyday life, and what the laboratories look like (compared with a university). And of course, all the tips regarding applications." (Tonia Kirschner, TU Dortmund University)
"The day at Boehringer Ingelheim was very exciting. We gained valuable insights into the work of a medicinal chemist and into Boehringer Ingelheim as a leading pharmaceutical company." (Josef Braun, TU München)
The poster prize awardees of the Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry conference 2022, Joscha Meiers (Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland), Suzanne Willems (TU Dortmund University), Anja Vogelmann (University of Freiburg), Kirujan Jeyakumar (TU Dortmund University), and EFMC mentee Phani Kumar Nekkanti attended the first ever job shadowing event offered by the NextGenMedChem group of the Division of Medicinal Chemistry. Invited by Sanofi (Frankfurt am Main, María Méndez Pérez) and Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Tatjana Ross), the awardees had the chance to meet medicinal chemists and visit the laboratories at both companies. During their stay they gained insights into what a typical working day for a medicinal chemist looks like and how varied the career paths of these colleagues can be. As medicinal chemistry is a highly interdisciplinary research area, the awardees also met scientists from computational chemistry and pharmacology to gain insights into how collaborative research project teams work in industry. The students described this opportunity as a unique event that helps to provide a realistic impression of job profiles in industry, which otherwise remain very vague before applying for a job outside academia. Overall, it felt like a great success and the NextGenMedChem group plans to continue with this event in 2023.
“It did not so much change my view of medicinal chemistry; in the end, it is a very collaborative research area, which was confirmed once again during these two days. But it showed how enthusiastic scientists are about developing something new.” Suzanne Willems
“Expertise in chemistry is not the only deciding factor in becoming a successful MedChem scientist. Effective project management skills, collaboration skills and cross-functional communication skills play a major role. The overall experience is very valuable. If you get a chance, don’t miss it.” Phani Kumar Nekkanti
“I would highly recommend attending events like this. Otherwise, you would never get to see the facilities, experience what life at an industry site is like, and, most importantly, get in contact with experienced and renowned scientists in the field.” Kirujan Jeyakumar
| Year | Company | Organisation |
| 2022 | Sanofi (Frankfurt am Main) Merck KGaA (Darmstadt) | María Méndez Pérez |
| 2023 | Boehringer Ingelheim (Biberach) | Christian Kuttruff |
| 2024 | Nuvisan (Berlin) | Dr. Felix Pape |
| 2025 | AbbVie Deutschland (Ludwigshafen) | Marta Pinto |