Meeting Nobel laureates is a surreal experience

Two postdoctoral researchers and a PhD student from the University of Iceland had an unforgettable experience last summer when they had the chance to meet and chat with Nobel laureates in physiology and medicine at a major event in Lindau, Germany. One of the participants, Sæmundur Rögnvaldsson, says it was surreal to meet and talk to people who had made ground-breaking discoveries in their fields.

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting has taken place annually for over 70 years. The goal of the event is to bring together Nobel laureates and promising young researchers for a week-long programme of lectures, panel discussions and smaller discussion sessions. In accordance with an agreement between the University of Iceland and the Lindau Institute, UI may nominate two current or newly graduated students to take part in each event, but the admissions procedure is extremely tough and many nominations are rejected every year. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting is always dedicated to one of the fields in which Nobel prizes are awarded – this year it was physiology and medicine.

The University of Iceland nominated two candidates: Sæmundur, who completed his PhD in medicine from UI last year and now works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, and Þjóðbjörg Eiríksdóttir, PhD student in electrical and computer engineering, who also works as a researcher at deCODE genetics. Despite the fierce competition for places, both were invited to Lindau, along with Þórir Einarsson Long, who had been invited in 2020 when the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. Þórir, who completed his PhD was UI in 2019, is now studying a medical specialisation in Sweden and is also a postdoctoral researcher at the UI Faculty of Medicine. 

Among 600 specially selected young scientists

Sæmundur, Þjóðbjörg and Þórir were among a group of around 600 young scientists from all over the world who were given the opportunity to stay in Lindau 25-30 June to meet 40 winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. According to Sæmundur, the programme was incredibly varied. "The Nobel laureates gave lectures about their discoveries, but also about challenges in science and for humankind in general. There was a lot of socialising at the event as well, meeting other young researchers but also the Nobel laureates themselves. It was a lot of fun and often pretty surreal to meet Nobel Prize winners, some of whom have made absolutely ground-breaking discoveries in their fields. For example, it was amazing to sit and chat with the person who discovered how T cells, which play an important role in our immune systems, work and then the person who discovered ATP is just sitting at the next table," says Sæmundur. ATP is an organic compound found in all cells, which is sometimes called the energy currency of life.

Sæmundur says that it was also fascinating to meet other young researchers, many of whom were working on incredibly exciting projects.

Fun and learning in Lindau

When we asked him what was the most memorable part of the Meeting, Sæmundur mentions several examples. "Line dancing with the Indonesian ambassador, the striking facts shared by one laureate about the status of men and women in science, and the dancing Danish laureate. But the lecture by Frances Arnold, who must be one of the best lecturers in the world, stands out. She told us about her research into enzymes in such a passionate and eloquent way that I was tempted to change my specialisation and start researching in the same field as her," says Sæmundur. It is clear that the week in Lindau was both informative and a lot of fun. 

Sæmundur is just starting out in his career as a scientist and says that the event was a fascinating and inspiring experience. "I'm still in contact with some of the young researchers I met there and I'm sure that I will maintain connections with some of them and perhaps even work together. It was an absolute privilege to go to Lindau and I won't forget the experience any time soon," finishes Sæmundur.

See the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting YouTube channel for more information about the event and interviews with participants.