Nevan Krogan, Director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at the University of California, San Francisco (USA), has been appointed an Einstein Visiting Fellow in collaboration with our group led by of Christian Freund at Freie Universität Berlin. The fellowship further consolidates our long-standing scientific partnership and reinforces transatlantic collaboration in quantitative and systems-level biosciences.

The Einstein Visiting Fellowship supports Nevan Krogan’s engagement in Berlin over multiple years building on a series of successful joint initiatives between UCSF and Freie Universität Berlin. These include earlier QBI–FUB symposia and most recently the QBI–FUB Symposium 2024, which brought together researchers from both institutions to explore shared interests at the interface of molecular biology, proteomics, structural biology, and data-driven approaches.

Scientifically, the collaboration focuses on developing technology-driven, disease-agnostic research pipelines that integrate complementary expertise across institutions. Key areas include integrative structural proteomics, advanced mass spectrometry, cryo-electron microscopy, and artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to analyze complex biological systems. By combining experimental and computational strengths, the partnership aims to generate mechanistic insights that are broadly applicable across multiple disease areas.

The fellowship also strengthens connections with existing collaborative structures in Berlin, including TRR186, and contributes to a broader Heidelberg–Berlin–San Francisco research network. Through coordinated exchanges, joint events, and shared infrastructure, the initiative supports the mobility of researchers and fosters long-term institutional alignment between UCSF and Berlin-based research environments.

Beyond its scientific objectives, the Einstein Visiting Fellowship underscores the strategic importance of international collaboration in addressing complex biological questions. By formalizing and expanding an already active partnership, the fellowship creates a framework for sustained cooperation, shared training opportunities, and the development of joint research initiatives with global reach.

In the photo: Nevan Krogan with Christian Freund and Günter M. Ziegler at Freie Universität Berlin as part of the Einstein Visiting Fellowship.

References and further information

• Nevan Krogan – UCSF Faculty Profile: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/nevan.krogan
• QBI–Freie Universität Berlin Symposium (2019): https://qbi.ucsf.edu/qbi-fuberlin-may19
• QBI–FUB Integrative Mechanistic Biology Symposium (2024):https://qbi.ucsf.edu/qbi-fub-symposium-2024
• Einstein Visiting Fellowship Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ2V1IrX7y0