To begin with, could you each briefly introduce your research here at the Leibniz-HKI?

Wolfgang: I’m interested in how the host adapts to severe bacterial infections. I hypothesize that phenotypic changes often considered detrimental during infection may, in fact, represent evolutionarily selected adaptive processes. Many of these changes are driven by metabolic adaptations. My research focuses on understanding these metabolic responses and how they evolve over the course of infection. That’s really what drives my research here – understanding how the body reacts under this extreme physiological stress.

Dolly: I previously worked with Mucorales during my PhD, which are human pathogenic fungi, and I studied how they interact with human monocytes, professional immune cells of our body. I focused on fungal clearance and how we could enhance it. Now I’ve switched to the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans and to macrophages. I want to see how Candida adapts to the strategies macrophages use to clear the fungus. So it’s still host-pathogen interaction, but with a different organism and different immune cells.

You both come from Venezuela, right? How did you decide to study biology back then?

Wolfgang: Yes, we’re both from Venezuela. And for many years I had been interested in human medicine. When I was accepted into biology, I focused on how pathogens make people sick. That really sparked something in me. Later I discovered immunology, and I became very focused on this field – the complexity, the mechanisms, everything. I did my Master thesis on the immunology of HIV infections, and eventually I moved to Jena, where I completed my PhD.

What led you to focus on HIV? That’s quite specific.

Wolfgang: Back home, most people worked on parasite infections like Trypanosoma, for example. HIV, although important, wasn’t explored as much. The project I joined went very deep into basic immunology, and that was exactly what I wanted. So I thought: this is the perfect topic for me.

How was it for you to adapt to German culture and daily life?

Dolly: It took some time, but we arrived excited. We knew the culture would be different. But people were friendlier than we expected. Jena being an international university city helped a lot. And we found German friends quite quickly.

Wolfgang: We were also supported a lot when we arrived by people like Katja Präfke from the JSMC, and later Christine Vogler here. Back home, people are very warm from the very first moment, they are hugging, kissing, and so on. Here, people are more reserved (laughs), but when you make friends, they become very good friends indeed.

Dolly: And there are many rules. Not only official rules, but unspoken ones – things you only learn by doing them. But since we came with open minds, we adapted.

Is there anything you miss from Venezuela? And something you especially appreciate here?

Dolly: We miss the sunlight. Winter was a big change, it definitely affects your mood. Something I appreciate here is that things just work. Because there are rules, things function.

Wolfgang: Yes – everything works, and that is comforting. We also miss our families and friends, but we see them at least once a year. Dolly’s parents moved to Colombia, so that’s where we can meet all together. And of course, we miss the food as well. Fresh tropical fruits like mangoes or pineapples are different here. And avocados are extremely cheap where we come from! But we call Germany our home now. We feel comfortable, we’re integrated, we have German, South American, and international friends.

You have a young son together. How do you manage to combine academic work and family life?

Wolfgang: There are pros and cons. The best thing is the flexibility in time. We can decide who picks him up, and who stays longer at work. That helps a lot when you don’t have family support around. But the other side is that boundaries are hard. When our kid goes to sleep, we often start working again – writing, reading, and always thinking about the next steps.

Dolly: When I was finishing my PhD, I already had my son, and I questioned whether I should stay in academia. The JSMC career programs helped me a lot with that decision. And I was lucky that both my mentors had families, so they understood what it means when your child is suddenly sick or when something unexpected happens. That made a huge difference.

Do you sometimes explain your work to your son?

Wolfgang: We try. (smiles) We read books. There’s a nice one called “Biology for toddlers” with very basic concepts, and sometimes, when we need to come to the lab on weekends, we bring him and show him machines, shakers, microscopes. Now that he’s three, he’s starting to understand and gets curious.

Dolly: Sometimes we also watch simple science videos on YouTube with him.

And what else do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Dolly: I really enjoy drawing. When I draw digitally, it’s often for science communication, to make things easier to understand for a lay audience. I used to paint on canvas with acrylics as well, and I used to sew my own clothes. But I can’t do that at the moment because the sewing machine is so loud and would wake my child up in the night.

Wolfgang: Oh, I have many hobbies! I love reading, above all high fantasy novels from authors like Brandon Sanderson. I play the guitar. I also like cooking and baking, especially sourdough bread. And we spend a lot of time with our son, of course. Sometimes we realize that we enjoy the same games he enjoys, like building Legos, which is fun. (laughs)

If you could make one suggestion to better support scientists with families, what would it be?

Dolly: Childcare. Especially for internationals coming with their families. Publications are the currency in academia, and you need time to prepare them. Children get sick often and maternity leave also creates gaps where it is difficult to publish. Some policies are changing, but the gap is still there. And also at meetings, childcare is important. At a recent conference, Wolfgang stayed with our son the whole time. It was possible, but a huge effort, because there was no childcare.

Wolfgang: Families bring uncertainty. Sometimes your kid gets sick and you simply can’t do what you planned. It’s important to be open about that. And parents should look for support in their environment, like other families in similar situations.

Dolly: It also creates more social connections. We became closer to colleagues and neighbors because our kids play together. More awareness of family dynamics in academia would help many scientists.

Looking ahead, what do you hope for – scientifically and personally?

Dolly: We would like to stay in Germany, preferably in Jena, but we are open to moving because of the reality of academic contracts. Our goal is to continue in academia and maybe have our own groups one day. We want stability for our son. And we hope to travel more. (smiles)

Wolfgang: Mostly we travel within Europe, or to Colombia. But conferences also allow us to see new places.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Dolly: I think mentors are key to keeping people in academia. Since high school, through my PhD and now, I’ve had amazing mentors like Kerstin Voigt or Mark Gresnigt. Without them, I might not have stayed. Being a mentor is not the same as being a boss. It makes a big difference.