Connecting Early‑Career Researchers Across Continents
As part of the ARTEMIS programme, MPI‑IE hosted early‑career researchers from Africa for an intensive four‑week research and mentoring stay.
In autumn 2025, MPI‑IE hosted four ARTEMIS fellows from Africa for a four‑week research stay. Working closely with their mentors, they gained hands‑on laboratory experience, developed research projects, and strengthened international scientific exchange.
In autumn 2025, the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics (MPI‑IE) welcomed four early‑career researchers from across Africa as part of the ARTEMIS – African Research Talents Experiencing Mentoring in Science programme of the Max Planck Society. For four intensive weeks, the fellows worked closely with their mentors at MPI‑IE, gaining hands‑on research experience while strengthening international scientific exchange.
The ARTEMIS fellows — Naaman Ondego Arodi (Kenya), Solange Dabou (Cameroon), Welbeck Odame Dzadey (Ghana), and Abdulfetah Kedir (Ethiopia) — were hosted in the laboratories of Ayele Argaw Denboba, Asifa Akhtar by Juan Alfonso Martinez Greene (PhD), and the lab of Nicola Iovino by Dr. Joshi Manish. Embedded in ongoing research projects, the visitors were introduced to advanced experimental approaches and benefited from close day‑to‑day interaction with their mentors and lab teams.
During their stay, the fellows combined theoretical knowledge with practical laboratory work. Several of them gained their first direct experience in cell culture and expanded their technical skill set to include methods such as western blotting, Sanger sequencing, CRISPR‑Cas9 gene editing, and RNA‑Seq data analysis. Beyond learning individual techniques, the focus was on understanding experimental design, data interpretation, and the integration of new methods into their own research projects.
A distinctive feature of this ARTEMIS stay was that all mentor–mentee pairs were present at the institute at the same time. This created a lively and supportive environment that extended beyond individual lab work. Regular informal exchanges, joint discussions, and shared experiences fostered a sense of community and enabled participants to learn from each other across disciplinary and cultural boundaries.
Building International Research Networks Through Mentorship
While scientific training was central, the programme also emphasized broader professional development. Fellows worked with their mentors to refine research questions, develop project ideas, and strengthen their scientific communication skills. Presenting and discussing their work in an international research environment helped build confidence and provided valuable perspectives for future career steps. Mentors likewise benefited from the exchange. Engaging with researchers from different academic systems and research contexts opened up new scientific perspectives and reinforced the value of mentoring as a reciprocal process. The ARTEMIS programme is explicitly designed to promote mutual learning, allowing both mentors and mentees to grow professionally and personally through sustained interaction.
The successful visit at MPI‑IE highlights the core idea behind ARTEMIS: building long‑term, trust‑based mentoring relationships that support early‑career researchers while strengthening international research networks. By combining structured mentoring with a funded research stay, the programme contributes to the development of the next generation of scientists and fosters lasting connections between Max Planck Institutes and partner institutions in Africa.
We're already looking forward to the next ARTEMIS round!
To learn more about the ARTEMIS Mentorship Programme and upcoming application round, please visit this website or contact artemis@gv.mpg.de. Deadline for the next round is April 13, 2026.