In 2005 the Medical Faculty reached a record sum of € 20.4 million acquired in grants for research. The increase, with almost € 2 million more in funding compared to the previous year, was very noticeable. The percentage of funding for refereed projects remained the same, so the higher overall increase in income can be traced back primarily to an increase in SMWK funding, increased research funding from the German Cancer Fund (IMISE, Medical Clinic and Polyclinic I, II and III, IZKF, University Clinic) and the German Jose Carreras Leukaemia Foundation (independent Department for Social Medicine, University Clinic for Children and Young People) as well as EU funding. At the Medical Faculty about 600 projects and 305 staff – an increase of around 10% - were financed by grant money in 2005.
In 2005 the Medical Faculty included many levels in the process of applying for grants within the framework of the excellence initiative of the Government and Federal States for building up research to international top levels in university and research areas. When working out its plan for a future concept in this context, the University of Leipzig concentrated on the further development and strengthening of six profile-forming research areas. In view of its framework theme “Prevention and Regeneration” and its particular focus on clinical research this provides the Medical Faculty the opportunity to set up and develop the following profile directions:
1. Molecular and cellular communication, growth and differentiation: biotechnology, biomedicine, bioinformatics
Scientific potential in these profile directions exists at the Universities of Leipzig, Halle and Jena. The focuses at the University of Leipzig comprise cellular communication, growth, differentiation and tissue regeneration. From the Medical Faculty’s point of view, reference should be made in particular to the appreciably growing research potential in the area of tissue regeneration. In 2005, the University of Leipzig, in cooperation with the Martin Luther University Halle_Wittenberg, applied for a DFG Research Centre “Regenerative Therapies” and although managing to reach the last round, they were ultimately not successful. More recently, new opportunities have arisen for the University of Leipzig to fund regenerative medicine. It is currently in the process of applying to the BMBF for a “Translation Centre”. The basis for this application is the network for regenerative medicine (RegMedNet) that arose through preparing for the DFG Research Centre application, and which was established and built up further in the Leipzig-Halle region. In addition to the two Universities of Halle and Leipzig, the RegMedNet includes external non-university research establishments - in particular the newly established Frauenhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology -, companies and associations. An important asset in the area of tissue regeneration is also the BMBF joint project Sysbio “Systems biology of hepatocytes – platform cell biology (HepatoSys)”, with three projects being worked on at the Medical Faculty. Following a very good interim assessment, HapatoSys will receive one more round of funding in 2006 and the interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinfornatics will be integrated into the project. In 2005 the World Congress for Regenerative Medicine was held for the second time in Leipzig.
The special research area 610 “Protein states with relevance for cell biology and medicine” organised by the Universities of Leipzig and Halle is a further pillar in the profile direction “Molecular and cellular communication, growth and differentiation”. The Medical Faculty is involved in four projects in the current funding phase. This profile direction has a strong research potential that can be expanded in the future with the interfaculty centres for Biotechnological Biomedicine and the interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics at the University of Leipzig and the Centres at the Medical Faculty (Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research – IZKF, Coordination Centre for Clinical Studies Leipzig – KKSL, Centre for Toxicology) all of which are in turn involved through joint projects. The application to set up a DFG clinical research group “Atherobesity, fat and blood vessels” (Medical Clinic III) is in the second phase of review.
2. Speech, brain and cognition: from molecule to behaviour
Many faculties at Leipzig University and external non-university research establishments (e.g. Max Planck Institute for Cognition and Neurobiology) are integrated into this profile direction. The Medical Faculty is also involved in many grant-funded projects supporting this profile direction through its interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research – the focus on neurosciences particularly in basic research (Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Rudolf Boehm Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology) has demonstrated a high research potential for many years. The Medical Faculty’s particular concern is promoting the DGF graduate course “Interneuro – interdisciplinary approaches in cellular neurosciences” that started up in early 2005. In addition to the Medical Faculty, the Faculty for Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, the Faculty of Physics and Geosciences, as well as the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Life Sciences are also involved. The graduate course is integrated into the structured PhD funding (PhD programmes of the DAAD and DFG) at the University of Leipzig and with the international graduate courses on “from signal generation to behaviour”. Besides linking neurosciences and cognition sciences, their research profiles include behavioural research and evolutionary anthropology. Participating in the graduate courses are four faculties at the University – the Faculty for Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, the Medical Faculty, the Faculty for Social Sciences and Philosophy and the Sport Sciences Faculty – as well as the Leipzig-based Max Planck Institute for Cognition and Neurosciences and for Evolutionary Anthropology. Since 2005, these PhD programmes are also being supported by a further DFG graduate course “Function of attention in cognitive processes” and by the International Max Planck Research School “Human Origins”. The Rudolf Boehm Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology has successfully instigated a project outline to apply for a DFG research group with the title “Multi-location research group: neuronal and glial P2-receptors”. The scientists will be encouraged to submit detailed grant applications.
3. Altered environment and diseases
The scientists at the University of Leipzig integrated in this profile direction, particularly those at the Medical Faculty concentrating on the framework theme “prevention” (which in addition to regeneration is seen as Medical Faculty’s overall focus), have set the goal of investigating environmental changes and their effect on the incidence of degenerative, inflammatory, metabolic and neoplastic diseases of high health care and economic significance. Here, one can especially build on the experience and research potential of the main themes of “immunology and rheumatology”, “endocrinology” and molecular oncology” at the IZKF, as well as cooperation with the Centre for Environmental Medicine and Epidemiology and the Centre for Prevention and Rehabilitation at the University of Leipzig. External non-university partners include in particular the Environmental Research Centre Leipzig-Halle GmbH. The Medical Faculty is working intensively on an SFB grant application (research theme: “molecular mechanisms of diseases arising from life-style factors and environmental toxins”). The application for a clinical research group at the Medical Clinic III was already referred to above. Since 2005 the BMBF has been funding a comprehensive clinical study on the treatment of acute hepatitis B at the Medical Clinic II. The KKSL is also cooperating in the study management. Since 01.07.2005, the Clinic for Radiation Therapy and Radio-oncology receives additional funding from the German Children’s Cancer Foundation as a reference centre for radiation therapy for brain tumours in childhood.
In conjunction with the BMBF NBL 3 programme “Improving the efficiency of clinical research at medical faculties in the former East German States including Berlin (Charité)” the Medical Faculty of Leipzig University is focusing on the following themes: “Cellular signal networks” and “Psychosocial care”, which in the 2nd phase includes financing the three sub-modules with a C4 professorship in Biochemistry II (endocrinology) “New aspects in the physiology and pathophysiology of G-protein linked receptors and other membrane signal transduction components” (project leader Prof. Dr. T. Schöneberg, Institute for Biochemistry); C4 professorship in Physiology II (neurosciences) “Mechanisms of GABA-stimulated activation in the central nervous system: development and application of a fluorescence microscopy procedure for simultaneous quantification of intracellular chloride and bicarbonate homeostasis” (project leader Prof. Dr. J. Eilers, Carl Ludwig Institute for Physiology) and a C3 foundation professorship in Health Economy “Economic evaluation of health care services in the psycho-social area” (project leader Prof. Dr. H.H. König, Clinic for Psychiatry). The formel.I programme (in 2005 funding for 18 projects) has been taken on by the research funding programme of the Medical Faculty and in 2005 completely financed by Federal State subsidies. In the future there will continue to be a yearly offer of formel I projects for young scientists, supplemented by calls for applicants for a maximum of 2 rotation positions (to collect experience and be able to carry out research, a young medical student can work for a full year at a theoretical institute), grants for medical students to finish their PhDs (maximal € 7000 for two free semesters and materials amounting to a maximum of € 3000). Besides the evaluation of research performance, including publications, book contributions, grant funding acquired, theses and diploma dissertations, habilitations and patents and the associated yearly performance-oriented distribution of funding (LOM), the Medical Faculty also awarded part of the Federal State subsidy for research and teaching as research bonus amounting to 10% of the previous year’s funding received for DFG projects.
The ICCAS – the Innovation Center of Computer Assisted Surgery – with respect to the new structure and financing by public investors, was the most comprehensive grant-funded project of the Medical Faculty in 2005 and combines innovative and clinical research. The idea for such a centre initially arose from scientists at the clinics for Neuro-Surgery, for Ear Nose and Throat/Plastic Surgery and the Heart Centre Leipzig GmbH. Following funding in the grant application stage for a Centre for Innovation Competence in 2003 (BMBF), and the equipping of the labs in 2004 (ca. € 2 million, BMBF and SMWK) the centre received the financial basis for employing staff in 2005 from the BMBF in the form of two young research groups each with 6 young scientists, including technicians and engineers, supplemented by financial subsidies from the SMWK. The ICCAS was officially opened at the Medical Faculty in December 2005. The chairperson is Prof. Dr. Meixensberger, director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Neuro-Surgery. Further funding for the ICCAS had already been approved by CAS the end of 2005 in the form of two DFG scientific assistants. At the CeBit stand of the BMBF at beginning of 2006 the ICCAS presented the innovative initiative “Enterprise Region”, which also includes the BMBF-funded centres for innovation competence. Among other things, a new computer system for surgical operations in the nose region was presented. It serves to avoid injury to healthy tissue during the operation. The W2-innovation professor for “Computer Assisted Surgery” at the Medical Faculty will be appointed in the winter semester of 2006/07.
Two C4 professorships at the Biotechnology Biomedicine Centre (“Cell techniques and applied stem cell biology” and “Molecular cell therapy”) and two young research groups (“Molecular diagnostics – microarray techniques” and “Structure solving of membrane-associated proteins using NMR”) are allocated to the Medical Faculty. The scientists at the BBZ were very successful in competing for grant money (incl. BMBF, DFG, SMWA). Of particular note here was the EU research project LIVEBIOMAT, coordination of which was taken on by Prof. Bader. This has run since 1 April 2005.
The IZKF and KKSL have been firmly established as independent establishments of the Medical Faculty since 1996 and 1999, respectively. Both have the goal of improving patient-oriented clinical research. The IZKF is mostly financed from Federal State subsidies for research and teaching, while in the future the KKSL will mostly be supported by grant applications and research commissions. Its original funding from the BMBF, which ran out in September 2005 as planned, was replenished around the paediatric module and prolonged with this additional funding until 2008. The KKSL, as one of a total of 12 coordination centres for clinical studies in the Federal Republic, was able to extend its cooperation with university research establishments, clinical establishments, as well as with the pharmaceutical and medical technology industry, and to demonstrate its competence in transferring medical basic research to clinical research as far as clinical trials. From the start, the goals of the IZKF Leipzig (building up efficient and robust structures for clinical research on an interdisciplinary level, development of a university specific research profile and international presence, as well as supporting young researchers) encompassed the framework theme “cell-cell and cell matrix interactions for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies” and was supported by the main focus on immunology, endocrinology, neurosciences and molecular oncology. It was also converted in 2005 in the sense of supporting excellence and financed with the Medical Faculty Federal State subsidies to the tune of € 3.6 million. To be emphasised here is especially the funding for over 60 scientists in 35 projects and the establishment of a young group for “cell migration” in 2005. The central area of the IZKF, with the methods and technologies available in core units, can be accessed by all the scientists of the Faculty and others. In addition, at the end of 2005 the business centre of the “Association of Clinical Research Centres (ACRC)”, which belongs to the collection of centres in Aachen, Jena, Cologne, Münster, Tübingen, Würzburg and Ulm was located at the IZKF Leipzig.
The SMWA supports innovative research projects at a research establishment if they concern joint projects in cooperation with the Saxon economy. Since 2005 a number of projects in the area of tissue regeneration (Institute for Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Clinic and Policlinic for Neurology) have been running at the Medical Faculty. Since 2005 young scientists with the goal of founding spin-offs from the University are being supported (BMBF and SMWK) at the IZKF and at the Medical Clinic III. About 300 projects at the Medical Faculty are funded by industry.
At the end of the previous year the director of the Clinic and Policlinic for Nuclear Medicine, Prof. Osama Sabri, received the 105 000 US dollar endowed Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) Prize. This highest endowed prize worldwide in the area of nuclear medicine honoured his scientific work on “Applications of neuro-PET and neuro-SPECT in the neuropsychiatric imaging of dementia and schizophrenia”. For the newly created PET Centre in Leipzig this honour provides an incentive and motivation for research and further development of positron emission tomography. PD Dr. Ulrich Müller, Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry received the European Psychiatry Award for the development of a neuropsychological test procedure (Number ordering span to detect cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia). Dr. Müller – who receives a grant from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation – is currently working in London. His initial research work is to be supported as a formel.I project at the Medical Faculty.
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