The likeable man in his mid-30s in the café at CECAD is smiling. Dr. Deniz Hos is a specialist in ophthalmology and a young scientist researching the pathomechanisms of inflammatory diseases of the cornea. "It was hard for me and my wife to imagine that starting a family would cause us to lose sight of our professional interests," he explains. "We have both invested more than 10 years in our education and are happy and conscious parents. But we are also doctors and researchers." The fact that Hos finds time for his research projects as a practicing doctor and active father is currently thanks to his Gusyk position.

In 2013, the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Medicine set up family support positions for researching doctors with family responsibilities during their training. Deniz Hos, who works at the Center for Ophthalmology, enjoys time for research thanks to the daily or weekly release from official duties.

As sub-project leader of Research Group 2240, which is funded by the German Research Foundation, Deniz Hos, born in 1982, investigates molecular processes of inflammation and vascularization of the cornea in laboratory and animal experiments. Since completing his studies in human medicine and molecular medicine in Erlangen, Deniz Hos has been working as a research assistant at the Center for Ophthalmology at the University Hospital under the direction of Prof. Dr. Claus Cursiefen since 2011. Since 2017, he has also been a sub-project leader at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (ZMMK), and in 2018, he joined the ZMMK to work on another scientific issue, also as a sub-project leader. His medical doctorate (Dr. med. from 2007 to 2010) investigates "Age-related and inflammatory changes in the limbal lymphatic vessels and their significance for corneal graft survival". This was followed by a doctorate in natural sciences (Dr. nat. med. from 2012 to 2016) as part of the interdisciplinary doctoral program in molecular medicine (IPMM).

"We are in a state of flux as far as career paths are concerned, including in the hospital world of work", notes Deniz Hos, adding that the time when men actively took on family responsibilities to advance their careers is thankfully a thing of the past. Two other colleagues are currently on parental leave at the eye clinic, and he himself has taken four months off to care for his son. Hos applied for a Gusyk position in spring 2017. The sponsorship runs for 12 months. "It was important to have the security of being supported by the clinic management with the rotational position," emphasizes Hos and praises Dr. Dahlke for her ingenious time management: I can rely one hundred percent on the regulations, my research time is set and there is enough time for everyday hospital life and family.

His wife is also a doctor and conducts research at CECAD. Their offspring recently started going to the university daycare center. "We're happy to have got a place," says Hos, summing up. Now he can take turns dropping off and picking up his son with his wife. "It's great that we are parents and can also talk about work in the evenings. This allows us to have a lively partnership at eye level and ensures balance. For us as a family, the Gusyk support is an important building block in reconciling parenthood and professional goals," emphasizes Hos. "Furthermore, such support instruments also make the University Hospital of Cologne a more attractive employer. Ultimately, everyone benefits from this!"

Text: Stephanie Wolff, Public Relations/Communications Officer 

The interview was conducted in German and translated using DeepL.