On 31 October 2025, Diana passed her doctoral examination with summa cum laude. We congratulate her warmly on this great success!
Diana's path to IBOC began during her master's studies in Romania, when she came to us on an Erasmus scholarship. What initially began as a stay abroad quickly developed into a close and formative connection with the institute. Our colleague Ben aptly said: ‘She gave the institute an international flair that is currently sorely missed.’
With her dry sense of humour, her helpfulness and her in-depth knowledge of biochemistry, Diana was a valued contact for many – often accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek ‘Did you try trying harder?’. She discussed numerous biochemical issues with her colleagues and, among other things, initiated the robotics collaborations with the neighbouring institute.
However, she not only provided scientific input, but also culinary highlights: she regularly supplied the institute with Romanian sweets, which quickly became very popular. Diana was also active outside the laboratory, for example as a member of the unofficial IBOC book club for ‘high-quality’ literature, where she enriched every discussion with her humour and wit.
After completing her doctorate on the topic of ‘Indole C-methyltransferases – creating an efficient platform for the enantioselective methylation of bioactive compounds’, Diana made a successful transition to industry. A postdoctoral position led her to AstraZeneca in Sweden, where she now supports her colleagues with her broad biocatalysis expertise and helps shape new avenues of research.
We are very proud of Diana's achievements and wish her all the best for her future, both professionally and personally.