GRK 1949:  Immune Response in Infectious Diseases - Regulation between Innate and Adaptive Immunity

• Subject Area: Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
• Term: from 2014 to 2023
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 231604701

Infection with bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi is the cause of approximately 12 million deaths per year worldwide. Even in well-developed countries like Germany, where an excellent public health system and high standards in hygiene are present, severe infections continue to be a clinical and therapeutic challenge. Despite intensive research efforts, effective therapies or prophylactic vaccines are available only for a limited number of pathogens. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the pathomechanisms of infectious diseases and the underlying immune responses are crucial for the development of future prevention strategies and therapeutic interventions. Traditionally, the host response to pathogens is divided into the innate and adaptive immune response, although both arms are strongly influencing each other. However, to date, research with a specific focus on the interaction between the innate and the adaptive immunity in infectious diseases is still underrepresented. With its multidisciplinary research and training program for PhD, MD and MD/PhD students in basic and translational research, the RTG fills this gap by bringing together highly qualified researchers in the Rhine-Ruhr area working on different aspects of infection immunology. The mutual scientific aim of the RTG is to elaborate how the adaptive immune response against a pathogen is modulated by the innate immune response and how the adaptive immune response influences innate immunity. For the implementation of such a complementary research and training program, the RTG 1949 combines expert knowledge in fundamental concepts and most advanced methodologies of various areas including experimental and clinical immunology, microbiology, virology and molecular medicine. The education goal of the RTG 1949 is the training of excellent young researchers in infectiology and immunity. To support this effort, the RTG provides and coordinates a structured 1-year program for MD students, and a regular 3-year PhD or MD/PhD program for young scientists from both natural science and medicine. Such training ensures long-term progress in this important research area in the Rhine-Ruhr area.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Universität Duisburg-Essen
• Co-Applicant Institution: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Astrid M. Westendorf
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Jan Buer; Professor Dr. Ulf Dittmer; Professor Dr. Ingo Drexler; Professorin Dr. Stefanie Flohé; Professorin Dr. Wiebke Hansen; Professor Dr. Carsten Jürgen Kirschning; Dr. Torben Knuschke; Professor Dr. Karl Sebastian Lang; Professor Philipp Alexander Lang, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Mengji Lu; Professor Dr. Klaus Pfeffer; Professor Dr. Hendrik Streeck, until 9/2019; Privatdozentin Dr. Kathrin Sutter; Professor Dr. Jörg Timm; Professor Dr. Mirko Trilling