News | 12/06/2025

Connecting for Change

FAME networking event brings together women in medical research

"Connecting for Change" - that was the motto of the FAME network meeting in May. Over 150 female professors, group leaders, postdocs, doctoral candidates and students from the Faculty of Medicine at LMU Munich came together to exchange ideas. They are part of the FAME network - Female Academic Excellence in Medicine - which is committed to scientific excellence, visibility and structural change - so that more women take on responsibility and leadership roles in academic medicine.

"With FAME, we regularly organize events to network young female scientists with experienced female researchers," says Prof. Marion Subklewe, FAME speaker, University Professor of Cellular Immunotherapy and Senior Physician in Haematology and Oncology at LMU Hospital. This is because more than 60 percent of students in the Faculty of Medicine at LMU Hospital are currently female. At the same time, less than ten percent of chairs and only a quarter of university professorships are held by women.

"With FAME, we want to actively change the current situation and enable more women to take the step into research careers. The main way to do this is through networking and exchanging ideas with role models, i.e. people who have faced exactly the same challenges as you," says Subklewe.

Like Lilly Reik (photo right): She is a doctor and researches vascular diseases at the Medical Clinic and Polyclinic IV. "Research is simply more fun together," she says, "which makes it all the more important for me to take part in network meetings, get to know other researchers and exchange ideas."

At this year's event, there were talks on careers, leadership roles, mentoring and resilience. Lilly Reik had her young daughter with her this year. "I'm glad that I was able to take my daughter with me, because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to attend this event," she says. "Even though it's not always easy with a baby at such events, I took away inspiration, role models and everyday tips for my career in research, especially as a new mother."

"FAME thrives on exchange and networking - we welcome all female doctors and scientists interested in research who are inspired by our events, impulses and topics and would like to become part of the FAME community," says Subklewe.

Further information: Website of the FAME_Network

Another network is the FEMclub, which is open to all women from the natural sciences.

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