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Dear Reader,
Innovative medical devices and promising therapies are making their way into the clinic, while new insights and strong partnerships are driving translational research forward. A good example is the second round of GeneNovate, the national entrepreneurship program for gene and cell therapies, where early career researchers presented their pioneering projects to a diverse audience, including top-tier investors. Further cementing Berlin's position as a leading hub for life sciences and AI-driven medical technologies is the new bio:cap investor fair, a collaborative initiative by Charité, the BIH, and Messe Berlin. In addition, promising clinical trials are in progress, such as one exploring a novel TCR‑T cell therapy against solid tumors, and patients are actively contributing their valuable perspectives to the development of digital tools for rare diseases. By working together, we are shaping the future of medicine – one that is practice-oriented, patient‑centered and innovation‑driven. The vibrant exchange of ideas was recently on display at the Long Night of Sciences, the GeneNovate Investors’ Day and the BIH Lecture with Jens Rittscher, as you can discover in our recaps of these events. Happy reading!
The next newsletter will come out after the summer break on September 15.
Have a great summer,
Your BIH Newsletter Team
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Winning Teams of GeneNovate 2025
GeneNovate is Germany's first international entrepreneurship program for gene and cell therapies (GCT) and was implemented as a pilot project in 2024. It promotes entrepreneurial thinking in top German research and aims to support innovative thinkers to advance new medical devices and therapies on their way to the clinic. After six months of monthly workshops with experts and mentors from the local start-up scene, the participants of the second round came together for a joint final event in Berlin on June 26. They presented a total of 23 research projects to a top-class jury of investors, political representatives and experienced entrepreneurs.
Read the press release (in German only)
Learn more and go to the picture gallery (in German only)
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Whether innovative drugs, personalized medicine or digital drug development – the life sciences are facing a profound change due to the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in research, diagnostics and development. Charité and BIH want to actively shape this change by initiating a new event format together with Messe Berlin: bio:cap. Conceived as an international life science and AI investment festival, bio:cap brings together leading international investors with start-ups, research institutions and companies from the biotech, tech-bio and AI sectors as well as decision-makers from the world of politics. Read the press release of CharitéFurther information on bio:cap can be found on the website of Messe Berlin
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NCT Funds First Study of a Novel TCR-T Cell Therapy
The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) is promoting a promising therapeutic approach for patients with advanced solid tumors: A newly developed TCR-T cell therapy will be clinically tested for the first time from 2027 in the multicenter ToMA4TA1 study. The study is being led by the NCT Berlin. Years of research funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the Max Delbrück Center and the BIH have created the basis for this study. Read more (in German only)
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The BIH congratulates Professor Angela Relógio and the TimeTeller team on their outstanding placement among the top 3 at the German Founders Award 2025 in the StartUp category. This award recognizes an innovative approach with the potential to fundamentally transform personalized medicine. TimeTeller, a HealthTech startup based at MSH Medical School Hamburg and rooted at Charité and supported by the BIH Digital Health Accelerator as well as the I4H program funded by Stiftung Charité brings a non-invasive saliva test into clinical practice. Read more
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Neues von Charité BIH Innovation (CBI)
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Two Singaporean startups are launching joint projects with Charité. The second call of the Co-Innovation Programme with Enterprise Singapore is now open. The programme is coordinated by Charité BIH Innovation (CBI) and enables collaboration with researchers and clinicians in health and biomedicine. Applications are open until August 15. Funding is shared equally between Enterprise Singapore and the startups.
Read more
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News From the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA)
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As part of the 2025_I call, a total of 23 new fellows were selected for the BIH Charité (Junior) (Digital) Clinician Scientist Program in a two-stage selection process, including 15 women. Once again, two grants from the CSP are being funded by the German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ) and one JCSP grant by the Alliance4Rare. In addition, two fellowships in the DCSP will be funded by Stiftung Charité, with a focus on digital translation. The planned start of funding for the new fellows is September 1, 2025. We warmly welcome everyone on board!
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News From the Research Group Bioinformatics and Translational Genetics
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Workshop With Patients With Rare Diseases
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News From the Research Group Early Cancer Development and Prevention
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Funding for Francesca Tiso
Francesca Tiso, a postdoctoral researcher in the research group of Kirsten Kübler, has received the good news that her application to the DFG's prestigious Walter Benjamin Programme has been approved. The Walter Benjamin Programme enables researchers in the postdoctoral training phase to independently conduct their own research project at a location of their choice and supports their independent profile development. Congratulations!
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The convergence of advances in imaging technologies and AI at the microscopic level will transform how we diagnose and treat disease. Cellular pathology plays a critical role in translating these advancements into the clinical setting. In the BIH Lecture on July 11, 2025, Professor Jens Rittscher highlighted various research efforts of cross-disciplinary interactions to address unmet medical needs in cellular pathology. Among various aspects, his talk illustrated how advances in imaging, AI, and sample processing could be combined to develop a tissue-based platform for research and discovery. Read more about the lectureVideo presentation
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"You can also see that people find it really exciting here. There are some who come here to find out about studying medicine, but many who really want to understand what Charité does or what's going on in medicine," said Professor Christopher Baum, Chairman of the BIH Board of Directors and Chief Translational Research Officer of Charité, in an interview with radioeins. Visitors to the 25th anniversary of the Long Night of Sciences were once again given exciting insights into medical research on the Charité campus in Mitte. A big thank you to everyone who took part! Find out more about the offers and go to the picture gallery
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With over 350 participants, compelling pitches, and high-profile guests from research, industry, and politics, the GeneNovate Investors' Day on June 27, 2025, provided a unique platform for innovation in gene and cell therapies – a key area shaping the future of medicine. The event received consistently positive feedback. A heartfelt thank you to all participants, sponsors, speakers, and start-ups for making this event truly special. Due to high demand, a follow-up is already in planning – stay tuned!
More about the speakers and partners and impressions in the photo gallery
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BUA “Leadership Impulse” With Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen
The Berlin Leadership Academy (BLA), which the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA) supports, welcomed Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen, founder of the Healthy Earth – Healthy People Foundation, as a guest speaker at its “Excellently Networked – Leadership Impulse” end of June. Despite 50 years of climate science, protecting our living conditions seems to be becoming increasingly neglected. Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen posed the overarching question of whether, given the current social challenges, research is being conducted on the “right” topics. Around 50 leaders from FU, HU, TU, and Charité discussed this question at the Anatomical Theater for Animals. Further information on the event (in German only)
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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.
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This issue focuses on "Health in Transition" including an interview about diversity in medicine with Sophie Van Linthout, a recap of our exhibition “Berlin – Capital of Women Scientists” going international and a review about the 2024 Diversithon on board of the MS Wissenschaft, where the BIH had been the cooperation partner. Thanks to all the authors and congratulations on this exciting issue! To the gesundhyte.de issue 16
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Second Call for Proposals for the Translational Tandem Program (nTTP-GCT)
The national Translational Tandem Program for Gene- and Cell-based Therapies (nTTP-GCT) supports clinicians and non-clinical scientists with a doctorate who are active in the field of GCT and who are working on a joint research project as a tandem. The pilot call, published in fall 2024, was evaluated and the second call has now been adapted to meet target group specific 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 consumables. For the call for proposal and all documents related please click here (German only). Applications must be submitted by Friday, August 22, 2025 - 12:00 p.m. (CET).
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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. Read more
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Following the success of the first two calls, the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA) will soon launch the third call for project proposals within the framework of the BIH PhD Program. The program aims to promote interdisciplinarity and support young translational talents. The program will co-fund PhD positions for excellent translational projects that fit one of the four BIH research priorities. Principal Investigators from all research groups with BIH affiliation may submit project proposals from September 8 to October 15 (project outline, timeline and statement explaining how the project fits within BIH’s missions). Further information will be published here soon.
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