Beneficiaries

HZIHelmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
Short name:
HZI

Website:
www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en		HZI
Description:
The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) is a publicly funded research centre with more than 800 employees in research and administration. The focus of the centre lies on infectious diseases, with the main goal in understanding infection pathways and immune responses to develop novel drugs for efficient therapies and treatments of infections.
Prof. Dr. Jochen Huehn
Department:
Experimental Immunology

E-Mail:
jochen.huehn@helmholtz-hzi.de

Website Lab:
www.helmholtz-hzi.de/exim
Portrait Prof. Dr. Jochen Huehn
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CV

Since 2008: Full Professor for Experimental Immunology (Hannover Medical School) and Head of Department Experimental Immunology (HZI)

2006 – 2008: Junior Professor for Immune Regulation, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany

2000 – 2006: Postdoc at Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany

1996 – 2000: PhD thesis at Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany

1991 – 1996: Undergraduate training in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, Germany


Additional information

Since 2021- Coordinator of EU-funded Innovative Training Network ENLIGHT-TEN+

Since 2018- Steering committee member of Excellence Cluster RESIST

Since 2017- Co-initiator of EFIS Study Group “T cell connect Europe”

2015-2019- Coordinator of EU-funded Innovative Training Network ENLIGHT-TEN

Since 2014- Advisory Board Member of the German Society of Immunology (DGfI)

2013-2020- Deputy Speaker Topic “Immune response & interventions” - Helmholtz Association

Since 2007- Organizer of annual German Meeting on Immune Regulation

2007- Langener Science Award

2007- Wolfgang Schulze Award for Rheumatism Research

2002- Avrion Mitchison-Award for Rheumatism Research


Keywords
  • Epigenetic control of immune cell development
  • Thymic T cell development & peripheral T cell differentiation
  • Foxp3+ regulatory T cells
  • Long-lasting consequences of (neonatal) infections and microbial colonization on immune system

Key publications
  1. Nikolouli E, Elfaki Y, Herppich S, Schelmbauer C, Delacher M, Falk C, Mufazalov IA, Waisman A, Feuerer M, Huehn J. Recirculating IL 1R2+ Tregs fine-tune intrathymic Treg development under inflammatory conditions. Cell Mol Immunol 2020 doi: 10.1038/s41423-019-0352-8.
  2. Pezoldt J, Pasztoi M, Zou M, Wiechers C, Beckstette M, Thierry GR, Vafadarnejad E, Floess S, Arampatzi P, Buettner M, Schweer J, Fleissner D, Vital M, Pieper DH, Basic M, Dersch P, Strowig T, Hornef M, Bleich A, Bode U, Pabst O, Bajenoff M, Saliba AE, Huehn J. Neonatally imprinted stromal cell subsets induce tolerogenic dendritic cells in mesenteric lymph nodes. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3903.
  3. Garg G, Nikolouli E, Hardtke-Wolenski M, Toker A, Ohkura N, Beckstette M, Miyao T, Geffers R, Floess S, Gerdes N, Lutgens E, Osterloh A, Hori S, Sakaguchi S, Jaeckel E, Huehn J. Unique properties of thymic antigen-presenting cells promote epigenetic imprinting of alloantigen-specific regulatory T cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:35542.
  4. Yang BH, Hagemann S, Mamareli P, Lauer U, Hoffmann U, Beckstette M, Fohse L, Prinz I, Pezoldt J, Suerbaum S, Sparwasser T, Hamann A, Floess S, Huehn J, Lochner M*. Foxp3+ T cells expressing RORgammat represent a stable regulatory T-cell effector lineage with enhanced suppressive capacity during intestinal inflammation. Mucosal Immunol 2016; 9:444.
  5. Yang BH, Floess S, Hagemann S, Deyneko IV, Groebe L, Pezoldt J, Sparwasser T, Lochner M, Huehn J. Development of a unique epigenetic signature during in vivo Th17 differentiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:1537.
Prof. Dr. Michael Meyer-Hermann
Department:
Systems Immunology

E-Mail:
mmh@theoretical-biology.de

Website Lab:
www.helmholtz-hzi.de/simm
Portrait Prof. Dr. Michael Meyer-Hermann
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CV

Since 2010: W3-Professor at the Technische Universität Braunschweig, and Head of the Department 'Systems Immunology' at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research Braunschweig.

2005-2010: Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

2004: Research fellow at the Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, Oxford University, UK

1998 – 2003: Head and initiator of the Research Group “Theoretical Biophysics” and “Assistant” at the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Dresden University of Technology, Germany

1994 – 1997: PhD Theoretical Physics at the Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main

1988-1994: Studied Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy at the Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main, and the University Pierre et Marie Curie Paris.


Additional information

Since 2020- Expert commission “Pandemieforschung” (pandemic research) of the German Research Foundation (DFG)

Since 2020 - COVID-19 expert group of the Helmholtz Association

Since 2017- Faculty member and taskforce leader of the Centre for Individualized Infection Medicine (CIIM) Hannover

Since 2017- Scientific advisory board of the Doctoral Training Unit “Next Generation Immuno-Science” (NEXTIMMUNE) Luxembourg

Since 2011- Board of directors of “Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology” (BRICS)

2016-2020- Speaker of the scientific association of the HZI

2006- ALTANA-Award for fundamental research in Theoretical Immunology

2004- EU Marie-Curie Fellowship


Keywords
  • Germinal center and affinity maturation
  • Theoretical immunology
  • Infectious disease models
  • Neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases
  • T cell dynamics

Key publications
  1. Roco, J.A., Mesin, L., Binder, S.C., Nefzger, C., Gonzalez-Figueroa, P., Canete, P.F., Ellyard, J., Shen, Q., Robert, P.A., Cappello, J., Vohra, H., Zhang, Y., Nowosad, C.R., Schiepers, A., Corcoran, L.M., Toellner, K.-M., Polo, J.M., Meyer-Hermann M., Victora, G.D., Vinuesa, C.G.Class-Switch Recombination Occurs Infrequently in Germinal Centers. Immunity 2019, 51 (2), pp. 337-350.e7.
  2. Meyer-Hermann M. Injection of antibodies against immunodominant epitopes tunes germinal centers to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies. Cell Reports 2019 Oct 29; 29: 1066-1073
  3. Tas, J.M.J., Mesin, L., Pasqual, G., Targ, S., Jacobsen, J.T., Mano, Y.M., Chen, C.S., Weill, J.-C., Reynaud, C.-A., Browne, E.P., Meyer-Hermann M., Victora, G.D. Visualizing antibody affinity maturation in germinal centers. Science 2016, 351 (6277), pp. 1048-1054.
  4. Zhang* Y, Meyer-Hermann* M, George L, Khan M, Figge MT, Falciani F, Kosco-Vilbois M, Toellner K-M. Germinal centre B cells govern their own fate via antibody feedback. J Exp Med 2013 Mar 11; 210(3): 457-464. [*shared first author].
  5. Meyer-Hermann M, Figge MT, Straub R. Mathematical modeling of the circadian rhythm of key neuroendocrine immune players in rheumatoid arthritis: A systems biology approach, Arthritis & Rheumatism 2009 Sep; 60(9): 2585-2594.
MUWMedical University of Vienna, Austria
Short name:
MUW

Website:
www.meduniwien.ac.at		MUW
Description:
The Medical University of Vienna (MUW) is the largest medical organisation in Austria and provides Europe's largest hospital, the AKH in Vienna, with all of its medical staff. It employs a staff of 5,000, of which 1,800 are researchers and 1,600 are medical doctors. As one of the largest research centers in Europe, MUW concentrates on a total of five research clusters (including Immunology) and five clinical research fields.
Prof. Dr. Wilfried Ellmeier
Department:
Institute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology

E-Mail:
wilfried.ellmeier@meduniwien.ac.at

Website Lab:
www.meduniwien.ac.at/immunologie/ellmeier
Portrait Prof. Dr. Wilfried Ellmeier
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CV

since 07/2008: Full Professor of Immunobiology

2005 - 2007: Associate Professor (a.o.Univ.Prof), Medical University of Vienna

since 2000: Group Leader, Institute of Immunology, University of Vienna

1995 - 1999: Postdoctoral Fellow (Laboratory of Dan Littman), Skirball Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

1990 - 1994: Doctoral studies, University of Vienna, with distinction; PhD Thesis performed at the Institute for Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna

1985 - 1990: Studies in Biochemistry, University of Vienna, with distinction


Additional information

since 10/2020- Head of the Institute of Immunology

since 2020- President of the Biomedical Alliance in Europe

since 2020- Deputy Head of the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology

since 2019- Speaker and coordinator of the FWF SFB-F70 (Special Research Program)

since 2019- Board member of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)

since 2014- Academic Editor of FEBS Letters

since 2012- Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

since 2008- Program coordinator of MedUni Wien PhD program “Immunology” (it is one of the largest thematic programs)

2005- Novartis prize 2004 in Biology

2001- START Prize of the Austrian Science Fund (most prestigious prize in Austria for young scientist; similar to ERC Starting Grant)


Keywords
  • The role of histone deacetylases in the regulation of T cell-mediated immunity
  • Transcriptional control of T cell development
  • Regulation of peripheral T cell function and maintenance of T cell lineage identity and integrity

Key publications
  1. Preglej T, Hamminger P, Luu M, Bulat T, Andersen L, Göschl L, Stolz V, Rica R, Sandner L, Waltenberger D, Tschismarov R, Faux T, Boenke T, Laiho A, Elo LL, Sakaguchi S, Steiner G, Decker T, Bohle B, Visekruna A, Bock C, Strobl B, Seiser C, Boucheron N, Ellmeier W (2020). Histone deacetylases 1 and 2 restrain CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte differentiation. JCI Insight 5(4). pii: 133393. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.133393.
  2. Andersen L, Gülich AF, Alteneder M, Preglej T, Orola MJ, Dhele N, Stolz V, Schebesta A, Hamminger P, Hladik A, Floess S, Krausgruber T, Faux T, Andrabi SBA, Huehn J, Knapp S, Sparwasser T, Bock C, Laiho A, Elo LL, Rasool O, Lahesmaa R, Sakaguchi S, Ellmeier W (2019). The Transcription Factor MAZR/PATZ1 Regulates the Development of FOXP3+ Regulatory T Cells. Cell Rep. 29(13):4447-4459.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.089
  3. Ellmeier W & Seiser, C. Histone deacetylase function in CD4+ T cells. Nat Rev Immunol 18, 617-634, doi:10.1038/s41577-018-0037-z (2018).
  4. Goschl, L, Preglej, T, Hamminger, P, Bonelli, M, Andersen, L, Boucheron, N, Gulich, AF, Muller, L, Saferding, V, Mufazalov, IA, Hirahara, K, Seiser, C, Matthias, P, Penz, T, Schuster, M, Bock, C, Waisman, A, Steiner, G. & Ellmeier W A T cell-specific deletion of HDAC1 protects against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. J Autoimmun 86, 51-61, doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2017.09.008 (2018).
  5. Boucheron, N, Tschismarov, R, Goschl, L, Moser, Mirjam, Lagger, S, Sakaguchi, S, Winter, Lenz, F, Vitko, D., Breitwieser, FP, Haust, L, Hassan, H, Bennett, KL, Colinge, J, Schreiner, W, Matthias, P, Egawa, T, Taniuchi, I, Matthias, P, Seiser, C & Ellmeier, W* CD4+ T cell lineage integrity is controlled by the histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC2. Nat Immunol 15, 439-448, doi:10.1038/ni.2864 (2014). (*shared senior-authorship).
LMULudwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
Short name:
LMU

Website:
www.en.lmu.de		LMU
Description:
LMU Munich offers a broad research and teaching portfolio, ranging from humanities and cultural studies, law, economics and social sciences to medicine and natural sciences. Around 50.000 Students are enrolled at the LMU, and together with the neighboring Technical University and the Max-Planck- and Helmholtz-Institutes, LMU represents a major European science hub. Klein is affiliated with the Biomedical Center (BMC), one of the largest research institutions built in Germany in recent years. The BMC provides laboratories and teaching space for around 60 research groups with approximately 450 employees. Combining preclinical, clinical-theoretical and clinical institutes, BMC research is committed to bridging the divide between basic research and clinical application.
Prof. Dr. Ludger Klein
Department:
Institute for Immunology

E-Mail:
ludger.klein@med.lmu.de

Website Lab:
www.immunologie.med.uni-muenchen.de/research/ag_klein
Portrait Prof. Dr. Ludger Klein
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CV

Since 2007: Professor of Cellular Immunology

2002 – 2007: Group Leader, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria

1999 – 2002: Postdoc at Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

1997 – 1999: Postdoc at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg

1994 – 1997: PhD studies, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, and University of Cologne, Germany


Additional information

2016- ERC Advanced Grant ‘Tolerance Footprint’

Since 2015- Co-organizer of the Midwinter Conference ‘Advances in Immunobiology’

Since 2013- Coordinator of the Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG) CRC1054


Keywords
  • Characterization of the T cell repertoire
  • Central and peripheral T cell tolerance
  • Clonal deletion and induction of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells
  • Functional specialization of thymic stromal cells for T cell repertoire selection

Key publications
  1. Hassler T, Urmann E, Teschner S, Federle C, Dileepan T, Schober K, Jenkins MK, Busch DH, Hinterberger M and Klein L. Inventories of naive and tolerant mouse CD4 T cell repertoires reveal a hierarchy of deleted and diverted T cell receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2019; 116:18537.
  2. Yamano T, Dobes J, Voboril M, Steinert M, Brabec T, Ziętara N, Dobesova M, Ohnmacht C, Laan M, Peterson P, Benes V, Sedlacek R, Hanayama R, Kolar M, Klein L* and Filipp D*. Aire expressing ILC3-like cells in the lymph node display potent APC features. J Exp Med; 216:1027.
  3. Klein L, Robey EA and Hsieh CS. Central CD4+ T cell tolerance: deletion versus regulatory T cell differentiation. Nat Rev Immunol 2019; 19:7.
  4. Yamano T, Nedjic J, Hinterberger M, Steinert M, Koser S, Pinto S, Gerdes N, Lutgens E, Ishimaru N, Busslinger M, Brors B, Kyewski B and Klein L. Thymic B cells are licensed to present self-antigens for central T cell tolerance induction. Immunity 2015; 42:1048.
  5. Klein L, Kyewski B, Allen PM and Hogquist KA. Positive and negative selection of the T cell repertoire: what thymocytes see (and don’t see). Nat Rev Immunoly 2014; 14:377.
iMMInstituto de Medicina Molecular, João Lobo Antunes, Lisbon, Portugal
Short name:
iMM

Website:
imm.medicina.ulisboa.pt		iMM
Description:
The Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM) is a leading Portuguese private non-profit research institute that promotes basic, translational and clinical biomedical research with the aim of better understanding disease mechanisms, developing new diagnostic or predictive tests as well as new therapies. iMM currently gathers about 600 researchers and 125 technical and administrative collaborators. iMM’s 34 research groups are organized in 4 Research Lines: Cellular and Developmental Biology; Immunology and infection; Oncobiology; and Neurosciences. The diversity of outstanding researchers creates a bright and dynamic work environment and provides an optimal framework for career development.
Prof. Dr. Marc Veldhoen
Department:
Immune Regulation

E-Mail:
marc.veldhoen@medicina.ulisboa.pt

Website Lab:
imm.medicina.ulisboa.pt/investigation/laboratories/marc-veldhoen-lab
Portrait Prof. Dr. Marc Veldhoen
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CV

Since 2018: Professor of Basic Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon

Since 2016: Group Leader, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes

2014-2016: Group Leader (tenured) Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK

2010-2014: Group Leader (tenure track), Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK

2006-2010: Senior Investigator, National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK

2003-2006: Postdoc, National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK

2000-2003: PhD thesis, National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK

1994-1999: Undergraduate training, Medical Biology, Utrecht University, NL


Additional information

2018- La Caixa Health Research Grant awardee

Since 2017- Co-initiator of EFIS Study Group “T cell connect Europe”

2016-2021- European Research Area Chair

Since 2016- Editorial board member, International Immunology

Since 2016- Editorial board member, Journal of European Immunology

Since 2013- Editor-in-Chief, Immunity, Inflammation and Disease

2010- EMBO Young investigator award

2010- ERC Consolidator award

2000- Boehringer Ingelheim Funds Grantee


Keywords
  • T cell differentiation
  • T cell metabolism
  • Tissue resident T cells
  • Intraepithelial T cells

Key publications
  1. Ferreira, C., Barros, L., Baptista, M., Blankenhaus, B., Barros, A., Figueiredo-Campos, P., Konjar, S., Laine, A., Kamenjarin, N., Stojanovic, A., et al. (2020). Type 1 Treg cells promote the generation of CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cells. Nat Immunol 21, 766-776
  2. Konjar, S., Frising, U.C., Ferreira, C., Hinterleitner, R., Mayassi, T., Zhang, Q., Blankenhaus, B., Haberman, N., Loo, Y., Guedes, J., et al. (2018). Mitochondria maintain controlled activation state of epithelial-resident T lymphocytes. Sci Immunol 3, eaan2543.
  3. Li, Y., Innocentin, S., Withers, D.R., Roberts, N.A., Gallagher, A.R., Grigorieva, E.F., Wilhelm, C., and Veldhoen M. (2011). Exogenous stimuli maintain intraepithelial lymphocytes via aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation. Cell 147, 629-640.
  4. Brucklacher-Waldert, V., Ferreira, C., Stebegg, M., Fesneau, O., Innocentin, S., Marie, J.C., and Veldhoen M. (2017). Cellular Stress in the Context of an Inflammatory Environment Supports TGF-beta-Independent T Helper-17 Differentiation. Cell Rep 19, 2357-2370.
  5. Brucklacher-Waldert, V., Ferreira, C., Innocentin, S., Kamdar, S., Withers, D.R., Kullberg, M.C., and Veldhoen M. (2016). Tbet or Continued RORgammat Expression Is Not Required for Th17-Associated Immunopathology. J Immunol 196, 4893-4904.
Prof. Dr. Luis Graca, MD DPhil
Department:
Lymphocyte Regulation

E-Mail:
lgraca@medicina.ulisboa.pt

Website Lab:
imm.medicina.ulisboa.pt/investigation/laboratories/luis-graca-lab/
Portrait Prof. Dr. Luis Graca, MD DPhil
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CV

Since 2019: Full Professor of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon

Since 2005: Group Leader, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes

2005-2019: Assistant/Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon

2004-2005: Postdoc, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

2002-2004: Postdoc, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

1998-2002: PhD thesis, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK


Additional information

Since 2017- President – Lisbon Medical Sciences Society

2015-2018- President – Portuguese Society for Immunology

2019- Univ. Lisbon Caica Geral Depositos, Research Excellence Award

Since 2017- Member of the Scientific Council, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon.


Keywords
  • Germinal centre egulation
  • TFH cells
  • Regulatory T cells
  • Immune tolerance
  • Autoimmunity
  • Clinical studies

Key publications
  1. Fonseca VR, Agua-Doce A, Maceiras AR, Pierson W, Ribeiro F, Romão VC, Pires AR, Silva SL, Fonseca JE, Sousa AE, Linterman MA, Graca L (2017) Human blood CXCR5+Foxp3+ T cells are indicators of ongoing humoral activity not fully licensed with suppressive function. Science Immunol. 2, eaan1487
  2. Fonseca VR, Romão VC, Agua-Doce A, Santos M, López-Presa D, Ferreiras AC, Fonseca JE, Graca L (2018) “The Ratio of Blood T Follicular Regulatory Cells to T Follicular Helper Cells Marks Ectopic Lymphoid Structure Formation While Activated Follicular Helper T Cells Indicate Disease Activity in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome”. Arthritis Rheumatol. 70:774-784.
  3. Maceiras R, Almeida SCP, Mariotti-Ferrandiz E, Chaara W, Jebbawi F, Six A, Hori S, Klatzmann D, Faro J, Graca L (2017) T follicular helper and T follicular regulatory cells from the same germinal centers have different TCR-specificity. Nature Commun. 8:15067.
INSERMInstitut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France
Short name:
INSERM

Website:
www.inserm.fr		INSERM
Description:
INSERM is an internationally recognized French national public research institute that is dedicated to the study of biological science and medicine with more than 8,000 employees. The research will be performed at the Center of Immunology and Microbial Infection (CIMI) Institute that is part of INSERM and Sorbonne University. The PhD student will be registered at Sorbonne University. CIMI is located at La Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris and is dedicated to the study of immune responses in inflammatory and infectious diseases and to find new treatments of these pathologies.
Prof. Dr. Benoit Salomon
Department:
CIMI

E-Mail:
benoit.salomon@upmc.fr

Website Lab:
www.cimi-paris.upmc.fr/fr/les-equipes/biologie-des-lymphocytes-t-regulateurs-et-implications-therapeutiques/membres-de-l-equipe.html
Portrait Prof. Dr. Benoit Salomon
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CV

Since 2007: Research Director (DR2 Inserm). Group leader at INSERM and Sorbonne University.

2000-2007: : Research associate (CR1 Inserm). Principal investigator at INSERM and Sorbonne University.

1997-2000: : Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago (group of Jeffrey Bluestone).

1992-1996: : PhD student at the University of Paris (group of David Klatzmann).


Additional information

2021- Organizer of the Health Bioscience Research Industry Days (Hybrid) meeting, France.

2014-2018- Co-director of the CIMI Institute.

2013-2016- Member of the board of directors of the French Society of Immunology (SFI)

2015- 'Coups d’élan pour la Recherche Française' award of the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation.

2011- Organizer of the Symposium on «Regulatory T cells: from basic research to therapeutic applications», France.


Keywords
  • Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in mice
  • Development and biology of tissue-Tregs
  • Immunometabolism in Tregs
  • Role of Tregs in auto-immune diseases and cancer
  • Biotherapy targeting Tregs in auto-immune diseases and cancer

Key publications
  1. Zaragoza B, Chen X, Oppenheim JJ, Baeyens A, Gregoire S, Chader D, Gorochov G, Miyara M and Salomon BL. Suppressive activity of human Treg cells is maintained in the presence of TNF. Nat Med. 2016. 22:16-17.
  2. Grégoire S, Terrada C, Martin GH, Fourcade G, Baeyens A, Marodon G, Fisson S, Billiard F, Lucas B, Tadayoni R, Béhar-Cohen F, Levacher B, Galy A, LeHoang P, Klatzmann D, Bodaghi B, Salomon BL. Treatment of Uveitis by In Situ Administration of Ex Vivo-Activated Polyclonal Regulatory T Cells. J Immunol. 2016. 196:2109-2118.
  3. Ronin E, Lubrano di Ricco M, Vallion R, Divoux J, Kwon HK, Grégoire S, Collares D, Rouers A, Baud V, Benoist C, Salomon BL. The NF-κB RelA Transcription Factor Is Critical for Regulatory T Cell Activation and Stability. Front Immunol. 2019. 10:2487. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02487
  4. Lubrano di Ricco M, Ronin E, Collares D, Divoux J, Grégoire S, Wajant H, Gomes T, Grinberg-Bleyer Y, Baud V, Marodon G, Salomon BL. Tumor necrosis factor receptor family costimulation increases regulatory T-cell activation and function via NF-κB. Eur J Immunol. 2020. 50:972-985.
  5. Vallion R, Divoux J, Glauzy S, Ronin E, Lombardi Y, Lubrano di Ricco M, Grégoire S, Nemazanyy I, Durand A, Fradin D, Lucas B and Salomon BL. Regulatory T cell stability and migration are dependent on mTOR. J Immunol. 2020. 205:1799-1809.
UCLUniversity College London, UK
Short name:
UCL

Website:
www.ucl.ac.uk/immunity-transplantation		UCL
Description:
UCL was rated the top University in the UK for research strength in the most recent Research Assessment Framework. Work in the UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying immune-mediated diseases with the aim of providing new treatments and an outstanding research training environment.
Prof. Dr. Lucy Walker
Department:
UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation

E-Mail:
lucy.walker@ucl.ac.uk

Website Lab:
www.lucywalkerlab.com
Portrait Prof. Dr. Lucy Walker
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CV

Since 2013: Professor of Immune Regulation, University College London

2009 – 2012: MRC Senior Non Clinical Research Fellow, Division of Immunity & Infection, University of Birmingham (Reader)

2004 – 2008: MRC Career Development Fellow, Division of Immunity & Infection, University of Birmingham (Senior Lecturer)

2000 – 2003: Wellcome Trust International Prize Travelling Fellow, University of California San Francisco, USA (Prof. Abul Abbas)

1997 – 2000: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Birmingham (Prof. Peter Lane)

1994 – 1997: PhD in Immunology, Wellcome Trust Prize Studentship, University of Bath (UK)


Additional information

Chair, British Society for Immunology Autoimmunity Affinity Group

Member, Wellcome Trust Expert Review Group 4 (2016-present)

Co-ordination Board for EFIS Study Group “T cell connect Europe”

Chief Investigator, NIHR portfolio-adopted study “Immune Regulation in Autoimmunity”

Chief Investigator, “Phenotyping of blood samples to detect Autoimmune Signatures following Ipilimumab and Nivolumab Immunotherapy”

EFIS Lecture Award (2016)

Editorial Boards (Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Journal of Molecular Medicine)

Mentor, Royal Society Mentoring Scheme

Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2015)


Keywords
  • Immune tolerance mechanisms and regulation of autoimmunity
  • Regulatory T cell function, particularly the CTLA-4 checkpoint
  • CD4 T cell differentiation in autoimmunity
  • High dimensional immunophenotyping of patient samples

Key publications
  1. Edner N.M., Heuts F., Thomas N., Wang C.J., Petersone L., Kenefeck R., Kogimtzis, A., Ovcinnikovs, V., Ross, E.M., Ntavli E., Eichmann M., Baptista R., Ambery P., Jermutus L., Peakman M., Rosenthal, M., and Walker LS Follicular helper T cell profiles predict response to costimulation blockade in type 1 diabetes. Nature Immunology (2020) 21:1244-1255
  2. Edner N.M., Carlesso, J., Rush, J., and Walker LS Targeting costimulatory molecules in autoimmune disease. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery (2020) 19:860-883
  3. Ovcinnikovs V, Ross EM, Petersone L, Edner NM, Heuts F, Ntavli E, Kogimtzis A, Kennedy A, Wang CJ, Bennett CL, Sansom DM, Walker LS CTLA-4-mediated transendocytosis of costimulatory molecules primarily targets migratory dendritic cells. Science Immunology (2019) May 31;4(35).
  4. Wang, C., Heuts, F., Ovcinnikovs, V., Wardzinski, L., Bowers, C., Schmidt, E. M., Kogimtzis, A., Kenefeck, R., Sansom, D. M., and Walker LS CTLA-4 controls follicular helper T cell differentiation by regulating the strength of CD28 engagement. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2015) 112(2):524-9
  5. Kenefeck, R., Wang, C. J., Kapadi, T., Wardzinski, L., Attridge, K., Clough, L. E., Heuts, F., Kogimtzis, A., Patel, S., Rosenthal, M., Ono, M., Sansom, D. M., Narendran, P., and Walker LS Follicular helper T cell signature in type 1 diabetes. Journal of Clinical Investigation(2015) 125, 292-303
BayerBayer AG, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
Short name:
Bayer

Website:
www.bayer.com		Bayer
Description:
Bayer’s division Pharmaceuticals focuses on indications with high medical need in the areas of cardiovascular disease, oncology, gynecology, ophthalmology and hematology. The participating site is located at pharma research center in Wuppertal, Germany, which has 1300 employees. The Investigational Toxicology/ Immunotoxicology especially of oncology indications is an expanding task requiring strong cooperations within the organisation with research and development units.
Dr. Pascale Buchmann
Department:
Immunotoxicology

E-Mail:
pascale.buchmann@bayer.com

Website Lab:
www.bayer.com
Portrait Dr. Pascale Buchmann
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CV

Since 2015: Head of Immunotoxicology, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, Wuppertal, Germany

2002 – 2015: Head of Immunology, Rhein Biotech GmbH / Dynavax Europe, Düsseldorf, Germany

2000 – 2002: Postdoc at German Cancer Research Center, Institute for Molecular Immunology, Heidelberg, Germany

1996 – 2000: PhD thesis at German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany

1990 – 1996: Undergraduate training in Biology/ Molecular Biology/ Immunology, University of Kiel, University of Hannover, Medical University Hannover - Germany and Northeastern University, Boston, MA - US


Additional information

Since 2020- Initiating sponsor NC3R CRACK IT Challenge In vitro TDAR

Since 2018- Member Hesi Immunotoxicology Technical Committee

2015-2018- IMI Abirisk program, Bayer project coordinator

Since 2015- Practical course / Lecturer University Düsseldorf for Toxicology Master classes


Keywords
  • Activities for therapeutic areas cardiology, gynecology, hematology as well as oncology research and development within the company’s pharmaceuticals division accompanying drug candidate analysis, optimization and (immuno-) toxicological evaluation from research to first in man clinical trials.

Key publications
  1. Kirchhoff D, Stelte-Ludwig B, Lerchen HG, Wengner AM, Ahsen OV, Buchmann P, Märsch S, Mahlert C, Greven S, Dietz L, Erkelenz M, Zierz R, Johanssen S, Mumberg D, Sommer A. IL3RA-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate BAY-943 with a Kinesin Spindle Protein Inhibitor Payload Shows Efficacy in Preclinical Models of Hematologic Malignancies. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Nov 20;12(11):3464. doi: 10.3390/cancers12113464.
  2. Morgan H, Tseng SY, Gallais Y, Leineweber M, Buchmann P, Riccardi S, Nabhan M, Lo J, Gani Z, Szely N, Zhu CS, Yang M, Kiessling A, Vohr HW, Pallardy M, Aswad F, Turbica I. Evaluation of in vitro Assays to Assess the Modulation of Dendritic Cells Functions by Therapeutic Antibodies and Aggregates. Front Immunol. 2019. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00601.
  3. Buchmann P, Dembek C, Kuklick L, Jäger C, Tedjokusumo R, von Freyend MJ, Drebber U, Janowicz Z, Melber K, Protzer U. A novel therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine induces cellular and humoral immune responses and breaks tolerance in hepatitis B virus (HBV) transgenic mice. Vaccine. 2013 Feb 6;31(8):1197-203. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.12.074.
  4. Campbell JD, Buchmann P, Kesting S, Cunningham CR, Coffman RL, Hessel EM. Allergen-specific T cell responses to immunotherapy monitored by CD154 and intracellular cytokine expression. Clin Exp Allergy. 2010 Jul;40(7):1025-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2010.03505.x.
ERASMErasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Short name:
ERASM

Website:
www.erasmusmc.nl/en		ERASM
Description:
The ErasmusMC is the largest university medical center in the Netherlands, and a top referral hospital for a region of about 5 million inhabitants. Through its unique infrastructure bringing multidisciplinary research and healthcare together at one location, the ErasmusMC excels in fundamental and translational research. The Samsom laboratory is focused on identifying immune regulatory processes that are pivotal to intestinal homeostasis. We have unique expertise in human intestinal disease and murine models for gastrointestinal inflammation in which combined differential gene expression, in vitro cell-biology and in vivo cell-tracking are used to identify pathways that regulate mucosal tolerance.
Prof. Dr. Janneke N. Samsom
Department:
Laboratory of Pediatrics, division Gastroenterology and Nutrition

E-Mail:
j.samsom@erasmusmc.nl

Website Lab:
lab4childhealthrotterdam.nl/
Portrait Prof. Dr. Janneke N. Samsom
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CV

Since 2013: Associate Professor, Head of the Laboratory of Pediatrics (+/- 40fte) ErasmusMC, Rotterdam. The lab unites the divisions Pediatric Infectious diseases and Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition

Since 2009: Head of the div. Gastroenterology and Nutrition of the laboratory of Pediatrics. ErasmusMC, Rotterdam

2005-2009: Assistant Professor Lab. of Pediatrics, div. Gastroenterology and Nutrition, ErasmusMC, Rotterdam

2003-2005: Assistant Professor Dept. of Molecular Cell biology and Immunology, VU-Medical Center, Amsterdam

2002-2003: Senior researcher Dept. of Molecular Cell biology and Immunology, VU-Medical Center Amsterdam

1998-2002: Postdoc at Dept. of Molecular Cell biology and Immunology, VU-Medical Center, Amsterdam

1997-1998: Postdoc at the Dept. of mammalian Virology, institute for animal science and health, Lelystad

1991-1996: PhD thesis department of Immunology and Infectious diseases Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden


Additional information

Since 2019- Principal Investigator and coordinator of the TIMID consortium (https://timid.eu/)

Since 2015- Work package leader in the H2020 consortium PIBD-SETQuality: “Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Network for Safety, Efficacy, Treatment and Quality improvement of care”

Since 2019- Board Member of the Dutch Society of Immunology (NVVI)

Since 2004- Dutch representative on steering council of the European mucosal Immunology group (EMIG)

2016-2018- President of the Local Organizing committee 5th European Congress of Immunology, Sept 2018, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2016- Chair of the Dutch program committee for the joint congress of the Dutch and British societies for immunology, December 2016, Liverpool, UK

2013-2018- President of the program committee of the Dutch Society for Immunology annual NVVI Wintermeeting.

2005-2012- President (2009-2012), Secretary (2005-2009) of the program committee of the Dutch Society for Immunology annual Lunteren meeting for young scientists.


Keywords
  • CD4 Thelper cell responses
  • Intestinal immune regulation
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Interleukin-10 regulation

Key publications
  1. Veenbergen S, Li P, Raatgeep HC, Lindenbergh-Kortleve DJ, Simons-Oosterhuis Y, Farrel A, Costes LMM, Joosse ME, van Berkel LA, ….de Ridder L, Driessen GJ, Escher JC, Leonard WJ, Samsom JN. IL-10 signaling in dendritic cells controls IL-1β-mediated IFNγ secretion by human CD4+ T cells: relevance to inflammatory bowel disease. Mucosal Immunol. 2019 Aug 15.
  2. Costes LMM, Lindenbergh-Kortleve DJ, van Berkel LA, Cupedo T, Samsom JN. IL-10 signaling prevents gluten-dependent intraepithelial CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration and epithelial damage in the small intestine. Mucosal Immunol. 2019 Mar;12(2):479-490.
  3. Joosse ME, Menckeberg CL, de Ruiter LF, de Ridder L, Escher JC, Veenbergen S, Samsom JN. Frequencies of circulating regulatory TIGIT+CD38+ effector T cells correlate with the course of inflammatory bowel disease. Mucosal Immunol. 2019 Jan;12(1):154-163.
  4. Joosse ME, Nederlof I., Walker LSK., Samsom JN. Tipping the balance: inhibitory checkpoints in intestinal homeostasis. Review. Mucosal Immunol 2019 Jan;12(1):21-35.
  5. Bouziat R, Hinterleitner R, Brown JJ, ….Costes LMM, Samsom JN, Xavier RJ, Ng A, Dermody TS, Jabri B. Reovirus infection triggers inflammatory responses to dietary antigens and development of celiac disease. Science. 2017 Apr 7;356(6333):44-50.
UTARTUUniversity of Tartu, Estonia
Short name:
UTARTU

Website:
www.ut.ee/en		UTARTU
Description:
Founded in 1632, the University of Tartu is the oldest, largest university in Estonia in terms of both staff and student numbers, as well as the volume of its teaching, research and development activities. As a classical university, the university embraces a wide variety of academic fields, has 4 faculties, and offers 197 research-based graduate and postgraduate study programmes. As of 2020, approximately 13,300 students are studying, including around 1,600 international students. The University belongs to the 1,2% of the world’s best universities in university rankings.
Prof. Dr. Pärt Peterson
Department:
Molecular Pathology

E-Mail:
part.peterson@ut.ee

Website Lab:
www.biomeditsiin.ut.ee/en/research-groups/molecular-pathology
Portrait Prof. Dr. Pärt Peterson
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CV

2011: Head of the Dept of Biomedicine, University of Tartu, Estonia

2003: Professor of Molecular Immunology, University of Tartu, Estonia

2009-2012: Professor of the Estonian Academy of Sciences

2003-2008: Senior International Fellow of The Wellcome Trust

2000-2003: Senior Scientist of the Finnish Academy, Finland

1991-2000: Research Fellow, University of Tampere, Finland


Additional information

2017 - Member of the Senate, University of Tartu

2016 - Board member of Estonian Society for Immunology and Allergology (EIAS)

2015 - Review Editor, Editorial Board, Frontiers in Immunology

2013 - Editorial Board Member, European Journal of Immunology

2011 - Editorial Board Member, Scandinavian Journal of Immunology


Keywords
  • Epigenetic control of immune cell regulation
  • Thymic central immune tolerance
  • Age-related changes in immune system

Key publications
  1. Saare M, Tserel L, Haljasmägi L, Taalberg E, Peet N, Eimre M, Vetik R, Kingo K, Saks K, Tamm R, Milani L, Kisand K, Peterson P. Monocytes present age-related changes in phospholipid concentration and decreased energy metabolism. Aging Cell. 2020 19: e13127.
  2. Fishman D, Kisand K, Hertel C, Rothe M, Remm A, Pihlap M, Adler P, Vilo J, Peet A, Meloni A, Podkrajsek KT, Battelino T, Bruserud Ø, Wolff ASB, Husebye ES, Kluger N, Krohn K, Ranki A, Peterson H, Hayday A, Peterson P. Autoantibody Repertoire in APECED Patients Targets Two Distinct Subgroups of Proteins. Front Immunol. 2017 8: 976.
  3. Guha M, Saare M, Maslovskaja J, Kisand K, Liiv I, Haljasorg U, Tasa T, Metspalu A, Milani L, Peterson P. DNA breaks and chromatin structural changes enhance the transcription of autoimmune regulator target genes. J Biol Chem. 2017 292: 6542-6554.
  4. Haljasorg U, Dooley J, Laan M, Kisand K, Bichele R, Liston A, Peterson P. Irf4 Expression in Thymic Epithelium Is Critical for Thymic Regulatory T Cell Homeostasis. J Immunol. 2017 198: 1952-1960.
  5. Meyer S, Woodward M, Hertel C, Vlaicu P, Haque Y, Kärner J, Macagno A, Onuoha SC, Fishman D, Peterson H, Metsküla K, Uibo R, Jäntti K, Hokynar K, Wolff ASB; APECED patient collaborative, Krohn K, Ranki A, Peterson P, Kisand K, Hayday A. AIRE-Deficient Patients Harbor Unique High-Affinity Disease-Ameliorating Autoantibodies. Cell. 2016 166: 582-595.
BIBabraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
Short name:
BI

Website:
www.babraham.ac.uk/		BI
Description:
The Babraham Institute undertakes research into understanding the biology of how our bodies work, including what changes as we age and during disease. Our research is split into three programmes: Epigenetics, Signalling, and Lymphocyte Signalling, supported by strategic programme grants from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and additional funding from research councils, the EU and charities.
Dr. Michelle Linterman
Department:
Lymphocyte Signalling and Development

E-Mail:
michelle.linterman@babraham.ac.uk

Website Lab:
www.babraham.ac.uk/our-research/lymphocyte/michelle-linterman
Portrait Dr. Michelle Linterman
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CV

2013: Group Leader, Babraham Institute, UK

2013: College Lecturer in Biology, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK

2010-2013: Junior Research Fellow, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK

2009-2013: Post-doctoral scientist, University of Cambridge, UK

2006-2009: PhD. Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

2005: Honours Degree (First class). Australian National University

2001-2004: BBmedSc. Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.


Additional information

2019-2024 - Lister Institute Prize Fellow

2017-2020 - EMBO Young Investigator

2010-2013 - Raymond & Beverly Sackler Junior Research Fellow

2010-2012 - NH&MRC Overseas Biomedical Fellow

2009-2010 - EMBO Long-Term Post-Doctoral Fellow


Keywords
  • Follicular helper and regulatory T cells
  • Germinal centre response
  • Humans immune response to vaccination
  • Respiratory infections

Key publications
  1. Silva-Cayetano A†, Foster WS†, Innocentin S†, Belij-Rammerstorfer S, Spencer AJ, Burton OT, Fra-Bidó S, Lee JL, Thakur N, Conceicao C, Wright D, Barett J, Evans-Bailey N, Noble C, Bailey D, Liston A, Gilbert SC, Lambe T*, Linterman MA*. A booster dose enhances immunogenicity of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 in aged mice. Med. In press. *Joint senior authors, †Joint first authors.
  2. Stebegg M, Bignon A, Hill DL, Silva-Cayetano A, Krueger C, Vanderleyden I, Innocentin S, Boon L, Wang J, Zand MS, Dooley J, Clark J, Liston A, Carr E, Linterman MA. Rejuvenating conventional dendritic cells and T follicular helper cell formation after vaccination. Elife. 2020 Mar 24;9.
  3. Vanderleyden I, Fra-Bido S, Innocentin S, Stebegg M, Okkenhaug H, Evans-Bailey N, Pierson W, Denton AE, Linterman MA. Follicular regulatory T cells can access the germinal centre independently of CXCR5. Cell Reports, 2020 Jan 21, 30, 611–619.
  4. Hill DL†, Pierson W†, Bolland DJ, Mkindi C, Carr EJ, Wang J, Houard S, Wingett SW, Audran R, Wallin EF, Jongo SA, Kamaka K, Zand M, Spertini F, Daubenberger C, Corcoran AE and Linterman MA. The adjuvant GLA-SE promotes human Tfh cell expansion and emergence of public TCR clonotypes. J Exp Med. 2019 Aug 5;216(8):1857-1873. †Joint first authors.
  5. Denton AE, Innocentin S, Carr EJ, Bradford BM, Lafouresse F, Mabbott NA, Mörbe U, Ludewig B, Groom JR, Good-Jacobson KL, Linterman MA. Type I interferon induces CXCL13 to support ectopic germinal center formation. J Exp Med. 2019 Feb 5.
UTUUniversity of Turku, Finland
Short name:
UTU

Website:
www.utu.fi/en		UTU
Description:
University of Turku (UTU) is an active academic community of 25 000 students and employees. It is an internationally competitive science university whose operations are based on high-quality multidisciplinary research. Turku Bioscience Centre is a joint department of University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University which provides high-end technologies and expertise to academic and industrial researchers. The focus is on discovering molecular events underlying biological function and identifying how this information can be used to improve life quality.
Prof. Dr. Laura Elo
Department:
Turku Bioscience Centre and Institute of Biomedicine

E-Mail:
laura.elo@utu.fi

Website Lab:
elolab.utu.fi
Portrait Prof. Dr. Laura Elo
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CV

Since 2019: Full Professor of Computational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Finland

Since 2016: Vice Director of Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Finland

Since 2014: Research Director in Bioinformatics and Head of Turku Medical Bioinformatics Centre, University of Turku, Finland

2009 – 2013: Academy of Finland Postdoctoral fellow

2007: PhD in Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematics, University of Turku, Finland


Additional information

Since 2019- Chair of the national Biocenter Finland Bioinformatics platform, Finland

2019- L’Oréal-UNESCO International Rising Talent Award

Since 2018 - Member of the ELIXIR Proteomics Community

Since 2018- Member of the Steering Group of the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden

Since 2018- Member of the Scientific Board of the Western Finland Cancer Centre FICAN West

2018- L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award Finland

Since 2016 - Member of the Management Team of Turku Bioscience, Turku, Finland


Keywords
  • Medical bioinformatics (genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, single cells)
  • Development of bioinformatics tools
  • Statistical and machine learning to predict individualized disease and treatment risks

Key publications
  1. Smolander J, Junttila S, Venäläinen MS, Elo LL. ILoReg: a tool for high-resolution cell population identification from single-cell RNA-seq data. To appear in Bioinformatics.
  2. Välikangas T, Suomi T, Elo LL. A comprehensive evaluation of popular proteomics software workflows for label-free proteome quantification and imputation. Brief Bioinform 19(6):1344-1355, 2018.
  3. Lietzen N, An LTT, Jaakkola MK, Kallionpää H, Oikarinen S, Mykkänen J, Knip M, Veijola R, Ilonen J, Toppari J, Hyöty H, Lahesmaa R, Elo LL. Enterovirus-Associated Changes in Blood Transcriptomic Profiles of Children with Genetic Susceptibility to Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetologia 61(2):381-388, 2018.
  4. Seyednasrollah F, Mahmoudian M, Rautakorpi L, Hirvonen O, Laitinen T, Jyrkkiö S, Elo LL. How reliable are trial-based prognostic models in real-world patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer? Eur Urol 71(5):838-840, 2017.
  5. Seyednasrollah F, Rantanen K, Jaakkola P, Elo LL. ROTS: reproducible RNA-seq biomarker detector – prognostic markers for clear cell renal cell cancer. Nucleic Acids Res 44(1):e1, 2016.
IBMIBM Research Europe, Rüschlikon, Switzerland
Short name:
IBM

Website:
www.zurich.ibm.com		IBM
Description:
IBM Research is world-renown for its outstanding scientific achievements -- most notably Nobel Prizes in Physics in 1986 and 1987 for the invention of the scanning tunnelling microscope and the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity, respectively. Other key innovations include FORTRAN, magnetic desk storage, DRAM, relational databases, Deep Blue, Racetrack Memory, speech recognition, RISC architecture, excimer laser surgery and most recently Watson.
IBM Research is dedicated not only to fundamental research, but also to exploring and creating innovative industry and customer-oriented solutions based on several key areas including; future chip technology; smarter planet; nanotechnology; storage; supercomputing; security and privacy; risk and compliance as well as business optimization and transformation.
The group of Systems Biology at IBM Research in Zurich was founded 7 years ago with Dr. Rodríguez Martínez as technical leader. One of its primary goals is the development of new methodological approaches for the analysis and exploitation of last generation bio-medical technologies. In the context of cancer, the group is actively involved in the development of new methodologies for personalised medicine exploiting multi-omics datasets and state-of-the-art approaches in machine learning and deep learning.
Dr. María Rodríguez Martínez
Department:
Cognitive and Industry Solutions

E-Mail:
mrm@zurich.ibm.com

Website Lab:
www.zurich.ibm.com/compsysbio/
Portrait Dr. María Rodríguez Martínez
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CV

2015-: Technical Lead of Systems Biology, IBM, Zurich Research Laboratory

2014-: Associated member, ETH Zurich, Department of biology

2013-: Research Staff Member

2011-2013: Associate Research Scientist, Systems Biology, Columbia University

2009-2011: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Systems Biology, Columbia University

2006-2008: Postdoctoral Researcher, Systems Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science

2004-2006: Postdoctoral Researcher, Racah Inst. of Physics, Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem

2001-2003: PhD in Physics, Gravitation and Cosmology Group, Inst. d'Astrophysique de Paris


Additional information

Since 2019- Scientific Leader of EU-funded ‘iPC: Individualized Paediatric Cure’

2015-19- Scientific Leader of EU-funded ‘PrECISE: a Personalized Engine for Cancer Integrative Study and Evaluation

2021- Program Committee of International Conference on Computational Methods in Systems Biology

2020- Program Committee of Workshop on Conceptual Modeling for Life Sciences, 2020.

Since 2017- Organizing Committee of Computational Modeling of Biological Systems (SysMod)


Keywords
  • Single-cell technologies
  • Multi-omics approaches in systems medicine
  • Quantitative models of the adaptive immune response
  • Machine and deep learning approaches for cancer personalized medicine

Key publications
  1. Towards Explainable Anticancer Compound Sensitivity Prediction via Multimodal Attention-based Convolutional Encoders. Matteo Manica, Ali Oskooei, Jannis Born, Vigneshwari Subramanian, Julio Sáez-Rodríguez, María Rodríguez Martínez. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2019. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00520
  2. Computational model reveals a stochastic mechanis behind germinal center clonal bursts. Aurélien Pélissier, Youcef Akrout, Katharina Jahn, Jack Kuipers, Ulf Klein, Niko Beerenwinkel, María Rodríguez Martínez. Cells, 2020. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/9/6/1448
  3. A single-cell atlas of tumor and immune cell heterogeneity in human breast cancer. Johanna Wagner, Maria Anna Rapsomaniki, Stéphane Chevrier, Tobias Anzeneder, Claus Langwieder, August Dykgers, Martin Rees, Annette Ramaswamy, Simone Münst Soysal, Savas D. Soysal, Andrea Jacobs, Konstantin Dedes, María Rodríguez Martínez*, Walter P. Weber*, and Bernd Bodenmiller. Cell, 11 April (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.005
  4. CellCycleTRACER accounts for cell cycle and volume in mass cytometry data. Marianna Rapsomaniki*, Xiaokang Lun*, Stefan Woerner, Marco Laumanns, Bernd Bodenmiller* & María Rodríguez Martínez*. Nature Communications, 2018. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03005-5
  5. Quantitative modeling of the terminal differentiation of B cells and mechanisms of lymphomagenesis. María Rodríguez Martínez, Alberto Corradin, Ulf Klein, Mariano Alvarez, Gianna Toffolo, Barbara Di Camillo, Andrea Califano & Gustavo Stolovitzky. PNAS, 2012. https://www.pnas.org/content/109/7/2672
WSIWellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
Short name:
WSI

Website:
www.sanger.ac.uk		WSI
Description:
The Wellcome Sanger Institute is one of the premier centres of genomic discovery and understanding in the world. It leads ambitious collaborations across the globe to provide the foundations for further research and transformative healthcare innovations. Its success is founded on the expertise and knowledge of its people and the Institute seeks to share its discoveries and techniques with the next generation of genomics scientists and researchers worldwide.
Dr. Sarah Teichmann
Department:
Cellular Genetics

E-Mail:
st9@sanger.ac.uk

Website Lab:
www.teichlab.org
Portrait Dr. Sarah Teichmann
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CV

Since 2016: Head of Cellular Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute

Since 2016: Senior Research Fellow, Churchill College

Since 2015: Director of Research, Cavendish Laboratory/Physics Dept., Cambridge University

2013 – 2016: Research Group Leader at EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute & Senior Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute

2013 – 2015: Principal Research Associate, Cavendish Laboratory/Physics Dept., Cambridge University

2005 – 2015: Title C Fellow, Trinity College, Cambridge

2006 – 2013: MRC Programme Leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

2001 – 2005: MRC Career Track Programme Leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK & Research Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge

2000 – 2001: Postdoctoral research with Prof Dame J Thornton CBE FRS FMedSci at University College London on a Beit Memorial Fellowship

1999 – 2005: Trinity College Research Fellowship


Additional information

2020- Biochemical Society GlaxoSmithKline Award

2020- Fellow, Royal Society

2018- Genetics Society Mary Lyons Award

2017- Helmholtz International Fellow Award

2016- Senior Research Fellow, Churchill College

2016- Fellow, Intl Society of Computational Biology

2015- EMBO Gold Medal

2015- Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences

2014- Baranyi Award, Biophysical Society, USA

2012- Crick Lecture of the Royal Society

2012- EMBO member

2011- Colworth Medal of the Biochemical Society

2010- Lister Research Prize

2009- Shell Science & Technology Woman of the Future

2005 – 2015- Fellowship, Trinity College

2003 – 2006- EMBO Young Investigator


Keywords
  • Genomics
  • bioinformatics
  • immunology
  • T helper cells
  • thymus

Key publications
  1. Campinoti S, Gjinovci A, Ragazzini R, Zanieri L, Ariza-McNaughton L, Catucci M, Boeing S, Park JE, Hutchinson JC, Muñoz-Ruiz M, Manti PG, Vozza G, Villa CE, Phylactopoulos DE, Maurer M, Testa G, Stauss HJ, Teichmann SA, Sebire NJ, Hayday AC, Bonnet D, Bonfanti P. Reconstitution of a functional human thymus by postnatal stromal progenitor cells and natural whole-organ scaffolds. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1-16
  2. Park J-E, Botting RA, Conde CD, Popescu D-M, Lavaert M, Kunz DJ, Stephenson E, Ragazzini R, Tuck E, Wilbrey-Clark A, Ferdinand JR, Webb S, Maunder D, Vandamme N, Mahbubani K, Polanski K, Mamanova L, Fuller A, Filby A, Reynolds G, Dixon D, Saeb-Parsy K, Lisgo S, Henderson D, Vento-Tormo R, Meyer KB, Saeys Y, Bonfanti P, Behjati S, Clatworthy MR, Taghon T, Haniffa M, Teichmann SA. A cell atlas of human thymic development defines T cell repertoire formation. Science 2020; 367:6480
  3. Soon MSF, Lee HJ, Engel JA, Straube J, Thomas BS, Pernold CPS, Clarke LS, Laohamonthonkul P, Haldar RN, Williams CG, Lansink LIM, Moreira ML, Bramhall M, Koufariotis LT, Wood S, Chen X, James KR, Lönnberg T, Lane SW, Belz GT, Engwerda CR, Khoury DS, Davenport MP, Svensson V, Teichmann SA, Haque A. Transcriptome dynamics of CD4+ T cells during malaria maps gradual transit from effector to memory. Nat Immunol 2020; 21:1597-1610
  4. Mahata B, Pramanik J, van der Weyden L, Polanski K, Kar G, Riedel A, Chen X, Fonseca NA, Kundu K, Campos LS, Ryder E, Duddy G, Walczak I, Okkenhaug K, Adams DJ, Shields JD, Teichmann SA. Tumors induce de novo steroid biosynthesis in T cells to evade immunity. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1-15
  5. Davidson S, Efremova M, Riedel A, Mahata B, Pramanik J, Huuhtanen J, Kar G, Vento-Tormo R, Hagai T, Chen X, Haniffa MA, Shields JD, Teichmann SA. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals a Dynamic Stromal Niche That Supports Tumor Growth. Cell Reports 2020; 31:107628
QIAARQIAGEN Aarhus A/S, Aarhus, Denmark
Short name:
QIAAR

Website:
digitalinsights.qiagen.com		QIAAR
Description:
QIAAR is the worlds leading software provider within software for Next Generation Sequencing data analysis. QIAAR has 80 employees and has over 2,000 academic and industrial organisations on the customer list, including all Top10 Big Pharma and agricultural companies. 65% of QIAAR sales volume is exported out of EU. QIAAR is part of QIAGEN which is a multinational company employing a total of 4500 people. QIAGEN develops and produce technologies for a wide range of molecular biology analysis where QIAAR is a key part of nucleic acid based diagnostic value chains. All QIAAR product development is carried out in Denmark by a team of more than 60 bioinformaticians, computer scientists, and usability experts. QIAAR is a knowledge- and research intensive company with a third of the company having a Ph.D. degree, and two thirds of the remainder having a Master level education.
Dr. Leif Schauser
Department:
QIAGEN Aarhus

E-Mail:
Leif.Schauser@qiagen.com

Website Lab:
digitalinsights.qiagen.com
Portrait Dr. Leif Schauser
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CV

Since 2018: Global Product Managment, QIAGEN Aarhus A/S

Since 2016: Lead Bioinformtician, QIAGEN Aarhus A/S

Since 2013: Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, QIAGEN Aarhus A/S

2007 – 2013: Scientific coordinator, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University

2001 – 2007: Associate Professor, Bioinformatics Research Center, Aarhus University

1998 – 1999: Assistant Professor, Institute of Molecular and Structural biology, Aarhus University


Additional information


Keywords
  • Bioinformatics
  • Metagenomics
  • Single Cell analysis
  • AI/ML

Key publications
  1. Almeida L et al. (2020) Ribosome-targeting antibiotics impair T cell effector function and ameliorate autoimmunity by blocking mitochondrial protein synthesis. Immunity
  2. Sanggaard KW et al.. (2014) Wang J. Spider genomes provide insight into composition function and evolution of venom and silk. Nature Communications 5, 3765
  3. Fredslund J et al (2006) GeMprospector--online design of cross-species genetic marker candidates in legumes and grasses Nucleic Acids Res. 34:W670-5.
  4. Mailund T, Schierup MH, Pedersen CN, Madsen JN, Hein J, Schauser L. (2006) GeneRecon--a coalescent based tool for fine-scale association mapping. Bioinformatics 22:2317-8.
  5. Schauser L. et al. (1999) A plant regulator controlling the development of symbiotic root nodules. Nature 401: 191- 195.
RADRadboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Short name:
RAD

Website:
www.radboudumc.nl/en		RAD
Description:
Radboudumc is one of the largest and leading hospitals of The Netherlands. It has created a distinctive research environment by establishing personalized healthcare-oriented research themes, by providing translational research for patients and cutting-edge infrastructure, and by hosting world-class scientists.
Prof. Dr. Yang Li
Department:
Computational Biology for Individualised Medicine

E-Mail:
yang.li@radboudumc.nl

Website Lab:
www.radboudumc.nl/en/people/mihai-netea
Portrait Prof. Dr. Yang Li
Click for more information

CV

Since 2020: Associated Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Since 2019: Professor of Computational Biology, Director of Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine, Head of Department of Computational Biology for Individualized Medicine, Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine, Hannover, Germany

2019 – 2020: Principal Investigator, Hypatia Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

2013 - 2019: Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

2010 - 2013: Postdoc, Groningen Bioinformatics Centre (GBiC), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands


Additional information

2020- ERC starting grant award

2019- NL-NWO Aspasia personal grant

2016- NL-ZonMw OffRoad personal grant

2014- Qingtian Award for Outstanding Chinese researcher in The Netherlands

2013- NL-NWO Veni personal grant

2011- Dutch Bioinformatics Young Investigator Award, The Netherlands


Keywords
  • Single cell genomics in immune-related diseases
  • Integration of multi-omics data for understanding the disease mechanisms
  • Genetic regulation of molecular and immune phenotypes
  • Development of computational methods for predicting disease status

Key publications
  1. Schulte-Schrepping, J., Reusch, N., Paclik, D., Baßler, K., Schlickeiser, S., Zhang, B., Krämer, B., Krammer, T., Brumhard, S., Bonaguro, L., De Domenico, E., Wendisch, D., Grasshoff, M., Kapellos, T. S., Beckstette, M., Pecht, T., Saglam, A., Dietrich, O., Mei, H. E., Schulz, A. R., Conrad, C., Kunkel, D., Vafadarnejad, E., Xu, C.-J., Horne, A., Herbert, M., Drews, A., Thibeault, C., Pfeiffer, M., Hippenstiel, S., Hocke, A., Müller-Redetzky, H., Heim, K.-M., Machleidt, F., Uhrig, A., Bosquillon de Jarcy, L., Jürgens, L., Stegemann, M., Glösenkamp, C. R., Volk, H.-D., Goffinet, C., Landthaler, M., Wyler, E., Georg, P., Schneider, M., Dang-Heine, C., Neuwinger, N., Kappert, K., Tauber, R., Corman, V., Raabe, J., Kaiser, K. M., Vinh, M. T., Rieke, G., Meisel, C., Ulas, T., Becker, M., Geffers, R., Witzenrath, M., Drosten, C., Suttorp, N., von Kalle, C., Kurth, F., Händler, K., Schultze, J. L. #, Aschenbrenner#, A. C., Li, Y. #, Nattermann, J. #, Sawitzki, B. #, Saliba, A.-E. #, Sander, L. E. #, Severe COVID-19 Is Marked by a Dysregulated Myeloid Cell Compartment. Cell (2020). doi:10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.001
  2. Bakker, O.B., Aguirre-Gamboa, R., Sanna, S., Oosting, M., Smeekens, S.P., Jaeger, M., Zorro, M., Võsa, U., Withoff, S., Netea-Maier, R.T., Koenen, H.J.P.M., Joosten, I., Xavier, R.J., Franke, L., Joosten, L.A.B., Kumar, V., Wijmenga, C.#, Netea, M.G#, Li, Y.# Integration of multi-omics datasets and deep phenotyping enables prediction of cytokine production in response to pathogens. Nature Immunology 2018(19):776–786. (IF 22)
  3. Li, Y.#, Oosting, M., Smeekens, S.P., Jaeger, M., Aguirre-Gamboa, R., Le, K.T.T., Deelen, P., Ricaño-Ponce, I., Schoffelen, T., Jansen, A.F.M., Swertz, M.A., Withoff, S., van de Vosse, E., van Deuren, M., van de Veerdonk, F., Zhernakova, A., van der Meer, J.W.M., Xavier, R.J., Franke, L., Joosten, L.A.B.#, Wijmenga, C.#, Kumar, V.#, Netea, M.G#A Functional Genomics Approach to Understand Variation in Cytokine Production in Humans. Cell 2016(167):1099–1110.e14. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.10.017 (IF 30).
  4. Aguirre-Gamboa, R., Joosten, I., Urbano, P.C.M., van der Molen, R.G., van Rijssen, E., van Cranenbroek, B., Oosting, M., Smeekens, S., Jaeger, M., Zorro, M., Withoff, S., van Herwaarden, A.E., Sweep, F.C.G.J., Netea, R.T., Swertz, M.A., Franke, L., Xavier, R.J., Joosten, L.A.B., Netea, M.G., Wijmenga, C., Kumar, V., Li, Y#, Koenen, H.J.P.M.# Differential Effects of Environmental and Genetic Factors on T and B Cell Immune Traits. Cell Reports 2016,
  5. Li, Y.*, Oosting, M.*, Deelen, P., Ricaño-Ponce, I., Smeekens, S., Jaeger, M., Matzaraki, V., Swertz, M.A., Xavier, R.J., Franke, L., Wijmenga, C., Joosten, L.A.B., Kumar, V., Netea, M.G. Inter-individual variability and genetic influences on cytokine responses to bacteria and fungi. Nature Med. 2016(22)952–960.