5,000th Alumni member
While the EMBL alumni community is made up of nearly 10,000 former staff, only those registered with the EMBL Alumni Association (EAA) can make full use of the benefits, event invitations and news updates available to former staff.
December 2020 represented a major milestone in the growth of this vibrant and mutually-beneficial network, as alumnus Dmitry Richter became the 5,000th registered EAA member. To mark the occasion, we spoke to Dmitry about the effect EMBL has had on his career, and what he’s up to now.
About Dmitry
Age: 28
Nationality: Russian
Then: EMBL Heidelberg Masters Student, Prevedel Group, 2016-17
Now: PhD Student, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
Dmitry Richter is a researcher with experience in the medical and biotechnology industry, specifically with the following methods: Optical Coherence Tomography, Microscopy, Laser ablation and Spectroscopy. Aside from science, he is passionate about science communication, teaching and breakdancing.
Q What do you remember most from your time at EMBL?
A Personally, the quality of the friendships I made. Professionally, the collaborative nature of the whole institute and with it the associated scientific professionalism. One thing I appreciate most about EMBL is the existence of an overall philosophy which connects the people within the institute.
Q How did your time at EMBL set you up for your career since you left?
A During my period at EMBL as a student, I learned everything I needed to make the transition from a book-smart student to a benchtop scientist. I was privileged to have great mentors, friends and collaborators at EMBL who taught me to work, think and collaborate like a scientist.
Q What are you working on now?
A I am currently pursuing a PhD at the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital where I am developing new optical technologies for intravital imaging. My main project deals with whole long bone imaging in mice; a very tedious task as bone happen to possess unfavourable optical properties.
Q What do you hope to achieve in your career?
A To become a great mentor, like some of those I was lucky enough to have as a student at EMBL!
The EMBL alumni community comprises of all those who have worked at EMBL, EMBO, EMBLEM, EMBL Ventures as well as current and former EMBL Council delegates and SAC members.
If you would like to join, please contact the EMBL Alumni Relations team. If you do not find your colleagues listed in the EMBL Alumni Directory, then they are not yet members. Please do encourage them to join by contacting us.
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