Best Thesis Award 2025
Congratulations!
Congratulations to the recipients of the GCB Best Thesis Award, which recognizes exceptional doctoral research and celebrates the achievements of our graduates and their supervisors. The awards were presented during the GCB Symposium, where the recipients' accomplishments were celebrated alongside the broader GCB community. Selected from a cohort of 135 doctoral graduates, the three awardees were honored for the outstanding quality, scientific excellence, and impact of their PhD research. Their achievements are also a testament to the dedication of the members of their thesis committees, who accompanied and supported the candidates throughout their doctoral journey. We wish the awardees every success in their future careers and look forward to seeing the impact of their continued contributions.
Highlights from the GCB Symposium
June 25, 2026
A Meaningful Welcome
This year's symposium opened with welcome remarks from GCB Study Program Director, PD Dr. Monica Schaller, who highlighted the impressive growth of the GCB and the importance of our annual symposium in advancing science, "one PhD at a time." With 565 registered PhD students (as of July 2026) representing 31 countries, we are proud to host an annual event that fosters meaningful connections, encourages the exchange of ideas, and broadens knowledge, helping to build a strong, scientifically-oriented community of students, professors, and researchers.
An Inspiring Program In addition to the impressive turnout of registered participants, talks, and poster presentations, this year's symposium featured an inspiring keynote lecture by Prof. Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD, from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine (UC San Diego). The program also included an engaging roundtable discussion on career development, moderated by Prof. Carmen Faso from the Institute of Cell Biology and the Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases at the University of Bern, as well as a presentation by Sara Dürr from the Academic Careers Office, who introduced University of Bern's new Portal for Junior Academics.
Take a look below for more memorable moments from this year's event
GCB Updates & Summer Hours
GCB Summer Office Hours
The GCB Office will be closed for the summer holidays from Monday, 20 July to Monday, 3 August 2026. Emails received during this period will be responded to after the office reopens. If your inquiry concerns a thesis, please submit any questions or required documents before 20 July. Please note that there will be no thesis support or email coverage during the holiday closure, and submissions received during this period will be addressed after the office reopens. Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you a wonderful summer!
PhD Consultation Meetings
Book a One-on-One Consultation After the summer holidays, the GCB will introduce a new way to connect with our team. Rather than joining Zoom consultation meetings via a shared link, students will be able to book individual 15-minute appointments with a GCB team member. We'll share more details on our website soon, so keep an eye out for updates! In the meantime, please note that no consultation meetings will be held during the summer period. Consultations will resume after the holidays using the new booking system.
GCB Application Process
Application and Confirmation of Supervision
Please submit your signed Confirmation of Supervision at least one month before your employment start date. This allows sufficient time for processing.
For GCB Applications, please ensure that:
- All required documents are included.
- Your application is complete, as incomplete applications cannot be processed.
- All documents are combined into one single PDF file.
Spotlight: Proteintech Learning Portal
Looking to build your research skills? Proteintech offers a range of free educational resources designed specifically for early-career researchers.
Explore the Learning Portal to access information on online workshops and career-focused events covering practical laboratory techniques, data analysis, and professional development topics to help support your PhD journey.