Cell dynamics in disease and therapy

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Matthias Dobbelstein
• Subject Area: Hematology, Oncology ; Cardiology, Angiology ; Molecular and Cellular Neurology and Neuropathology ; Cell Biology
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 413501650

Our program supports and encourages Clinician Scientists who explore the potential of cell dynamics to identify and evaluate biomarkers and targets to treat human diseases. This field includes genome dynamics and mobile cellular compartments, but also cardiomyocytes and neurons, both excitable cell species with specific requirements. The participants of the program dedicate >18 months during their residency exclusively to develop a competitive research program. They take advantage of cutting edge technologies to study disease-associated cellular alterations and options to manipulate them for therapy. Our program builds upon and significantly expands established, externally funded, small-scale programs for Clinician Scientists, and upon the interaction with high-profile research consortia, e.g. the newly established Cluster of Excellence 2067 “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells”, the Comprehensive Cancer Center newly funded by the German Cancer Aid, as well as four Collaborative Research Centers and three Research Units of University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). Key features of the program have proven to be particularly helpful. Those include transparent selection of candidates by external reviewers; mandatory agreements of candidates with clinical and scientific supervisors; protected research time in blocks of several months, including the option of external research rotations; collaboration with Max Planck Institutes in Göttingen; rigorous quality management; and best-practice models of guidance and mentoring. Despite the pandemics, the participants of our program went for external research stays, e.g. at Harvard Medical School and at local Max Planck Institutes. A number of first scientific publications are documenting their success, although most members were participating for less than a year. The external review and advisory board has continued its activity through videoconferences, and so did the instructors of our key qualification courses. Within the new funding period, we will make every effort to further encourage the members of our program towards personal interactions with mentors and colleagues, wherever located, to fully exploit the opportunities for scientific discussions and collaborations. This will include a scientific congress organized by the participants, based on the impressive success of a similar congress that we set up in the past. We will make this program a permanent institution at UMG, allowing future generations of Clinician Scientists to pursue ambitious translational research. This will enable them to make strong contributions to our knowledge on cell-based disease mechanisms as well as to local and global health.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Björn Chapuy; Professorin Dr. Elisabeth Heßmann; Professor Dr. Stephan E. Lehnart; Professor Dr. Tobias Moser; Privatdozentin Ramona Schulz-Heddergott, Ph.D.