![Jochen Rink Jochen Rink](/640168/header_image-1591179490.jpg?t=eyJ3aWR0aCI6ODQ4LCJmaWxlX2V4dGVuc2lvbiI6ImpwZyIsIm9ial9pZCI6NjQwMTY4fQ%3D%3D--e97a8678d65fd71cead9f087686961797225cd15)
Jochen Rink
Director
jochen.rink@mpinat.mpg.de
Tel. +49 551 201-26100
I have been interested in all the things that run, crawl, fly or swim for as long as I can remember. My undergraduate studies of “Natural Sciences” at Cambridge University were consequently a rather natural choice. Thereafter, I joined Marino Zerial at the MPI-CBG in Dresden for my Ph.D. on intracellular membrane trafficking. I still consider the time in Marino’s lab as my scientific upbringing and consequently remain a molecular cell biologist at heart. Motivated by excellent paragliding opportunities in the vicinity and the amazing ability of planarian flatworms to regenerate entire beings from tiny tissue pieces, I joined Alejandro Sanchez-Alvarado for my postdoctoral research in Salt Lake City, Utah. I have remained a Planarianologist ever since, throughout the 9 years as a group leader at the MPI-CBG in Dresden and now as Planarianologist-In-Chief of the department of tissue dynamics and regeneration. Given that I get to drag worms out of the brook and return them to the lab for molecular analysis, this is pretty close to my dream job.