During the TRAIN Omics Retreat 2026 on 3rd March 2026 Prof. Ulrich Kalinke handed over the TRAIN management to Dr. Sara Haag.

Prof. Kalinke held the position from 2013 to 2026. During those 13 years, he worked passionately to transform the TRAIN consortium into an interactive network. He intensified cooperation between research institutions in Hannover, Braunschweig, and Göttingen and launched various projects. Particularly noteworthy is his commitment to establish the TRAIN Academy, which offers the curriculum “Translational Research & Medicine: From Idea to Product,” a continuing education program for scientists and physicians with doctorates. Thanks to this program, numerous participants were able to expand their knowledge of translational science, connect with key contacts in Lower Saxony and take an active role in shaping their career paths.

We would like to thank Prof. Kalinke for his extraordinary commitment to TRAIN and the life sciences in Lower Saxony.

Dr. Sara Haag, a familiar face to us, is taking over as manager. She has worked for TRAIN as a TRAIN Omics consultant since 2023 and will continue to direct this area. After earning her PhD in genetics from the University of Kassel, she worked as a postdoc in the field of RNA Biology at the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University Medical Center Göttingen. Other positions included Senior Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Project Manager and Data Scientist at TWINCORE, Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research GmbH in Hannover plus Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig and Project Manager of Biobanking and Data Science at the Hannover Unified Biobank (HUB) at Hannover Medical School.

The TRAIN network looks forward to the contributions that Dr. Sara Haag will bring in the future.