Jochen Rink

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.