Helene Kretzmer has been head of the “Computational Genomics” department at HPI in Potsdam since October and conducts research in the field of digital health. Her goal: to understand exactly how our genetic material works in order to transfer this knowledge to diseased cells - and thus better detect diseases.
A few facts at a glance:
- At the age of 7 (in the early 90s), Helene receives her first computer - a gift from her father. Even then, he taught her how to install things from floppy disks. A passion was born.
- While studying bio-mathematics in New Zealand, she worked with sequence data from genomes (genome: also known as genetic material, includes all the genetic information present in a cell) for the first time. She was fascinated!
- Alter: 38
- I am at HPI because: ...I appreciate the quality of teaching and research here. I want to be good at what I do, and I want to be in a place that allows me to do just that.
- Helene's learning: You are right for who you are. Don't let anyone tell you that you're only a real engineer/computer scientist/XY if you particularly like certain fields. You don't have to fit into any boxes.
- Also: What does a Playstation have to do with your technical skills?
- And: Find out how working in an international cancer consortium influenced her professional career.
Watch the full interview here (German only).