Brief Bio
Dr. Sandra Siegert is a trained biologist who studies how microglia influence brain function. She received her Diplom at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, in 2005 and her Ph.D. in Neurobiology at the FMI in Basel in 2010. She was awarded an HFSP and SNSF fellowship to perform her postdoctoral work at MIT. In 2015, she returned to Europe, joined ISTA as an independent Assistant Professor with an ERC starting grant, and received tenure in 2023. Dr. Siegert combines various techniques to study the interplay between neurons and microglia. Throughout her career, she has been involved in innovative technology development, resulting in patent applications. Her most recent discovery of 60-Hz reducing perineuronal nets, which lock the brain in a functional state, opens the possibility of a noninvasive light therapy treatment for mental health challenges. As an ERC PoC awardee, she co-founded the start-up Syntropic Medical GmbH in 2023.
CV | Google Scholar Profile | Mentorship Statement
Unofficial Bio
If you would like to get to know me a little bit better, the press release about my received tenure provides a more personal, non-conventional bio:
https://ist.ac.at/en/news/sandra-siegert-promoted-to-professor/
Things always run short in a bio, but they are also important.
Starting my research group forced me to transition from being a “researcher on the bench” to taking over a leadership position with various tasks, roles, and responsibilities for which I was not trained. In German, we say,
“Ein Sprung ins kalte Wasser”.
I have been confronted with questions on the following:
– How do I build a motivated team, and how do I deal with conflicts?
– How do I enable individual career development?
– How do I create an environment for scientific achievements in the team?
– How to teach effectively?
In my official CV, you will see the courses that I have attended. I have taken pieces from each course that I have implemented in my group, which I thought could benefit my group. I also have to acknowledge that this process initially involves a lot of trial and error. Over time, I have developed my leadership skills and competencies founded on openness, transparency (if the situation allows and is not confidential), and clear communication. My leadership principles and mentorship statement should offer a first idea of our team dynamics and principles.
Finally, if you are interested in the activities that I am doing when I am not in the lab……
… you will find me in one of the fitness classes in Vienna to either increase my strength, improve my cardio, or stretch my muscles…..
… I love to get inspired by cooking books and try out new flavor combinations and tastes… My favorite spices are chili, garlic, shallots, coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg….
… I also started learning violin during my Ph.D., and I try to keep up with it, which is challenging… And my favorite pieces? I am trending towards pieces written in “good” minor…..