GRK 2251:  Immunological and Cellular Strategies in Metabolic Disease (ICSMD)

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: since 2017
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 288034826

Nearly half a billion people in the world today are suffering from diabetes. Diabetes and obesity with their metabolic and cardiovascular complications constitute a major burden both for our health care system and the world economy. The coronavirus pandemic has shown that patients with these disorders are particularly vulnerable to severe and often fatal outcomes of this highly contagious disease. A new generation of biomedical scientists and physicians must be trained to tackle the huge challenges arising from the global diabetes and obesity pandemic. With the support of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and several British funding programmes, we established IRTG-ICSMD between Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) and King’s College London (KCL) to address this pressing need. PhD and MD students from across the world, who meet the highest standards of selection and qualification, are recruited to a joint programme that provides a cutting-edge training in a broad and interdisciplinary setting. During the first funding period our students helped to advance research in all of the major areas of the IRTG encompassing complementary and collaborative research projects. Based on their scientific achievements, innovative research projects have emerged to challenge the students in the second funding period. Specifically, we will further focus on the development of (i) strategies in immunometabolism, (ii) β-cell biology, (iii) strategies in β-cell regeneration and cell replacement, and (iv) strategies in the understanding of diabetic complications with a mission to translation to clinical use. We will also address the role and dimension of COVID-19 on the new onset and progression of diabetes based on our newly established global registry. The IRTG is fully embedded in our unique model of the transCampus, a comprehensive partnership between KCL and TUD, which provides the students an ideal environment in which they can succeed in all their efforts. We have created an outstanding platform for the translational training programmes with training courses and conferences as well as virtual and digital technologies to facilitate and optimise a joint PhD programme on the two sites. Students will grow to understand that the huge challenges of these devastating diseases need teamwork beyond borders, and a true spirit of international collaboration. Thus, we are committed to providing a training programme for a new generation of scientists and physicians to achieve better life for our patients and society.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
• IRTG-Partner Institution: King's College London
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Stefan R. Bornstein, Ph.D.
• Participating Researchers: Professor Ezio Bonifacio, Ph.D.; Dr. Tiago Cardoso Alves, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Ünal Coskun; Professor Dr. Ali El-Armouche; Dr. Anne Eugster; Professor Dr. Anthony Gavalas, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Anne Grapin-Botton; Professorin Dr. Kaomei Guan; Dr. Susanne Kämmerer; Professor Dr. Andreas Linkermann; Professorin Dr. Barbara Ludwig; Professor Dr. Henning Morawietz; Professor Dr. Nikolay Ninov, Ph.D.; Professor Michele Solimena; Professor Dr. Stephan Speier; Dr. Charlotte Steenblock
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Dr. Rocio Sancho