Programs

Hannover Medical School offers in cooperation with the University of Hannover, the Hannover School Veterinary Medicine, and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, an international English MD/PhD program in Molecular Medicine. The program is funded within an international PhD-project (IPP) by the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst und Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DAAD/DFG). The program was accreditated as the first German PhD program according to European standards (ECTS) in December 2003.

The MD/PhD program is part of the Hannover Biomedical Research School. The program aims for students of medicine, after finishing their MD studies, as well as for graduated students of life sciences, who have finished their master of science, particularly in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology. Start of the program is annually in October. Deadline for applications is April 1st.

The program can be finished with a PhD or Dr.rer.nat. (for life scientists). All students work in individually supervised research projects. It is an international English program with students from all over the world. Stipends are offered. Language courses are available. There are tutorials and methodological seminars in small groups. The dissertation project will be supervised by a group of supervisors. There are also cultural tutorials.

The theoretical part of the program comprises of English seminars in small groups and respective tutorials on selective topics of cellular and molecular biology. In addition, seminars are offered to specific research topics of molecular medicine, currently worked on at the Hannover Medical School. (e.g. biology of infectious diseses).

The training for students of medicine will deepen their background of biomedical sciences. Scientists will understand medical and pathogenetic interrelationships. In addition, there is training and supervision particularly within the selected research projects. The dissertation is supervised by a group of three excellent scientists. Within that project the PhD students work independently on highly competitive and grant funded research projects. The results of this work will be presented and discussed in respective seminars and workshops.

Seminars, courses and research projects are offered in following areas:

" Cellbiology " Genetics " Immunology " Infection biology " Molecular pathology " Developmental biology"

All obligatory seminars and courses of the PhD program are offered in English. The program "Molecular Medicine" has an international character with students coming from all over the world.

Applications: Students of medicine after their graduation, students of biology, biochemistry, microbiology or other life sciences with a diploma or a master of science can apply, if they are younger than 32 years. The proof of very good English language knowledge can be shown by tests (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS) or studies in an English speaking country. In case that such proofs are missing the English language knowledge will be judged in a personal interview. Application material can be found on the homepage and can also be mailed upon reqest. Applicants must send their material until April 1st of the respective year. The curriculum starts in the middle of October each year.

Selection: All applicants will be reviewed by several members of the PhD-committee. There will be a first selection on the basis of the application materials and the academic qualifications. The second step will be a written test. Selected applicants will be invited for a personal interview. The decision will be made until June/July.

Financial support/stipends: The MD/PhD program "Molecular Medicine" is supported by the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. In addition, there are financial aids by "Freunde der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover" available. Upon request, the office will be helpful in finding an appartment. The financing of the projects usually is done by the involved institutes and their respective grants.

Members

PD Dr. Franz.-Christoph Bange

Dr. Günter Bernhardt

Prof. Dr. Jan Buer

Prof. Dr. Reinhold Förster

Prof. Dr. Gerald-F.Gerlach

Prof. Dr. Georg Herrler

PD Dr. Christine Josenhans

Prof. Dr. Andreas Klos

Prof. Dr. Edgar Maiß

Prof. Dr. Volker Moennig

Prof. Dr. Reinhold Schmidt

Prof. Dr. Thomas Schnieder

Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Schulz

Prof. Dr. Stefan Schwarz

PD Dr. Beate Sodeik

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Suerbaum

Dr. Annette Wagner

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Wehland

The Research Training Group (GRK 705) "Characterization of Pathophysiological Animal Models – Functional and Genetic Analyses" of the German Science Foundation (DFG) focusses on the use of the animal model at institutes and clinics of MHH and TiHo. It aims for veterinarians, doctors, dentists or natural scientists results in a degree of "Dr. med. vet.", "PhD" or "Dr. rer. nat."

The subject of the GRK 705 is "Animal models" in relation to medicine/therapy. Research groups are in the fields of: Molecular Biology, Genetics, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Immunology, Allergology, Pharmacology, Internal Medicine, Behavior Biology and Biorhythmics.

After the first phase from April 1st 2001 till March 31st 2004, a second phase is supported by the DFG for further 3 years.

Members of the Commission:

The subject of this application for a European Research Training Group (EGRK) is based on established and successful research activities and graduate training of four German and two Danish scientific institutions and guarantees continuity on a high level. We present a well balanced study program and graduate training for successful PhD thesis.

It is the aim of the applicants to establish a European Centre per Excellence in Pseudomonas research. On both sides a renowned medical institution with a clinical centre of national importance for the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis exists but the research activities of both centres on the host parasite relationship in CF are quite different: Whereas Copenhagen focuses on the host defence mechanisms and immune response against P. aeruginosa the Hannover groups concentrate on P. aeruginosa with its genomic organisation, morphotypes, and molecular pathogenicity.

Furthermore the biotechnologically orientated renowned microbiological units with outstanding research activities fit together perfectly: the Technical University of Denmark puts emphasis on biofilm production and signalling networks of P. aeruginosa, P. putida under environmental conditions, while the GBF in Braunschweig has a strong interest in the lifestyles of microbial communities, the reconstruction of metabolic pathways, and networks, and in the biodegradation of toxic compounds in polluted soil and water by genetically engineered Pseudomonas strains.

Research in infection biology is at the heart of the GBF in Braunschweig. Furthermore, the DTU, GBF and MHH groups have common interests in the structure and organisation of microbial genomes. New supervisors in the Graduate School are a renowned Pseudomonas expert who has recently obtained the chair for microbiology at the university of Braunschweig, a world-leading expert in the global analysis of microbial genomes and a human geneticist with strong expertise in CF genetics and association studies.

The common denominator of all research institutions involved in this application is commitment to research and education of graduate students on the central role of Pseudomonads, e.g. P. aeruginosa, one aspect of which is that as opportunistic pathogens they govern the outcome of patients with cystic fibrosis and of patients in burn units and ICU‘s. This is based on their large number of virulence factors and their extreme flexibility with regard to adapting mechanisms of attack, escape and resistance. The host immune response and therapeutic (antibiotic) strategies against P. aeruginosa are major targets of medical research. A quite different aspect is that Pseudomonads are ubiquitous environmental bacteria with an affinity to aquatic and soil habitats and a strong capacity to build up bacterial communities (biofilms) and communication structures (quorum sensing). They are excellent biotechnological tools for degradation and detoxification of environmental pollutants. In view of the medical as well as the biotechnological research activities molecular biological methods play a central role. Pseudomonas genomics is at the heart of this application. Investigators at the MHH and the GBF were either coordinators or collaborators in the genome projects on the sequencing of the P. aeruginosa PAO and P. putida KT2440 genomes. Transcriptome and proteome analyses on these two Pseudomonads have been started by applicants from both the Danish and German side and play a major role in this proposal. The common scientific interests and complementarity of methodologies of the participants are key features of the European Graduate School as demonstrated by the practical scientific work during the last two years. Numerous synergies have been generated between Denmark and Germany, universities and non-university research institutions, medicine and national sciences.

Members of the Commission:

Danish Speaker of the EGK: Prof. Dr. Søren Molin, The Technical University of Denmark, Department of Microbiology Building 301, DK-2800 Lyngby Denmark, Tel.: +45-45 25 2513, Fax: +45-45 88 7328, E mail: imsmpop.dtu.dk

Substitute German Speaker: Prof. Dr. Dieter Jahn, Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, D-38106 Braunschweig, Tel.: +49-531-391 5826, Fax: +49-531-391 5854, E mail: d.jahntu-bs.de

Substitute Danish Speaker: Prof. Dr. Niels Høiby Rigshospitalet, afsnit 9301 Department of Clinical Microbiology Juliane Maries Vej 22 DK-2100 Copenhagen Denmark Tel.: +45-35 45 77 88, Fax: +45-35 45 64 12, E mail: hoibyinet.uni2.dk

Associated Teachers and Scientific Advisory Board:

Dr. Rudi Amman (Bremen, Germany)

Prof. Dr. J.C. Pechère (Genève / Suisse)

Prof. Dr. Dieter Haas (Lausanne/ Swisse)

Dr. Paul Rainey (Oxford, UK)

Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Hedrich (Hannover, Germany)

Prof. Dr. N.P. Revsbech (Aahus, Denmark)

Prof. Dr. A. Lazdunski (Marseille Cedex, France)

Prof. Dr. Peter Roepstorff (Odense, Denmark)

Victor de Lorenzo (Madrid, Spain)

Prof. Dr. Paul Williams (Nottingham, UK)