Interdisciplinary Research - Team Spirit and Effective Communication

In her essay in the "Die Denkerinnen" issue of the LaborJournal, Prof. Ursula Klingmüller makes it clear that interdisciplinary research cannot succeed without team spirit and effective communication. For this reason, communication skills should be fostered as early as during one's undergraduate studies.

Systems biology/ systems medicine analyzes the interactions between medical and biological processes and their effects on the entire system. This field utilizes mathematical modeling and experimental or clinical data. This leads to new avenues for diagnosis and treatment that take into account, for example, shared or divergent mechanisms and processes that result in different disease progression and treatment responses in men and women. In systems biology, individuals from various research fields collaborate. For this interdisciplinary research to succeed, team spirit and effective communication are essential, fostering a culture of cooperation and mutual respect.

“In an interdisciplinary network, it is therefore essential that all members do their part to the best of their ability and thus jointly take responsibility for the project's progress. At the same time, however, they must trust that their contribution will be valued and recognized."

Interested? Learn more here (available in german only):
https://www.laborjournal.de/epaper/LJ_24_07.pdf