STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence Heidelberg

structures.uni-heidelberg.deScientific Machine Learning Event “Machine Learning Galore!” on November 11, 2026We are delighted to announce the next event in our Machine Learning Galore! series, focusing on Scientific Machine Learning, which will take place on Wednes

We are delighted to announce the next event in our Machine Learning Galore! 🗓️ Wednesday, November 11 🕓 16:30 to 18:00 📍INF 205 Mathematikon (5th floor) More info: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/news.php?sho... #STRUCTURES #machinelearning #artificialintelligence #computing #uniheidelberg #iwr

Don't forget today's Jour Fixe with Alexey Kazarnikov (IMa) and Stefano Rinaldi (ZAH)! 📅 Today, October 23 🕐 Pretalk: 13:00 🕜 Main talk: 13:30 📍 Phil 12, gHS #StructuresJourFixe #UniHeidelberg #Astrophysics #Cosmology #InterdisciplinaryResearch #ScientificExchange

We are pleased to announce that, as of first October, the management of STRUCTURES is shared by Christine Menn and Sara Konrad, who jointly lead the STRUCTURES Project Management Office. ✨ (1/3) #STRUCTURESHeidelberg #UniHeidelberg #ProjectManagement #STRUCTURESOffice #Exzellenzcluster

Together, they are the first point of contact for all members of STRUCTURES, including in confidential matters, and coordinate the cluster's cooperation with its partner institutions and the university administration. (2/3)

structures.uni-heidelberg.deSTRUCTURES Office Welcomes Sara Konrad as New Managing Co-DirectorWe are pleased to announce that from 1 October, the management of STRUCTURES will be held by two people: Christine Menn and Sara Konrad will co-lead the

We warmly welcome Sara Konrad to the management team! 💙 🔗 For more information about our management team, read the full article on the STRUCTURES website: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/news.php?sho... (3/3)

Wishing you a fun read: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/news/files/2...

Wishing you a fun read: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/news/files/2...

For this week's Jour Fixe, we are pleased to welcome Alexey Kazarnikov (IMa) and Stefano Rinaldi (ZAH) for a talk entitled "From Turing Patterns to Black Holes" 📅 Friday, July 17 🕐 Pretalk: 13:00 🕜 Main talk: 13:30 📍 Phil 12, gHS #StructuresJourFixe #UniHeidelberg #Astrophysics #ScientificExchange

STRUCTURES Jour Fixe is back this Friday with Robert L. Jerrard (Toronto): “Vortex filament reconnection in 3D critical Abelian Higgs models.” Held jointly with the 5th ANGEL meeting: 🕛 ANGEL 12:00 🕜 Jour Fixe 13:30 📍 Mathematikon INF 205, 5/100 No Zoom

structures.uni-heidelberg.deJour Fixe | STRUCTURES Cluster of ExcellenceThe cluster of excellence STRUCTURES explores new concepts and methods for understanding how structure, collective phenomena, and complexity emerge from fundamental laws of physics.

For more info, please visit our website: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/jour_fixe.php

Read about the fascinating possibilities that emerge when the communities from Symplectic Geometry and Astrodynamics come together in our new blog post by Arthur Limoge: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/blog/posts/2.... Enjoy. #Geometry #SpaceScience #Mathematics

structures.uni-heidelberg.deNoise Is More Than a Nuisance: Spike-Timing Differences Solve the Weight Transport Problem in Neural NetworksAn international team of researchers involving STRUCTURES external member Mihai Petrovici and group members at Kirchhoff Institute for Physics has proposed a

Research News 📢: Spike-Timing Differences Solve the Weight Transport Problem in Neural Networks structures.uni-heidelberg.de/news.php?sho... (1/3) #Neuromorphic #NeuralNetworks #AI #ComputerScience #ComputationalNeuroscience #MachineLearning #Physics #Biophysics #Heidelberg #STRUCTURESHeidelberg

An international team of researchers involving STRUCTURES external member Mihai Petrovici (@neurotma.bsky.social) and group members at the Kirchhoff Institute for Physics has proposed a new solution to... (2/3)

...the so-called weight transport problem, a longstanding challenge for models of deep learning in physical neuronal networks. Their solution relies only on biologically plausible, local mechanisms. (3/3)

21 Sept

This summer, one of our YRC members and speaker Thalia Traianou travelled to Florence to take part in COSPAR 2026, where she participated as an invited speaker. (1/3) #STRUCTURESHeidelberg #HeidelbergUniversity #YRC #EarlyCareerResearchers #COSPAR2026 #ScientificExchange #Astrophysics

21 Sept

Supported by travel funding from the STRUCTURES Young Researchers Convent (YRC), Thalia presented her research and had the opportunity to exchange with researchers from the international space research community. (2/3)

21 Sept

A few impressions from her talk and her time at the conference! ✨ We are always happy to see where STRUCTURES YRC members take their research next. 🌎🔬 (3/3) Image Credits: Florence image: Credits: Cospar 2026 offical website Solar mass image: Credits: AAS 2018

11 Sept

In June 2026, STRUCTURES welcomed a group of early-career researchers from China for a morning of scientific exchange, discussion, and first-hand insights into life as an early-career researcher in Heidelberg. More about the visite: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/news.php?sho...

11 Sept

The visit was part of a delegation programme to leading German research institutions organized by the Sino-German Center for Research Promotion (CDZ) in cooperation with the German Research Foundation (DFG, @dfg.de) and the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Foundation. (1/2)

11 Sept

We thank Sebastian Stapelberg, David Maibach, Sara Konrad, and Anna-Katharina Nitschke for giving the presentations. We also thank the members of Markus Oberthaler’s group as well as Björn Kindler for the Lab tours at the Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, and EINC. (2/2)

7 Sept

We hope you enjoyed the first day of #BuGS2026 ! This week, researchers, experts, and guests from around the world are coming together in Heidelberg for “Building #Galaxies from Scratch” – a unique space to share research, exchange ideas & discuss latest developments in galaxy formation. (1/3)

7 Sept

🔗 For more information and updates, please visit: wwwmpa.mpa-garching.mpg.de/conf/bugs2026/ (2/3)

7 Sept

The conference is jointly organized by MPIA ( @mpi-astro.bsky.social ) and by Heidelberg University ( @uniheidelberg.bsky.social ) and is supported by the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence and by the European Union through the ERC ( @erc.europa.eu ) grant COSMIC-KEY (PI: Annalisa Pillepich). (3/3)

4 Sept

🌌 BUGS2026 is almost here! From 7–11 September, researchers from around the world will come together to discuss the latest advances and challenges in simulating galaxy formation and evolution. Looking forward to a week of inspiring ideas, lively discussions and scientific exchange! (1/3)

wwwmpa.mpa-garching.mpg.deConference Website

4 Sept

🔗 For more information and updates, please visit: wwwmpa.mpa-garching.mpg.de/conf/bugs2026/ #BUGS2026 #Heidelberg #STRUCTURES #GalaxyFormation #Astrophysics #STRUCTURESHeidelberg (2/3)

4 Sept

The conference is jointly organized by the @mpi-astro.bsky.social in Heidelberg and by @uniheidelberg.bsky.social and is supported by the @structures-hd.bsky.social and by the European Union through the @erc.europa.eu grant COSMIC-KEY (101087822, PI: Annalisa Pillepich). (3/3)

Cellular #structures have a problem with competition – and a new theory may explain it. #Actin networks in #cells compete for the same limited pool of resources. How can they coexist? A new theory by V. Wössner, F. Ziebert & U.S. Schwarz (@ulrichschwarz.bsky.social) provides an explanation. (1/6)

The researchers compared their analytical model with detailed spatiotemporal simulations of actin dynamics using the numerical framework DUNE – co-developed by STRUCTURES member Peter Bastian – finding close agreement between the two approaches. (5/6)

structures.uni-heidelberg.deNew Theory for Coexistence and Selection of Cellular StructuresBiological cells are the smallest living units of an organism. To maintain their shape, divide and move, they rely on the cytoskeleton, which is made from

Read more in our latest news post: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/news.php?sho...

The key is local depletion: as an actin network grows, it uses up the free actin near its growing edge. This shortage slows its own growth – preventing it from monopolizing the shared pool. However, when competition becomes too strong, coexistence gets replaced by selection. (3/6)

One strength of this study is the use of computational methods developed and shared in a strongly interdisciplinary research environment: (4/6)

Thus one might expect a dominant network to keep growing while the others disappear. Yet they don't. A new theory by STRUCTURES researchers Valentin Wössner, Falko Ziebert, and Ulrich Schwarz shows how these networks can regulate themselves. (2/6)

27 Aug

Ever heard of Riemannian Metric Learning? Head to the new STRUCTURES Blog post by Yara Elshiaty to learn about it! structures.uni-heidelberg.de/blog/posts/2... #MachineLearning #Data #Geometry

structures.uni-heidelberg.deQuantum Gases of Light Exhibit Critical Scaling Behaviour – Major Research Gap in the Physics of Phase Transitions ClosedA team of researchers from the University of Bonn, Heidelberg University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico, including STRUCTURES has studied th

26 Aug

🔬Research News: Quantum Gases of Light Exhibit Critical Scaling Behaviour – Major Research Gap in the Physics of Phase Transitions Closed. Read more in our latest news post: structures.uni-heidelberg.de/news.php?sho... #quantumphysics #quantum #physics #structuresheidelberg #uniheidelberg

We congratulate YRC STRUCTURES member Klaus Paschek ( @klauspaschek.bsky.social ) and YRC alumnus Nikolas Liebster on receiving this year's Otto Haxel Award for Physics! 🎉 (1/4) #structuresheidelberg #research #physics #Heidelberg #awards #earlycareer #uniheidelberg

Dr. Paschek received the award for his dissertation From Space to the Hadean Earth: Prebiotic Synthesis and the Origins of Life, completed in the laboratory astrophysics group led by Thomas Henning at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA). (3/4)

Dr. Liebster received the award for his dissertation on "Pattern Formation and Supersolid Sound Modes in a Driven Superfluid", completed in the research group of Markus Oberthaler at the Kirchhoff Institute for Physics (KIP). (4/4)

The award honours the three best doctoral dissertations in physics at the three institutions associated with nuclear physicist Otto Haxel (1909–1998): KIT, University of Göttingen and Heidelberg University. (2/4)

A few more impressions from STRUCTURES Day! 🌿✨ From lively conversations around the YRC posters to an open Career Panel Discussion about finding your way in and beyond academia, the day offered plenty of space to exchange ideas, experiences and perspectives. (1/5)

A lovely mix of research, exchange, fresh perspectives and time together. Thank you to everyone who took part, and to everyone else: consider this your little preview of next year’s STRUCTURES Day. ✨ (4/5)

#STRUCTURES #HeidelbergUniversity #UniHeidelberg #STRUCTURESYRC #STRUCTURESDay #YoungResearchers #PosterSession #ResearchCommunity #InterdisciplinaryResearch #AcademicLife #CareerDevelopment #ScienceCommunication #ScienceSlam (5/5)

And the conversations did not stop at the seminar room! A walk through the woods near Philosophenweg that led to the "Fuchsrondell", where fresh air, a beautiful view and a very special open-air presentation were waiting. (2/5)

Dr. Sara Konrad gave a beautiful science slam talk “Licht aus, Spot an! Macht euch bereit für die dunkle Seite des Universums”, which was a memorable highlight of the day. 🌌 A YouTube video will soon be available, stay tuned! (3/5)

Our YRC member Ricardo took part in the 16th International LISA Symposium, held from 21 to 26 June 2026 at the University of Maryland in College Park, USA. (1/5) #YRC #STRUCTURESHeidelberg #LISASymposium2026 #GravitationalWaves #Astrophysics #EarlyCareerResearchers #HeidelbergUniversity

The University of Maryland campus is home to the Weber bars, early attempts to build detectors for gravitational waves that were ultimately unsuccessful. (4/5)

Thanks to the support from STRUCTURES, Ricardo was able to attend the symposium, present his work, and engage with the international scientific community! (5/5) Image Credits: Group photo: LISA Symposium 2026 Gravitational waves image: LISA Symposium 2026 Weber Memorial Garden picture: Ian A. O. M.

The symposium brought together the international LISA community as well as scientists interested in the field to discuss current developments in gravitational-wave astrophysics, with a focus on mission development, theory, and data analysis for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. (2/5)