Timeline & Deliverables

MSCA projects have a clearly defined timeline, in order to ensure success of the Early Stage Researcher (ESR) recruitment and training, and to support the smooth running of the interaction between the ITN team and the European Commission agency to which it reports, the Research Executive Agency (REA). The training of the the ESRs involves hands on research, numerous scientific meetings and workshops, for learning both transferrable skills and advanced research skills.

SECRET-ITN Project Timeline

  • Thesis defense – Elena Gutiérrez Galindo

    11th of October 2024

    Elena Gutiérrez Galindo (ESR 2) has defended her PhD thesis, graduating magna cum laude! She completed her doctoral studies within the Hausser group at the University of Stuttgart, working on the role of the kinase PKD in the regulation of cellular secretion and its contribution to cancer.

  • Juan Manuel García Illarramendi – new job!

    September 2024

    Juan is now a bioinformatics technician at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) in Barcelona.

  • Madalena Monteiro – new job!

    September 2024

    While still finalizing her publications and writing her thesis, Madalena has started work as a Project Manager associated with the Research GranT Support Unit at Amsterdam UMC.

  • Jacqueline Bersano – new job!

    June 2024

    Jacqueline has started an exciting new adventure as a Freelance Medical Writer in Freiburg!

  • Alexia Gali – new job!

    February 2024

    Alexia is starting as Clinical Scientific Expert at Novartis, in Dublin, Ireland, and will work with clinical trial data to monitor patient safety and drug efficacy.

  • Thesis defense – Jacqueline Bersano

    18th of January 2024

    Jacqueline Bersano (ESR 13) successfully defended her PhD thesis, based on the project she pursued under the valuable supervision of Dr. Julia Schüler at her host institution, Charles River Laboratories! Jacqueline was enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Freiburg, having Prof. Tilman Brummer (representing SECRET-ITN beneficiary UKLFR) as her academic PhD thesis supervisor.

  • Negar Parizadeh (ESR 9) has successfully defended her PhD thesis

    12th of December 2023

    Negar, hosted at the National Research Council of Italy in Naples (CNR) and supervised by Prof Alberto Luini, was enrolled in the PhD Programme in Molecular Life Science at the partner organization University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. She was successful in defending her work and obtained her doctoral degree.

  • Deliverables:

    By 30.09.2023

    D1.4 List of validated translationally-relevant systems models, systems biomarker candidates, and novel mechanistic insight into linked signalling-secretion processes (WP1)

    D2.4 List of novel therapeutic targets for TNBC and CRC treatment, identified by integrative multiomics and computational modelling, prognostic biomarker panel completed (WP2)

    D3.8 Final training report, including doctoral degrees status of ESRs (WP3)

    D4.8 Final management report (WP4)

    D5.9 Commercialization & Exploitation plan II (WP5)

    D5.10 Final dissemination report (WP5)

  • Negar Parizadeh – new job!

    September 2023

    Negar hired as regulatory affairs manager  at Sandoz in Kundl, Austria.

  • Amirabbas Parizadeh – new postdoc position!

    September 2023

    Amirabbas started a postdoc at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

  • ESR 14, Alexia Gali, has defended her PhD thesis

    24th of May 2023

    Alexia (ESR 14) hosted in the biotech company PAO in Greece and supervised by Prof Leonidas Alexopoulos, has successfullly graduated and defended her doctoral thesis. She also has a manuscript detailing the work, currently under peer review in iScience journal.

  • ESR 4, Amirabbas Parizadeh, successfully defended his thesis

    24th of April 2023

    Amirabbas (ESR 4) hosted at the MUI in Austria in the group of Prof Hesso Farhan, has successfullly completed his SECRET PhD project and defended his doctoral thesis. He has prepared a manuscript for publication and will soon be starting a new position as a postdoc at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in June.

  • Deliverable:

    30.04.2023

    D5.8 Commercialization & Open SECRET conference, dissemination

    Submitted timely

  • Milestone achieved:

    Full training programme implemented (M41)

    Achieved by the beginning of M42

  • Final SECRET Annual Meeting – organised by the beneficiary VU University Medical Center Amsterdam (VUmc), in Amsterdam

  • SECRET “Tailor Made Job Applications” online workshop – organised by coordinator USTUTT with support from its graduate organisation GRADUS

  • Deliverable:

    Initial Deadline 30.11.2022

    Revised Deadline: 31.01.2023

    D5.7 Report on Exploitation Workshop

  • SECRET “Exploitation” online workshop – organised by beneficiaries Protavio (PAO) and Anaxomics (AX)

  • SECRET “Careers in the Life Sciences” seminar series – talk from Dr. Frank Mühlenbeck, Managing Director at EMBL Ventures

    October 20th, 2022

    Title: There is life outside the lab for scientists!

  • SECRET “Careers in the Life Sciences” seminar series – talk from Dr. Barbara Janssens, head of Career Services & Alumni Relations at DKFZ

    October 11th, 2022

    Title: From Publishing to Career Guidance

  • Deliverables:

    By 30.09.2022

    D1.3 Report on integration of modelling and experiments (WP1)

    D2.3 Prototype assays covering systems biomarker candidates and validation strategies established (WP2)

    D3.6 Report on IRP based training, includ. secondments III (WP3)

    D3.7 Reports on network-wide training events III (WP3)

    D4.7 Annual Progress Report III (WP4)

    D5.6 Annual Dissemination and outreach report III (WP5)

  • EMBO course: Communicating Research in Innsbruck

    Group picture of SECRET-ITN ESRs during the EMBO workshop, taken in the Biocenter (CCB) of the Medical University of Innsbruck.
  • SECRET “Careers in the Life Sciences” seminar series – talk from Dr. Christian Tidona, Founder and Managing Director, BioMed X Institute

    July 15th, 2022

    Title: Research Career Perspectives at the Interface between Academia and Industry

  • SECRET “Careers in the Life Sciences” seminar series – talk from Dr. Eleanor Sum, Director, Worldwide MSL Strategy & Medical Information Breast & Women‘s Cancers, Novartis

    July 1st, 2022

    Title: From lab bench to medical affairs

  • Milestone achieved:

    MS7 Significant impact of SECRET notable

  • The first SECRET-ITN in person Annual Meeting in Vienna

    Group picture of SECRET-ITN members during the Annual Meeting dinner, taken in front of the Schottenkirche in Vienna.
  • “3D cell co-culture models and in vivo models” Workshop in Vienna

    All the ESRs were highly motivated and had a lot to learn during the intensive course at MUW.
  • SECRET “Careers in the Life Sciences” seminar series – talk from Dr. Till Wenger, Head of Development Core Technologies, Viral Therapeutics Center, Biologics Development, Boehringer Ingelheim

    May 23rd, 2022

    Title: Moving along a Scientist‘s Path – from cell biology to drug development

  • Milestone achieved:

    MS6 First round of secondments

  • Milestone achieved:

    MS5 SECRET-Mechanisms and SECRET Biomarkers

  • Deliverables:

    By 30.09.2021

    D1.2 Quantitative data sets and systems model prototypes I (WP1)

    D2.2 Quantitative data sets and systems model prototypes II (WP2)

    D3.4 Report on IRP based training, includ. secondments II (WP3)

    D3.5 Reports on network-wide training events II (WP3)

    D4.5 Report on Mid-Term Check (WP4)

    D4.6 Annual Progress Report II (WP4)

    D5.4 Commercialization & Exploitation plan I (WP5)

    D5.5 Annual Dissemination and outreach report II (WP5)

  • SECRET seminar series – June session

    June 15th, 2021

    Featuring talks from Roded Sharan from the Tel Aviv University, and from Hesso Farhan, from the Medical University of Innsbruck.

  • Abstract Writing Workshop

  • Biostatistics Workshop

  • SECRET seminar series – May session

    May 18th, 2021

    Featuring talks from Alberto Luini from the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC) belonging to the National Research Council of Italy, and from Helmut Dolznig, from the Institute of Medical Genetics of the Medical University of Vienna.

  • SECRET seminar series – April session

    April 20th, 2021

    Featuring talks from Monilola Olayioye from the Institute for Cell Biology and Immunology at the University of Stuttgart, and Lina Prasmickaite from the Oslo University Hospital.

  • Transferrable Skills Workshop – Strong Presentations

  • SECRET seminar series – March session

    March 23rd, 2021

    Featuring talks from from our two Freiburg-based PIs, Julia Schüler from our third private sector beneficiary, Charles River Discovery Research Services Germany, and Tilman Brummer from the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research at the University of Freiburg.

  • 3 ESRs seconding from March 2021 at VUmc:

  • (Optional) Workshop Proteomics

  • SECRET seminar series – February session

    February 23rd, 2021

    Featuring talks from Leonidas Alexopoulos, founder of Protavio (UK) /ProtATonce (GR) and from Judith Farrés Marisch, Head of Collaborative Research at Anaxomics in Barcelona.

  • Launching the SECRET seminar series

    January 19th, 2021

    Featuring talks from the network coordinator, Angelika Hausser, leading the Membrane Trafficking and Signaling lab at the Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology from the University of Stuttgart and beneficiary Connie Jimenez, head of the OncoProteomics Laboratory at the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam.

  • Termination of beneficiary report:

    Deadline 31.01.2020

    Termination of beneficiary report – timely submission

    The attachment to the Consortium Agreement signed by all beneficiaries (including terminated UiO and added MUI) by the beginning of February 2021.

  • Change of beneficiary

    Due to move of Prof. Hesso Farhan from the University of Oslo (UiO) to the Medical University of Innsbruck (MUI)

    Termination of beneficiary UiO by 31.12.2020

    New beneficiary MUI as of 01.01.2021

    Amirabbas Parizadeh (ESR 4) and Renata Hajdu (ESR 5) are now hosted at MUI.

    Amendment to the Grant Agreement accepted 19.10.2020.

  • Deliverable:

    Deadline 31.12.2020

    D4.5 (D21) Report on Mid-Term Check (WP4)

  • Milestone achieved:

    Mid-Term Check meeting between REA and the consortium (M15)

    Achieved early on M14.

  • SECRET-ITN Annual Meeting

  • Workshop Advanced Microscopy Techniques

  • Milestone achieved:

    MS3 Joint supervision arrangements in place (M7)

    Achieved with delay by M9 for 13 ESRs and M13 for 2 ESRs due to difficulties in recruitment posed by the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Milestone achieved:

    MS2 Recruitment process completed (M6)

    Achieved with delay on M12 due to difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic

  • ESRs 10 and 11 started work in October 2020:

    Catarina Marques (ESR 10) is starting her work on project IRP 2.2 in Amsterdam (VUmc), in the group of Prof. Dr. Connie Jimenez on the 1st of October.

    Juan Manuel García Illarramendi (ESR 11) starting his work on project IRP 2.3 in Barcelona (AX), under the supervision of Dr. Judith Farrés on the 5th of October.

  • Deliverables:

    By 30.09.2020

    D1.1 (D1) Report on experimental approaches to mechanistically understand mutual regulation of signalling and secretion on a systems level (WP1)

    D2.1 (D5) Joint report on approaches (WP2)

    D3.2 (D10) Report on IRP based training, including secondments I (WP3)

    D3.3 (D11) Reports on network-wide training events I (WP3)

    D4.4 (D20) Annual Progress Report I (WP4)

    D5.3 (D27) Annual Dissemination and outreach report I (WP5)

    D6.1-D6.6 (D35-D40) H – Requirement No. 1-6 (WP6)

  • Recruitment efforts

    Recruitment efforts for ESR11 (for the position at AX in Barcelona) paused temporarily due to the COVID-19 situation in Spain, to be re-started as a new call for application in late summer 2020.

    New recruitment round for the ESR10 position at VUmc, due to discontinuation of ESR10 employment at the end of July 2020.

  • ESR Kick-off & Training Event

    Online training events are adopted in order to ensure ESR training as scheduled.

  • ESR Kick-off & Training Event

  • Deliverables:

    By 31.05.2020 (Postponed to 30.06.2020)

    D3.1 (D9) PCDP implementation and supervision structure (WP3)

    Postponed due to delays in recruitment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

  • ESRs 15 started work remotely on the 1st of June:

    Lorenzo Federico Signorini (ESR 15) starting his work on project IRP 2.7 in Tel Aviv (TAU), under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Roded Sharan.

  • ESRs 6 and 14 started work in May:

    Célia Asdih (ESR 6) is starting her work on project IRP 1.6 in Freiburg (UKLFR), in the group of Prof. Dr. Tilman Brummer.

    Alexia Maria Gali (ESR 14) starting her work on project IRP 2.6 in Athens (PAO), under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Leonidas Alexopoulos.

  • ESR 8 started work on the 1st of April:

    Negar Parizadeh (ESR 8) starting her work remotely on project IRP 1.8 in Naples (CNR), under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Alberto Luini. Relocation to Italy was delayed until June by the COVID-19 outbreak.

  • Deliverables:

    By 31.03.2020

    D4.2 (D18) Recruitment report (WP4)

    D4.3 (D19) Data management plan (WP4)

    D5.2 (D26) Project website and brochure (WP5)

  • ESRs 4 started work in March:

    15.03. 2020

    Amirabbas Parizadeh (ESR 4) is starting his work on project IRP 1.4 in Oslo (UiO), in the group of Prof. Dr. Hesso Farhan.

  • 6 ESRs started work in February:

    01.02. 2020

    Madalena Monteiro (ESR 9) is starting her work on project IRP 2.1 in Amsterdam (VUmc), in the group of Prof. Dr. Connie Jimenez.

    Hanieh Sadeghi (ESR 10) is starting her work on project IRP 2.2 in Amsterdam (VUmc), in the group of Prof. Dr. Connie Jimenez.

    (*Mrs. Sadeghi is no longer with SECRET-ITN since 31.07.2020)

    Jacqueline Bersano (ESR 13) is starting her work on project IRP 2.5 in Freiburg (CRDS), under the supervision of Dr. Julia Schüler.

    03.02. 2020

    Mario Macía Guardado (ESR 12) is starting his work on project IRP 2.4 in Vienna (MUW), in the group of Prof. Dr. Helmut Dolznig.

    06.02. 2020

    Zeynep Hazal Yilmaz (ESR 1) is starting her work on project IRP 1.1 in Stuttgart (USTUTT), in the group of Dr. Angelika Hausser.

    Merih Özverin (ESR 3) is starting her work on project IRP 1.3 in Stuttgart (USTUTT), in the group of Prof. Dr. Monilola Olayioye.

  • ESRs 2 and 7 started work at USTUTT and OUH:

    15.01. 2020

    Elena Gutiérrez Galindo (ESR 2) started her work on project IRP 1.2 in Stuttgart (USTUTT), in the group of Dr. Angelika Hausser.

    13.01. 2020

    Eleni Skourti (ESR 7) started her work on project IRP 1.7 in Oslo (OUH), in the group of Dr. Gunhild Mælandsmo.

  • First ESR started work at UiO:

    06.01. 2020

    Renata Hajdu (ESR 5) started her work on project IRP 1.5 in Oslo (UiO), in the group of Prof. Dr. Hesso Farhan.

  • ITN 2019 Coordinators’s Infoday

  • Milestone

    MS1 Committees set up (M1)

  • Deliverables:

    Deadline: 30.11.2019

    D4.9 (D41) Consortium Agreement Report (WP4)

    D4.10 (D42) Supervisory Board Report (WP4)

  • First deliverables:

    Deadline: 31.10.2019

    D4.1 (D17) KOM Report (WP4)

    D5.1 (D25) Data Sharing Report (WP5)

  • Kick-Off Meeting (KOM)

  • Start of the Recruitment Period

    01.10.2019 ongoing until end of March 2020 or until all Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) are recruited.

  • Consortium Agreement

    Entry into force 01.10.2019

  • Grant Agreement

    Entry into force 09.08.2019