Job Shadowing
Im Jahr 2022 lud die NextGenMedChem-Gruppe der GDCh-Fachgruppe Medizinische Chemie erstmals alle Poster-Awardees der Konferenz Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry zu einem Job Shadowing Event ein. Aufgrund der positiven Resonanz wurde dieses Angebot in das ständige Veranstaltungsprogramm der Fachgruppe aufgenommen; die Organisation liegt in der Regel bei industriellen Mitgliedern der NextGenMedChem-Gruppe. Das Event ermöglicht dem wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs Einblicke in den Arbeitsalltag eines Medizinalchemikers in der Industrie.
In 2026, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and Sanofi, Frankfurt am Main, Germany hosted a job-shadowing experience for the winners of the FiMC 2026 Poster Prize.
The first day took place at Merck KGaA in Darmstadt. The students began with an inspiring tour of the automation laboratories within the Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design department. This was followed by a working lunch with lab heads from a range of functions, including Medicinal Chemistry, DMPK, Discovery Pharmacology, Automation Chemistry, and ADC Chemistry.
During this highly interactive session, the experts shared their individual career journeys, described their day-to-day responsibilities, and offered valuable insights into the diverse opportunities available in pharmaceutical research and development.
The program continued with a visit to the proteomics laboratory, followed by guided tours of the dispensary, the high-throughput laboratory, and the internal compound pool storage facility. These visits gave the students an engaging behind-the-scenes look at the technologies, processes, and collaborative work that support drug discovery.
In the evening, colleagues from Sanofi joined the group for a lively networking dinner. It was an excellent opportunity for the students to exchange ideas, ask questions, and connect with professionals from both organizations in a relaxed atmosphere.
The second day of the job-shadowing experience was hosted by Sanofi in Frankfurt am Main, opening with a presentation offering a candid look at the Day in the Life of a Medicinal Chemist. Throughout the day, students were guided through the full DMTA (Design-Make-Test-Analyze) cycle, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how compounds are conceived, optimized, and tested through the early stages of drug discovery.
The day's program included visits to the In Vitro Biology laboratories, as well as tours of the Integrated Design and Automated Chemistry facilities. A particular highlight was the opportunity to experience how Sanofi's scientists design and visualize compounds using virtual reality technology within the Synthetic Molecular Design team — a striking demonstration of how cutting-edge digital tools are being integrated into modern drug discovery workflows. The visit also introduced students to a distinct and highly specialized area of pharmaceutical research, isotope chemistry, offering a fascinating perspective on the breadth of chemistry disciplines that contribute to the development of new medicines. The day concluded with an engaging round table discussion, where the students asked their burning questions about applications, interviews, and careers in the pharmaceutical chemistry.
On behalf of Merck KGaA and Sanofi, it was a privilege to welcome such talented and motivated young scientists. We extend our congratulations once again to all of the FiMC 2026 Poster Prize winners!
The 2025 job shadowing event organized by the GDCh Division of Medicinal Chemistry was held on October 29th and 30th, 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 firsthand 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 the industry.
The 2026 job shadowing event, organized 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 organized, 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 of 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 inspirations 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 career. 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, Universität 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 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 July 26th and 27th and was hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim (organizer: Christian Kuttruff). All poster awardees of the Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry conference 2023, Tonia Kirschner (TU Dortmund), Max Huber (University 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 laboratories at the company, including 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 of academia. The event was deemed a great success, and the NextGenMedChem group plans to continue the job shadowing event with Bayer being the host for 2024.
"I really enjoyed it. There was a great and varied program 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 Erlangen)
“For me, the most interesting or helpful thing was to see how teams are formed and work together in everyday life, and how the laboratories look (compared to university). And of course, all the tips regarding applications." (Tonia Kirschner, TU Dortmund)
"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), Anja Vogelmann (University of Freiburg), Kirujan Jeyakumar (TU Dortmund), 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 how a general workday of a medicinal chemist looks like and how different the career paths of these colleagues might be. As medicinal chemistry is a very interdisciplinary research area the awardees also met scientists from computational chemistry and pharmacology to gain insights in how collaborative research project teams work in industry. The students acknowledged this opportunity as a unique event that helps to gain a realistic impression on job profiles in industry which otherwise stays very vague before applying for a job outside of 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 on medicinal chemistry, in the end it is very collaborative research area that was confirmed once again during these two days. But it showed how enthusiastic scientist are about developing something new.” Suzanne Willems
“Expertise in chemistry is not the only deciding factor to be 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, feel what life at an industry site is like, and most importantly, get in contact with experienced and renowned scientists in the field.” Kirujan Jeyakumar
| Jahr | Firma | Organisation |
| 2022 | Sanofi (Frankfurt am Main) Merck KGaA (Darmstadt) | María Méndez Pérez Tatjana Ross |
| 2023 | Boehringer Ingelheim (Biberach) | Christian Kuttruff |
| 2024 | Nuvisan (Berlin) | Dr. Felix Pape |
| 2025 | AbbVie Deutschland (Ludwigshafen) | Marta Pinto |
| 2026 | Sanofi (Frankfurt am Main) Merck KGaA (Darmstadt) | Tatjana Ross Anika Tarasewicz |