Annual PhaNuSpo Retreat 2025
On the 25-26 September 2025, we travelled to Frankenfels, Lower Austria, to spend two days full of learning, building connections and having a break in wonderful Austrian nature.
The first day was dedicated to research. After a warm welcome by the Head of PhaNuSpo Jürgen König and our executive manager Isolde Prommer, we started our scientific programme with a keynote lecture by Ulrike Felt, on the significance of scientific communication.
What was so interestingly presented in theory, could we quickly implement in practice during the poster sessions. With 34 posters to choose from, it was quite a challenge for our jury to select the top five. Congratulations to (fltr) Alexander Pürzel (represented on the photo by Hans Kainz), Johannes Gafriller, Michelle Slunecko, Katharina Riffelsberger and Clara Egner!
A big thank you to Marietta Zille, the head of the jury, and all the other jury members.: Jury A - Anna Lena Aufschnaiter, Laura Bocanegra Gomez, Amin Chetouani, Kristina Englert, Silvia Weiss and Barbara Wessner; Jury B - Anja Baumann, David Nader, Isabella Presch, Stefan Schulreich and Anne Weber.
We finished the day with the small party – a reminder that a PhD is as much about the research, as it is about the scientists we meet along the way.
On the second day, we were divided into two groups – PIs and Postdocs were talking to the coach and psychotherapist Markus Böckle about the high-quality supervision, while the PhD candidates had an opportunity to meet three experts from industry: Petra Burger (Nu), Isabella Presch (Pha) and Christoph Triska (Spo). After lunch, the PhD candidates either took part in the quizes organised by our student representatives Izabela Skowrońska and Laureta Gashi or had the opportunity to talk to and to record with our podcasters, Hari Baskar Balasubramanian and Anar Batzorig. Our PIs and Postdocs spent the afternoon talking to Lucas Zinner and Charlotte Birnbaum-Nyberg about the Postdoc Initiative at the University of Vienna.
We were delighted to welcome Marcel van der Heyden, a valued member of the PhaNuSpo Scientific Advisory Board, who accompanied us throughout the programme and provided valuable feedback.
On the behalf of the Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences, we would like to thank the speakers, presenters, jury members, attendees and everyone, who helped with the organisation of this event! It wouldn't have been possible without you.
Above all, we hope that our annual retreat was a chance to take a break from the routines of university life, to exchange ideas, strengthen connections between PhD candidates, supervisors, and invited experts - and to enjoy a well-deserved moment of inspiration and fun together.
Download
- Public short programme brochure
- Detailed full programme including a list of participants, etc. (Intranet)
- Retreat feedback (Intranet)
Retreat impressions
© VDS PhaNuSpo - Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences