Soapbox Science Tübingen

Our mission

Soapbox Science is a novel public outreach platform for promoting women and non-binary scientists and the science they do. Events transform public areas into an arena for public learning and scientific debate; they follow the format of London Hyde Park’s Speaker’s Corner, which is historically an arena for public debate. With Soapbox Science, we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy, learn from, heckle, question, probe, interact with and be inspired by some of our leading scientists. No middle man, no PowerPoint slide, no amphitheatre – just remarkable women and non-binary scientists who are there to amaze you with their latest discoveries, and to answer the science questions you have been burning to ask. Or simply hear them talk about what fascinates them, and why they think they have the most fantastic job in the world!

26 July 2025

Tübingen town centre

Speakers

Alexandra Waldherr

I am a PhD student in Andrei Lupas' group at the Max Planck Institute for Biology, studying protein design with a combination of computer and laboratory methods. My focus lies on non-canonical amino acids, and I am interested in the chemistry of unconventional side chains.

Ana Villar

I am a third-year PhD student in Cancer Biology. Originally from Spain, I did my Master in Tübingen. Now, almost at the end of the PhD I´m looking forward to moving in the neuropsychology field as I fell in love with our minds and their great power on us. At this years’ Tübingen Soapbox Science, I will give a quick view about skin cancer, what is known, what is still not known, interesting facts… Enthusiastic, passionate and empathetic; that is me!

Annalena Kofler

I am a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems where I develop machine learning methods to analyze gravitational wave signals resulting from the collision of black holes. 

Dr-Ing Dipl-Ing (FH) Bianca Weber-Lewerenz

Self-employed civil engineer and freelance scientific researcher on the responsible entrepreneurial handling of digitalisation and AI in the construction industry. I received my PhD at the RWTH Aachen University in 2024 and am the Founder of the ‘Excellence Initiative for Sustainable, Human-led AI in Construction’.

Carolina Guidolin

I am a PhD student in circadian neuroscience, and I am interested in the effect of light on our "body clock". I am looking forward to present my research on the effect of sex hormones on melatonin suppression in the evening!

Dr Christina Preiser

I am a sociologist who does research in occupational medicine on the prevention of work-related cancers in agriculture and construction and at this years’ Tübingen Soapbox Science event I will talk about the prevention of skin cancer.

Elise Bücklein

I am currently a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Medicine (Psychiatry) at the University of Tübingen and part of the IRTG2804, a research training group with the goal of understanding women’s mental health across the reproductive years. While my field of expertise is premenstrual dysphoric disorder (a severe form of PMS) and depression in women, I am passionate about researching women’s (mental) health in general because it has been overlooked for so long in science, and there is still so much we don’t know! The potential to improve the lives of millions of women through further research in this field is truly endless.

Gesa Freimann

I am a first-year PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Tübingen. My research focuses on exploring the dynamic behavior of proteins involved in signal transduction using computational methods. In my free time, I like to relax with a good board game or find my zen through yoga.

Hanna Wierenga

I am doing an interdisciplinary PhD at Psychiatry researching the linkage between gender and mental health and a specific focus on mental health during and after a pregnancy. I will present my research on gender identity across Europe and the linkage to mental health. I am excited to share this relatively niche, yet fascinating scientific field with the general public at this years’ Tübingen Soapbox Science. It is my hope to eventually inspire young female scholars to achieve their scholastic dreams.

Dr Aleya Marzuki

I am a postdoctoral scientist working in the Universitätsklinikum Tübingen. My research seeks to uncover the cognitive and neural mechanisms driving mental health conditions particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In my talk I will present a study where people with OCD were asked to record their symptoms on their mobile phone and play a short engaging game multiple times over a two-week period. Through this, we successfully mapped how OCD symptoms evolve and fluctuate over time, and how these relate to their performance on the game.

Dr Maydel Fernandez-Alonso

I'm a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics investigating how light is processed in the visual system to synchronize our internal biological clock with the day and night cycle.

Sisi Deng

A gynecologist pursuing a PhD at the iFIT Cluster, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of Tübingen, I specialize in endometriosis and ovarian cancer research. Through the BMBF ENDO-RELIEF project, I explore disease mechanisms using MALDI imaging, mass spectrometry, and NMR-based metabolomics. At this years’ Tübingen Soapbox Science, I would like to share our latest findings and further raise awareness of endometriosis and my research.

Organising team

Ben Höltgen

Dilsad Er

Melanie Stelly

Michela Petriconi

Dr Monika Lam

Ritu Roy Chowdhury

Salma Thalji

Susan Fischer

Speaker call - now closed

We are looking for active researchers from STEMM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine), including PhD students, postdocs, professors, and beyond, who:

• Are excited about communicating science in an accessible and engaging way.
• Are passionate about connecting with a diverse audience.
• Identify as a woman or non-binary person.

When: 26 July 2025

Where: Tübingen town centre

Contact

soapboxscience.tuebingen@gmail.com