| |
Dear Reader,
Our May newsletter highlights the latest breakthroughs from across our ecosystem, focusing on the key drivers of medical progress: better data, innovative therapies, and targeted funding and exchange initiatives. In this issue, we explore a new model developed by the BIH and Queen Mary University of London that predicts obesity-related complications far more accurately than traditional BMI, opening new doors for personalized prevention and care. We also feature the world’s largest study on the genetics of blood proteins. With the BIH playing a leading role, this research offers fresh insights into disease mechanisms and identifies potential targets for precision medicine as well as new ways to optimize existing therapies. Additionally, our support for a CAAR-T cell project at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) is bringing cutting-edge treatments for neurological autoimmune diseases closer to the clinic. Finally, we celebrate the latest awards won by our researchers and take a look back at our highlights from Girls’ Day and DMEA 2026.
Happy reading!
Your BIH Newsletter Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© Adobe Stock / #605698382
|
|
Involving a collaboration with 118 investigators contributing from 89 institutions, scientists from the and BIH and the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (Queen Mary University of London) have led the world’s largest study on the genetic regulation of >1,000 blood proteins which holds the potential to transform our understanding of different diseases and their treatment opportunities. The study was recently published in Cell.Read the press release
Read the publication
|
|
|
A simple tool, developed by Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the BIH, could help identify which people living with obesity or overweight are most likely to develop serious obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The researchers recently published their findings in the journal Nature Medicine. Read the press release
Read the publication
|
|
|
|
|
|
© Adobe Stock / #194866772
|
|
€1.65 Million in Funding for CAAR-T Cell Therapy Project
The BIH is providing €1.65 million in funding to a team of researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) through the SPARK-BIH project grant as part of the National Strategy for Gene and Cell-Based Therapies. This funding is intended to advance the development and GMP-compliant production of CAAR-T cells for the treatment of neurological autoimmune diseases such as MOGAD, myasthenia gravis, or IgLON5 syndrome, with the aim of providing patients with more effective and targeted treatment options in the future. Read the press release (in German only)
About the National Strategy for Gene- and Cell-Based Therapies
|
|
|
bio:cap 2026: Where AI Meets Life Sciences
When researchers, startups, and investors from the international life sciences community gather at bio:cap in Berlin this June, the BIH will play a key role in shaping the new conference format. bio:cap was launched jointly by the BIH, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Messe Berlin, and the Hasso Plattner Institute. The BIH is actively involved in shaping the content and program, thereby strengthening the exchange between science, entrepreneurship, and capital. Read the press release of Charité (in German only)
|
|
|
© GPGE e.V.
Dr. Milad Rezvani, principal investigator and alumnus of the BIH Charité Clinician Scientist Program “Excellence Track,” has been awarded the 2026 Science Award of the Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (GPGE). The award ceremony took place on April 18 during this year’s GPGE Annual Meeting. Our heartfelt congratulations! Read more
|
|
© Wiebke Peitz | Charité
Professor Claudia Langenberg, head of the Computational Medicine research group at the BIH and director of the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) at Queen Mary University of London, has been elected to a membership at the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina for the section Class II for Life Sciences. Congratulations! Read more
|
|
News From the Research Group Stem Cell Dynamics & Mitochondrial Genomics
|
|
|
Single-Cell Research Provides New Insights Into mtDNA Mutations
Scientists from the BIH research group have recently published an article in Nature Communications, describing the development and application of a single-cell framework to quantify mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutational burden and somatic mosaicism. The analyses revealed extensive cell-to-cell heterogeneity in mtDNA mutational landscapes, evidence for negative selection against pathogenic and truncating variants, and constrained mutational patterns enriched in human cells. Read the publication
|
|
News From the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy and Charité BIH Innovation
|
|
|
|
© LimeSky | Adobe Stock
The new “Innovation Compact” workshop, offered by Charité BIH Innovation (CBI) and the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA), provides hands-on introductory knowledge on technology transfer in just three hours, including valuable insights into topics such as innovation, intellectual property rights (IP) and commercialization. The workshop is designed for staff in research, clinical, and administrative roles at Charité and BIH, and inquiries can be directed to CBI starting today. Read more
|
|
© Pixabay
The BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy (BIA) launched a new application and reporting portal in February 2026. Following a successful pilot phase, the platform is now being used for all funding management processes - from application submission to reporting. The new portal offers a modern and user-friendly environment and is available as a service to all departments at the BIH. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us at portal@bih-charite.de. Application and reporting portal
|
|
|
|
|
© BIH | Konstantin Börner
|
|
Conversation on Deck: The Opportunities and Risks of Gene and Cell Therapies
The BIH hosted a panel discussion on the MS Wissenschaft as part of the “Dialog an Deck” series. Against the backdrop of Berlin’s Schiffbauerdamm, experts from the fields of research, medicine, and society joined the audience in discussing the opportunities, challenges, and ethical issues surrounding gene and cell therapies. The question: How can we bring medical innovation into healthcare quickly, safely, and fairly? One thing became clear: the medicine of the future requires dialogue, responsibility, and equitable access. Read more an view the photo gallery (in German only)
|
|
|
The BIH at DMEA 2026
The BIH has just wrapped up three intensive and inspiring days at DMEA (April 21–23) - marked by engaging discussions, fresh ideas, and a clear vision of the future of the health tech market. The BIH once again had a strong presence this year: Several working groups presented their current projects, shared insights into their research, and forged valuable connections with existing and new partners. Read more (in German only)
|
|
|
On 23 April 2026, a total of eleven research groups opened their doors to give schoolgirls from across Berlin a fascinating insight into their work. Around 120 girls aged between 12 and 17 visited the BIH and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlinn, where they were able to experience the diverse world of biomedical and translational research at first hand. Read more and view the photo gallery
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
In the latest episode of “AskDifferent”, the Einstein Foundation’s podcast series, Maximilian Sprang, recipient of the Einstein Foundation Early Career Award, explaines why genomic studies can seem convincing yet fail to replicate. He explains how technical errors can mimic biological findings and how his team studies and simulates these errors to improve tools and make research more reliable without throwing "messy" data away. Listen to the podcast
|
|
This year's call for applications of the BIH Digital Health Accelerator program is live. The structured program supports Charité/BIH employees who develop digital health solutions for medical application and the healthcare market. Application deadline is June 19, 2026. Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
© Stiftung Charité, Andreas Süß
|
|
Protected time for experienced and clinically active senior physicians to pursue practice-oriented projects in continuing education, clinical observerships, or the transfer of clinical knowledge. New in this call for applications: for the first time, the program is also open to experienced board-certified specialists as part of a pilot approach. Deadline is July 1, 2026, 1:00 PM. Read more
|
|
|
|
|
© JJ Ying (Unsplash), modified with ChatGPT
|
|
BIH and Charité scientists and clinicians at all career levels are invited to submit translational project applications. You can find more information on selection criteria, submission and selection process on the website of SPARK-BIH. Submission Deadline is Monday, July 6, 2026 (14:00 CEST). Read more
|
|
|
The 19th Eva Luise Köhler Research Award for Rare Diseases will be awarded on April 23, 2027, in Berlin. Applications can be submitted until July 12, 2026 at midnight. The prize is endowed with €50,000 and is open to researchers at all career stages, recognizing innovative, scientifically outstanding projects in both basic and translational research on rare diseases. Read more
|
|
|
Are you passionate about Open Science and want to show your colleagues how it can be applied in everyday research? Would you like to organize events with experts from whom you and your colleagues can learn? Get involved and become an ambassador for Open Science in your faculty, department or Cluster of Excellence! Applications will be accepted until May 29, 2026. Read more
|
As part of the Excellence Strategy, the Berlin University Alliance has set itself the objective of strengthening the link between (top-level) research and teaching. The format of the X-Student Research Groups supports research projects in which young scientists and students conduct joint research. Submissions will be accepted until May 31, 2026 (11:59 p.m. CET). Read more
|
|
|
|
|
