Bad Homburg v.d. Höhe, November 30, 2023 – The foundation Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) is supporting medical faculties and university hospitals in Germany through three Else Kröner Research Schools for Physicians, each of which is endowed with 1.3 million euros. The Research Schools are intended to provide talented young physicians with an ideal environment for their research work and enable access to a successful career as Clinician Scientist.
The funding is spread out over three years and includes the possibility of an extension following positive evaluation. “The entities entitled to apply were university-level teachers on medical faculties, whereby one proposal could be submitted from each faculty,” explains Professor Dr. Michael Madeja, Chairman of the Management Board at the EKFS. After a multistage selection procedure, from a total of 21 outlines submitted the following three research schools from Augsburg, Jena and Munich were chosen.
Augsburg clinician scientists program for the organism, nervous system, and environment (ARISE)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Alkomiet Hasan, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg
There are many patients who have a high level of suffering due to a stroke, depression or chronic pain. The project group assumes that the ways these diseases of the nervous system manifest themselves are strongly influenced by the environment. Environmental influences can be situated in the weather, in air pollutants, yet also within the social environment. What has been missing until now is a correlation between the findings from basic research and environmental sciences, as well as from data-based and clinical medicine. Our central goal is to establish this linkage. Medical doctors are supposed to be trained in near-patient, data-based, experimental and clinical research while actively researching and working on an internationally competitive scale in the course of a three-year program. https://www.uni-augsburg.de/de/fakultaet/med/profs/psychiatrie-und-psychotherapie/arise/
Transplantation medicine – strategies for ex vivo repair of donor livers and kidneys
Spokesman: Prof. Dr. Christian Lange, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
This research school is devoted to researching new strategies towards the molecular repair of organ transplants. Numerous patients on the waiting list for an organ transplantation die due to the shortage of donor organs. This lack of donor organs is exacerbated because many of the organs donated are unable to be transplanted due to pre-existing defects. The recent development of machine perfusion-based organ conservation, which enables perfusion of explanted organs with blood or optimized perfusion solutions via pump, has opened the possibility to repair donor organs with therapeutic agents ex-vivo. As a result of this, the quality of donor organs could be improved by administering medications into the pumping cycle. The enthusiasm of young Clinician Scientists for this subject matter is going to be aroused in the research school while they are trained using a concept designed for long-term implementation. https://www.lmu-klinikum.de/med2
Infections within the cardiovascular system – pathophysiology, therapy and diagnosis
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Mathias W. Pletz, Institute of Infection Medicine and Hospital Hygiene, and Prof. Dr. Torsten Doenst, Dept. of Cardiac and Thorax Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Bacterial infections in the cardiovascular system occur in natural and artificial heart valves or pacemakers. They are becoming more frequent due to the ageing population and medical progress. In addition, they are difficult to treat as the bacteria adhere to the surfaces of foreign bodies and are protected against antibiotics and the immune system by mucus-like layers known as biofilms. The IKARUS research centre aims to contribute to new diagnostic and therapeutic concepts and to qualify young doctors to work on these important issues. Jena University Hospital, with its many years of experience in the field of infection medicine and septicaemia (blood poisoning), offers excellent conditions for this. www.uniklinikum-jena.de/IKARUS.html
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) – Advancing research. Helping people.
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the funding and advancement of medical research and the support of humanitarian projects. To date the foundation has funded around 2,400 projects. With an annual funding volume currently amounting to over 60 million euros it is the largest foundation in Germany that actively funds and supports medicine. You can find more information at: www.ekfs.de
Press Contact
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung
Bianka Jerke
Tel.: + 49 6172 8975-24
eMail: b.jerke@ekfs.de