Course Description

Target groups are highly qualified, scientifically well educated medical doctors, veterinary doctors and those who have completed natural science studies (Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology etc. preferably dealing with medical questions during their studies). An above average level of performance is expected from all applicants, and the curriculum vitae should reveal a particular capability and motivation for scientific work. At least some former independent research experience (bench work; 6-months) is required. This should be demonstrated in a description of a former research project.

(application)

Structure and Curriculum of the PhD study program offer students the possibility to develop an in-depth understanding of methods beyond their individual fields of expertise, and to gain important experience in interdisciplinary cooperation. They are supposed to develop their abilities to communicate, to scientifically discuss and to organize complex research contents. During their own scientific work, carried out under guidance, they should make significant advances towards their later employment goals, for instance as head of a junior research group. Due to obligatory exchange of information on the status of research projects, as set out in the Course Rules, the PhD Program offers excellent opportunities to question the methods applied as well as the project aims, thus, leading to a higher level of quality of individual activities. The confrontation with more basic research techniques and questions will broaden the knowledge of those students having a medical background, as will the dealing with clinical questions for students with natural science background.

After successful completion of the program, a PhD degree (alternatively Dr.rer.nat for life scientists) will be awarded.

There are a great variety of projects available.

In fact, most of the departments/labs at MHH and partner institutes working in a molecular, experimental field are member of the PhD "Molecular Medicine" program.

To get an idea of projects, please browse the "students" section.

Students have a free choice of projects once they are selected for the program.

In the first phase of the study program, basics in Immunology, Virology, Microbiology, Genetics, Cell Biology and Biochemistry are taught in cooparation with the other PhD programs in HBRS as well as partner institutes. In addition, medical students will receive an introduction to basic scientific methods such as molecular and cell biological techniques, while students with scientific qualifications will deal extensively with medical research topics. The aim is to achieve approximately the same level of knowledge despite different qualifications on entry. This first part of the course is normally completed after 18 months with an intermediate examination.

In the second part, the main focus lies on clinical/ applied aspects and project-oriented research, leading both to the completion of the thesis and to publication of the obtained research results in international scientific and medical journals. In this phase, periods of research necessary for the performance of the research project may be spend in cooperating institutes both in Germany and abroad.

During the 3-year study period, all students have to attend about 80 hours of project-oriented seminars/courses as well as 60 hours of interdisciplinary seminars/courses. Great emphasis is put on the so called "soft skills" like 'presenation techniques', 'scientific writing', 'research ethics', 'gene technolgy safety', 'animal experiments' as well as career perspectives.

Excursions to industry are regularly taking place.

Students present their research projects on an annual retreat as well as are encouraged to participate in international scientific meetings and conferences.

Two publications as first author in international peer-reviewd journals are desired for the admittance to the PhD final examination. Generally, the PhD examination takes place at the end of the third year.

PhD students are individually supervised by members of the group of experts selected by the PhD Commission. Each students has one main supervisor and two co-supervisors from different departments/institutes (thesis advisory group). This group of supervisors continuously monitors the PhD student throughout the program by e.g. reports. A 'meeting of four' takes place at least once a year, usually before the annual retreat.

Concerning the research project, a clearly defined topic using suitable methods is to be worked on in such a way that scientific knowledge will be increased with a realistic prospect of success and publication of the obtained research results in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. The supervisors are obliged to the PhD Commission to guarantee that the student is not laden with tasks not being connected to qualifying for his/her PhD. The supervisors will also advise the PhD students in planning their further career.

The main supervisors provides all facilities necessary for performing the PhD thesis (including lab bench, computers). Students have to attend lab seminars, journal clubs etc.

The relevant supervisors are responsible for the financing of the research project and for sponsorship of the PhD student assigned to them during the average 3-year PhD study period. If there are funds available at the Medical School for PhD students, the HBRS committee will supervise the distribution of these funds. Students usually receive a stipend or salary of about 1200,- to 1400,- Euro/month.

The PhD program is taking advantage of longstanding cooperations with the University of Hannover and the School of Veterinary Medicine, some courses and lecturers are already integrated in the course. In addition, there are various cooperation partners, such as the Helmholtz Institute for Infection Research, HZI, Braunschweig; IPF PharmaCeuticals GmbH (IPF), Hannover; Fraunhofer-Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover (ITEM); and the Friedrich Löffler Institute, Mariensee (FLI).

International cooperation partners are several scientists in India (Dr. S. Mahalingam IIT Chennai; Prof. S. Hasnain University of Hyderabad, Prof. Dr. Shahid Jameel ICGEB New Delhi etc.), at Karolinska Institute Stockholm, University of Dundee, Imperial College of London and numerous international partners in the individual research projects.  

Hannover Medical School provides excellent facilities for PhD study programs.

Platforms (core units) have been established at MHH and partner institutes to provide up-to-date technologies and support (e. g. gene expression profiling, experimental animal work, confocal microscopy for in vivo imaging, and proteomics).

A huge library with all relevant text books and journals is available, including about 20 computer working places.

The Hannover Biomedical Research School (HBRS) has its own seminar rooms.

There are four cafeterias and a mensa on campus.

All international students in the PhD program will be accomodated in a students' hostel nearby.

At the beginning of October, orientation weeks are taking place in which all relevant administration (housing, bank, insurance, enrolment) is dealt with as well as guided tours, excursions, culture shock seminars, German crash course, international party, etc. are offered.

English is the main language of the program. German courses are offered to our international students (beginners and advanced). And we offer a course on "Scientific English". 

In the first 18 months of the course, up to the intermediate examination, participants of the PhD program should acquire a general consolidation of the natural scientific and fundamental principles of biomedical research, so that by the time of the intermediate examination, all participants in the program achieve approximately the same level of theoretical and practical knowledge, despite different qualifications on entry.

In the second part of the PhD Program, more emphasis is then placed on the project-specific qualification. Time spend abroad during the PhD Program will be recognized if the curriculum content at the guest university is equivalent to the PhD curriculum and has been certified as such.

Note: the detailed Curriculum is displayed elsewhere. Here, you only see a selection of the topics covered!!

Since 2004, we have a joint Curriculum in the Hannover Biomedical Research School (HBRS)!!

1. Compulsory Activities

1.1. Lecture series "Basics in Molecular Medicine"

(3 SWS (Semesterwochenstunden = hours a week) in the first year)

List of topics:

1. Basic properties of biological macromolecules (lipids, membranes, nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates)
2. Techniques for studying biopolymers (recombinant DNA techniques, spectroscopy etc.)
3. Protein-protein interactions
4. Basal genetic mechanisms
5. Chromosome structure and gene regulation
6. Flow of genetic information
7. The cytoskeleton
8. Microscopic techniques
9. Membrane transport of small molecules
10. Receptors and signal transduction
11. Cell cycle and oncogenesis
12. Human Gene finding
13. Medical Genomics
14. Development of the immune system (stem cells)
15. Innate immunity
16. Chemokines
17. Antigen processing and presentation
18. Medical microbiology
19. Virology
20. Vaccinology
21. Molecular Epidemiology
22. Basics in Bioinformatics

1.2. Lecture series "Specific and applied aspects of Molecular Medicine"

(3 SWS in the second year)

With the participation of lecturers from the clinical departments of Hannover Medical School and other partner institutes

In the second year, students choose two of the four major foci: Immunology; Infection; Oncology/Differentiation; Genetics/Cell Biology/Biochemistry  

Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Virus hepatitis: from molecular biology to therapy

Hematology and Oncology

Cytokine-receptor-signal transduction in myeloproliferative diseases

Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery

Modern methods of liver replacement therapy

Cardiovascular tissue engeneering

Cardiology

Molecular biology of chronic cardiac insufficiency

Molecular fundamental principles of arteriosclerosis and inflammation

Clinical Immunology

Immune response in the example of HIV infection

Fc-mediated mechanisms in autoimmune disease

Dermatology

Immunobiology of eczematous skin diseases

Immunology

Functional organization of lymphoid organs

Gene therapy

Stem cells

regulations of transgenes in somatic cells

embryonic and somatic cloning in mammals

Safety and efficiency in the use of viral vectors for gene therapy

Microbiology

Pathogenicity of enterohemorhagic E.coli

The reprogrammed host (Clamydia)

Molecular Biology

T-box genes in development and disease

Nephrology

Mechanisms of ischemia reperfusion injury

Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

Inborn errors of hematopoiesis

Acute childhood leukemias

Modulation of the immune response

Pediatric Pneumology

Genetics of cystic fibrosis

Pediatric Metabolic Diseases

Cytokine expression and polymorphisms in kidney diseases in children

Pathology

Epigenetics of cancer

Virology

Virus-associated oncogenesis

2. Specific Activities (Optional activities)

2.1 Experimental Techniques:

• Workshops of the "Graduiertenkolleg"
• Classic and molecular tumor cytogenetics
• Clinical cytogenetics
• Quantitative analysis of protein and peptide interactions
• Immunological methods in cell biology
• Introduction to molecular pathology
• Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) in the diagnosis of hematological diseases
• Animal experimental methods (introduction)
• Animal experimental methods (specific courses)

2.2 Special Seminars:

• Molecular biological aspects of hepato- and gastroenterology
• Molecular genetic diagnosis of hereditary diseases
• Aspects of molecular medicine
• Gene expression and growth control
• Lasers in biology, medicine and environmental research
• Quantitative biology: biophysical examples from medicine and biology
• Molecular genetics II
• Molecular genetics of development

2.3 Fundamental principles of statistical methods

Biometry, bioinformatics, biostatistics

2.4 Communications, Internet 

• Scientific communications
• Electronic information and communications in medicine
• Medical Internet driving license
• Telemedicine
• multimedia
• Scientific English

2.5 Radiation protection

2.7 Gene technological security

2.8 Introduction to ethics

• Ethical cases in medicine
• Ethical aspects of gene technology
• Scientific ethics

3. Other Courses

3.1 General (Optional courses) 

• Seminar series of the "Graduiertenkolleg"
• Seminar series of the SFBs
• Immunology Colloquium
• Molecular Biology Colloquium
• Gastroenterology Colloquium
• Biochemistry Colloquium
• Microbiology Colloquium

3.2 Within the Departments (compulsory attendance) 

• Seminars for doctoral students
• Journal Clubs (These courses are to be held in English)

4. Practical Training for PhD Students in the Supervising Department

(Optional courses, not counted)

The supervisors will, on request, provide practical training in special methods for a period of several days to several weeks.

A number of extracurricular activities like excursions, visit to Christmas market, cultural events (theatre, concert, circus) and international parties are organized regularly throughout the year.