Jovan Dragelj
He/Him
I am gay and I am a computational biochemist.//
My path began in Serbia, where I earned my BSc and MSc at the University of Belgrade. I also worked there as a chemistry teacher in public and international schools.
Later, I moved to Berlin in pursuit of a PhD in computational chemistry at Freie Universität Berlin—and a place where I could fully live my authentic life as a gay man. After completing my PhD, I continued as a postdoc at TU Berlin, working on enzymes with potential applications in biotechnology.
After that, I entered the biotech/pharma industry, focusing on computer-aided drug design as a senior scientist. To continue nurturing my passion for teaching, I also spent a few years as a guest lecturer at Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT).
Coming from a background where queerness was often invisible, I know how powerful representation can be. In Berlin, I’ve collaborated with various scientific institutions and community groups to promote diversity in STEM. A few years ago, I co-founded LGBTQ+ STEM Berlin to help increase visibility and inclusion of queer people in science.
Science needs diversity—and when we can fully be ourselves, everyone benefits.