Season’s Greetings

We have reached again the season in which many of us are getting ready to take time off and  wind down. And as always at the end of the year, we take the opportunity to look back at some of our highlights.

Much has happened in 2023, a year of comings and goings. In summer, we officially said goodbye to Anna Wienhard, who left after seven years as associated group leader at HITS to take up a position as director of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig. In May, we welcomed two Klaus Tschira Guest Professors, followed by the second HITS Independent Postdoc in October. Both programs reinforce international exchange and scientific collaboration at the institute.

We also had the pleasure to (finally) meet again with colleagues from other institutions and our alumni community at various on-site events on campus, such as the SIMPLAIX workshop with almost 100 participants in spring and the alumni meeting with 75 participants in summer.

And we look back with a sense of pride at what our scientists have achieved this year: Research highlights in 2023 – to name but two – covered some of the most mysterious objects in the Universe and the astonishing lengths collagen will go to when it comes to protecting its structural integrity.

On behalf of everyone at HITS we would like to thank all those who supported the institute throughout the year. Instead of sending gifts to our friends and partners, we have again decided to donate money to those who are less well off. And as in previous years, the Klaus Tschira Foundation has generously provided us with funds for this purpose, which will be equally shared between the “Bahnhofsmission” (Train Station Mission) Heidelberg and the “Street Docs” in Ludwigshafen, a project offering free medical care to people in need.

If you celebrate Christmas, we hope you enjoy the festivities. If not, we hope you can take the time to reflect and rest.

We wish you and your families and friends a successful, happy and healthy 2024 and look forward to seeing you in the New Year!