From Greifswald to Harvard

Since June, Dr. Iris Blotenberg, postdoctoral researcher in the research group of Prof. René Thyrian at the DZNE site in Rostock/Greifswald, has been conducting research at the renowned Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston. Her six-month stay is enabled by the Walter Benjamin Program of the German Research Foundation (DFG). In this interview, the psychologist talks about her research on the digital detection of early cognitive changes, the scientific environment at Harvard Medical School, and how she balances international research and family life. Iris Blotenberg also offers helpful tips for early-career scientists who are considering an international research phase themselves.
 

What motivated you to apply for the DFG's Walter Benjamin Program, and why did you choose Harvard as your host institution? Did you already have a collaboration with Harvard?

On the one hand, I wanted to experience the research culture in the US, and on the other hand, I wanted to focus my scientific work more on the topics of diagnostics of early cognitive changes, remote digital assessments, and computational modeling. The BRANCH Lab quickly became the focal point of my considerations – its methodological orientation and its close integration with the Harvard Aging Brain Study make it an ideal fit for my project. While I had no direct collaboration with Harvard before, I was able to draw on networks and insights from my academic environment. Prof. René Thyrian, my research group leader, encouraged me and provided me with comprehensive support from the very beginning. He himself benefited greatly from research stays in the US. David Berron, my mentor from the DZNE's “Excellence in Science” program, also provided me with intensive advice. He has been collaborating with Harvard Medical School for years and recommended the BRANCH Lab. There are several very good programs for stays abroad in the US. I was particularly interested in the Walter Benjamin Program of the DFG and the Fulbright Program of the US government – and I was accepted into both. The decision was not easy, but in the end I opted for the Walter Benjamin Program and can recommend it wholeheartedly: It offers a lot of flexibility, emphasizes individual support, the review process was transparent and efficient, and there is comparatively generous family support, for example for childcare.

What is your current research project about, and how does it fit into your previous scientific work?

My project focuses on BRANCH – the Boston Remote Assessment for NeuroCognitive Health – a digital test battery for detecting early cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease. This test battery was administered over several years in the Harvard Aging Brain Study, so that it is now possible to investigate longitudinal cognitive trajectories depending on biomarker status. In my project, I examine how subtle cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease develop over time. This project also builds on my previous scientific work, such as my doctoral thesis, which focused on the psychometrics of cognitive performance tests, and my postdoctoral project, in which I use longitudinal statistical methods to analyze the progression of dementia symptoms in relation to lifestyle factors.

Which opportunities does Harvard offer you for your research that are particularly valuable for your project

The scientific environment here is outstanding and offers ideal conditions for my research project. Countless established and aspiring scientists conduct research here. The teams are international and the research projects are innovative and fast-paced. The intensive exchange with my two research group leaders from the BRANCH Lab, Prof. Rebecca Amariglio and Prof. Kathryn Papp – both leading experts in their field – is particularly valuable for my project. In addition, access to large, well-characterized cohorts, especially the Harvard Aging Brain Study, is extremely valuable for my research work. International networking is firmly anchored in the DNA of Harvard Medical School and is practiced there on a daily basis, for example through high-caliber colloquia and journal clubs. Harvard Medical School also organizes regular networking meetings for postdocs, where you can discuss projects, develop ideas, and initiate new collaborations.

How do you experience the scientific exchange and everyday work at Harvard compared to the German research landscape – both in terms of content and with regard to gender equality and the promotion of early career researchers?

At DZNE, I already experienced a supportive and innovative environment with a strong commitment to promoting early career researchers. What strikes me here at Harvard Medical School is the particularly open exchange—regardless of whether ideas come from doctoral students or group leaders. My impression is that the scientific landscape in the US is less “hierarchical” overall than in Germany, for example. In terms of equality, it is striking that a large number of women hold scientific leadership positions. The supervision is close and flexible at the same time—I have weekly one-on-one meetings with my group leaders, where we discuss both content-related issues and my strategic development. In addition, there are colloquia, journal clubs, and the support and networking opportunities offered by Harvard Medical School.

You are staying here with your family; your husband is on parental leave. How did you organize this together? What is your experience of balancing a scientific career and family life in an international context? Which structures or support services are available at Harvard, for example when looking for accommodation?

My husband has been very supportive of my plan to live and conduct research here for a certain period of time from the very beginning. The stay is also an enriching experience for him—we both find it very valuable to get to know a new cultural and social environment, to experience political events firsthand, and to shape our everyday life as a family in an international context. As far as support services for families are concerned, childcare here is significantly more expensive and less organized by the state. On the other hand, we find people to be very open and child-friendly in our everyday lives. There are also a wide range of services available at the various university locations and associated hospitals. The International Office also helped us plan our stay, including finding accommodation, which is not easy here.

Were there any particular challenges in planning and arriving with your family, and how did you deal with them?

Planning the move was definitely challenging. We carefully planned and divided up our parental leave months, always with the goal of moving to Boston together. At the same time, it wasn't clear at first whether the third-party funding applications would be approved and whether the visa process would go smoothly. The political situation in the US was and is dynamic, and there is a noticeable uncertainty among international researchers – we too were worried beforehand about whether everything would work out when we arrived and during our stay. Fortunately, everything went smoothly in the end. My research group leader was a great support, backing my plans from the outset and giving me the flexibility I needed. Of course, with a small family, the practical travel arrangements, moving house, and arriving in a new country require a lot more planning—and a certain amount of improvisation. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it in every way.

Which experiences or recommendations would you share with other early-career scientists who are planning an international research phase, especially with regard to funding programs such as the Walter Benjamin Program?

First of all, I would recommend everyone to take advantage of the services offered by the DZNE Career Center; the team does a great job. Whether it's the Excellence in Science program, the Grant Writing Bootcamp, or other workshops for postdocs, I have benefited greatly from them. And then, if you have a research idea and a team you would like to work with, prepare well, make contact, and simply apply! I find the experience of working in different scientific environments enormously enriching. It is important to plan ahead, both in terms of content and organization. I would allow at least a year's lead time, as the review process for funding applications and the visa process can take a long time. And one more tip for the US: Many scholarships do not cover the required minimum wage here at Harvard Medical School and at many other universities. That's why I am being paid by Mass General Brigham in addition to my scholarship. Ideally, the lab should therefore be willing to co-finance the postdoctoral position. But this also has many advantages, such as access to good health insurance and other benefits.
 

August 2025 / The Interview was conducted by Dr. Christine Knust.

About the DFG’s Walter Benjamin-Program: The DFG’s Walter Benjamin-Program enables researchers in the postdoctoral training phase to independently conduct their own research project at a location of their choice. By securing funding for their own research project, particularly qualified postdoctoral researchers pave the way for the next stages of their increasingly independent research career and exercise autonomy. The program thus promotes early research careers with the aim of fostering the mobility and thematic development that are crucial in this career phase; therefore, the program generally requires that the applicant change his or her research institution. 

The project can be carried out at a research institution in Germany or abroad, with the host institution providing support for the project.