| |
Dear Reader,
The June edition of our newsletter compellingly showcases the vibrant and multifaceted translational research at the BIH. Of particular note is the launch of the first cohorts under the National Strategy for Gene and Cell Therapies, which was presented to Germany’s research minister exactly one year ago. With support from SPARK-BIH and the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy, innovative research projects on gene and cell therapies are now being actively advanced in order to speed up their translation into clinical care. A striking example of successfully combining AI with molecular medicine comes from Dr. Sören Lukassen’s team, whose AI model identifies over 170 cancer types based on epigenetic profiles. Moreover, we are delighted by the support for a promising clinician-scientist project focused on acute myeloid leukemia and by the Single Cell Focus Area’s recognition as “Best Research Environment 2024.” If you missed the BIH Lecture by Harvard professor Frank Dobbin, our event recap includes a link to watch or listen at your convenience.
Happy reading!
Your BIH Newsletter Team
|
|
Myasthenia gravis is a rare neurological autoimmune disease characterized by fluctuating muscle weakness that worsens with activity. About 17,000 people in Germany suffer from the disease. Many struggle to access appropriate care, especially if they need complex immunotherapies. The start-up RareLink now aims to address this gap with its MyaLink platform, which leverages remote monitoring to enable personalized therapy management. The young company is a spin-off of the BIH, Charité and the telemedicine provider Qurasoft. It has received support from Charité’s Neuroscience Clinical Research Center and the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA), as well as the BIH Digital Health Accelerator and the NeuroCure SPARK-BIH program of Charité BIH Innovation (CBI). Ascenion, the commercialization partner of Charité and BIH, and CBI have guided RareLink through the spin-off process. Read the press release
|
|
|
On June 12, 2024, the National Strategy for Gene- and Cell-Based Therapies (GCT) was published and presented to the then Federal Minister of Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger. It was commissioned by the then Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), now the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The aim of the strategy is to improve access to innovative therapies for patients, to strengthen Germany as a location for research and innovation and to enable the provision of safe, efficient, widely accessible and affordable gene- and cell-based therapies.
Read the press release (German only)
|
|
|
A group around Dr. Sören Lukassen, head of the BIH research group Medical Omics, and PD Dr. Philipp Euskirchen ( DKTK and Charité), developed an AI model that can quickly and reliably detect the epigenetic fingerprint of tumors in tissue samples or from body fluids. The model makes use of specific characteristics in the genetic material of tumors – their epigenetic fingerprint, obtained for example from cerebrospinal fluid, among other things. The findings of the study were recently presented in the journal "Nature Cancer". Read the press release of CharitéRead the publication
|
|
|
Researchers from the BIH and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, in collaboration with international colleagues, published a paper in "Nature Genetics" on a method to detect evolutionary conserved enhancers that diverged so much that their DNA sequences do not match anymore. In an interview, Dr. Daniel Ibrahim, study leader and last author of the publication, talks about the research results. Read the interviewRead the publication
|
|
|
Cooperation With Investors
In order to translate more medical research into market-ready products and services, Charité and BIH will work together with the investor network Springboard Health Angels in the future. The partners recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding that sets out the framework for further cooperation. Charité wants to support application-oriented research and contribute to the further development of the innovation ecosystem in Berlin.
|
|
The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Council of Science and Humanities (WR) recently announced that the NeuroCure cluster will be able to continue its research in a fourth funding period. Since 2007, the NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence has been researching the causes of neurological and psychiatric diseases as well as the complex mechanisms of the healthy brain. Spokesperson of NeuroCure is Dietmar Schmitz. The current deputy spokesperson until the end of 2025 is Ulrich Dirnagl, who will be followed by Andrea Kühn. Read the press release of Charité
|
|
On the occasion of the European Month of Diversity in May, the BIH took a stand for openness and inclusivity in science. For us, equal opportunities and diversity are more than just words- they are fundamental requirements for innovation and high- quality research. Read the statement
|
|
Dr. med. Livius Penter, internist, and Dr. med. Jana Ihlow, pathologist, are fellows in the BIH Charité Clinician Scientist Program (CSP) researching how allogeneic stem cell transplants and immunotherapeutic strategies can be used to treat acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The Brigitte and Dr. Konstanze Wegener Foundation is now funding their joint project beginning in July 2025 with 175,000 euros, with which they want to elucidate the immune cell landscape in extramedullary AML. Congratulations! Read more
|
|
|
Single Cell Focus Area Receives Award
|
|
|
From fall 2025, Visiting Fellows Katy Börner (Indiana University) and Harry Hemingway (University College London) – funded by Stiftung Charité – will develop new projects with their hosts at BIH and Charité. Computer scientist Katy Börner will work at the BIH together with her host Peter Robinson on the Human Reference Atlas and its linkage with clinical data. Epidemiologist Harry Hemingway will work closely with Claudia Langenberg and his host Ulf Landmesser (DHZC/CBF) on the analysis of large data sets in order to visualize correlations between disease patterns and further develop integrated patient care. Both fellows are looking forward to the exchange with their colleagues at the BIH! Those who decide to attend at short notice will have the opportunity to hear a lecture by Katy Börner at idalab on June 18, 2025.
Read the press release of Stiftung Charité
|
|
|
Fabian Prasser Strengthens NCT Berlin
Fabian Prasser, Head of the research group Medical Informatics at the BIH Center of Health Data Sciences, joined the extended Board of Directors of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Berlin in June. The new spokesperson for the NCT Berlin is Lars Bullinger, who will represent the interests of the Berlin site on the NCT Steering Committee together with Professor Ulrich Keilholz (both Charité). Read more (German only)
|
|
Neues von der BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA)
|
|
|
Peter Kühnen Takes Over Professorship for Pediatrics
|
|
|
Neues von Charité BIH Innovation (CBI)
|
|
|
An international research team led by Professor Markus Schülke and Professor Alessandro Prigione (Charité, Max Delbrück Center/UKD), together with members of the SIMPATHIC Consortium, has published a preprint investigating sildenafil as a potential therapy for Leigh syndrome. Laboratory tests and a pilot treatment of six patients indicated that individuals with MT-ATP6 mutations may particularly benefit. The project is supported by Charité BIH Innovation and funded by SPARK-BIH. The SIMPATHIC Consortium is planning a European, multinational study on Leigh syndrome and MT-ATP6 mutations, with recruitment expected to start in early 2026. Further details will follow soon.
Read the preprint
|
|
|
At the beginning of May, the BIH Digital Health Accelerator (DHA) welcomed eleven new Charité/BIH teams of clinicians and researchers to the program. The aim of the projects, which address a wide range of medical needs, is to develop digital health products for healthcare systems. In mid-October 2025, the teams will present their projects at the annual BIH DHA Demo Day. Read more
|
|
Despite significant progress in diversifying the student body, faculty diversity at U.S. universities remains a challenge. Why have many institutional efforts failed? In his talk on May 16, 2025, Harvard professor Frank Dobbin presented findings from studies of diversity programs at 600 universities over a 20-year period. Using these, the organizational sociologist showed what really works to build more inclusive faculties. The lecture was moderated by Karin Höhne (BIH Equal Opportunities Officer). Read more about the lectureVideo presentation
|
|
|
All BIH events are noted in our event calender. If you would like to receive a regular overview of upcoming BIH Events, please register here. Many thanks.
|
|
|
The Ad-Hoc Grant provides scientists in the BIH-Charité network with a funding opportunity that quickly meets the needs of translationally oriented research projects to realise the next steps into the clinic. This funding aims to overcome the limitations of established funding schemes and allows you to overcome unanticipated hurdles and bottlenecks on the way to clinical evaluation of your research project. Application Deadline is June 29, 2025. Read more
|
|
|
Scientists and clinicians at all career levels at Charité, including the BIH, are invited to submit project proposals for the SPARK-BIH call by July 7, 2025 (14:00 CET). Funding is available for translational projects from all medical disciplines aiming to develop therapies and preventives (small molecules, vaccines, biologics, ATMPs), medical devices and diagnostics as well as repurposing existing drugs for new medical indications. In addition to funding, the selected projects will benefit from the SPARK-BIH mentoring and education program, which supports the project teams in overcoming translation hurdles through training, mentoring and coaching. The aim of SPARK-BIH is the transfer of biomedical findings into clinical practice/market to benefit patients and society. Funding is not provided for the sole purpose of conducting basic research.
Read more
|
|
|
Are you a senior physician (German: "Oberarzt/Oberärztin" position) at Charité and particularly committed to your clinic or institute? Are you looking for scope to deepen your scientific experience of patient care? And do you have a specific idea that will help you in your medical work, such as your own further training, a job shadowing program or a project to share your clinical knowledge? Then apply by July 22, 2025 (1 p.m.) at the latest in the new selection round of Stiftung Charité. On June 19, 2025, there will be a virtual information event via Teams from 12:30 to 13:30. To participate in this Q&A session, which will be held in German, prior registration via this link is required. Read more about the call
|
|
|
Coming Soon: Second Call for the nTTP-GCT Program
As one measure of the National Strategy for Gene- and Cell-Based Therapies (GCT), the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA) designed and implemented the new national Translational Tandem Program for Gene- and Cell-Based Therapies (nTTP-GCT) last year. Funding for the first cohort of 18 talented clinical and non-clinical scientists, working in nine tandems on projects in the field of GCT, started in April 2025. The pilot call was evaluated and the second call has now been adapted according to requirements – including flexibility with regard to the amount of research time, the eligibility criteria for junior clinician scientists and the possibility of acquiring funding for materials. From the end of June 2025, you will find the funding announcement here with all information and documents relating to the call for proposals. Applications must be submitted by August 22, 2025, 12:00 pm. The earliest possible start of funding is February 2026.
|
|
|
|
|
|
