Dr. Heidi Noels and Dr. Yvonne Döring receive the W.H. Hauss Award from the DGAF
19-21 April 2018
Dr. Heidi Noels from the Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research at RWTH Aachen University together with Dr. Yvonne Döring from the Institute for Prophylaxis and Epidemiology of Circulatory Diseases at LMU Munich together received the DGAF W.H. Hauss Award 2018 from the German Society for Atherosclerosis Research (DGAF) during the 32nd Annual Meeting of the DGAF in Rauischholzhausen, Germany. They were awarded for their publication "Vascular CXCR4 Limits Atherosclerosis by Maintaining Arterial Integrity: Evidence From Mouse and Human Studies." (Circulation. 2017; 136: 388-403). In this work it could be shown that vascular CXCR4 has an atheroprotective function by maintaining the arterial integrity and preserving the endothelial barrier function. In addition, CXCR4 stabilizes a contractile smooth muscle cell phenotype. Targeted enhancement of these CXCR4-mediated protective functions could open up novel therapeutic options in the treatment of atherosclerosis.
The award was sponsored by a long-standing active member of the DGAF, Prof. Dr. Winfried März.
Project area Z
Administrative project
Robert Werner Mertens
MD student
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Department of Internal Medicine
Project: The role of incretin hormone GLP-2 in septic cardiomyopathy
PI: Michael Lehrke
Robert Werner Mertens
MD student
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Department of Internal Medicine
Project: The role of incretin hormone GLP-2 in septic cardiomyopathy
PI: Michael Lehrke
Consortium
Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Complications
in Chronic Kidney Disease
The SFB/TRR219 is supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Project-ID 322900939
Research focus
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibit a massively increased risk for cardiovascular events: 50% of patients with CKD stage 4-5 suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cardiovascular mortality accounts for ~40-50% of all deaths in patients with CKD stage 4 as well as patients with end-stage renal disease, compared with 26% in controls with normal kidney function. In addition to the high risk for fatal atherosclerosis-related complications such as ischemic heart disease and stroke, cardiac deaths also result from heart failure and arrhythmias. In more than 70 studies in non-dialyzed subjects with CKD, correction for classical and even less classical cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, did not neutralize the impact of CKD on cardiovascular risk.
The underlying pathophysiological processes of CVD in CKD patients obviously differ from the CVD processes in the general population. This underlines the importance of non-traditional, CKD-specific cardiovascular risk factors and accentuates that CKD itself is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. This may explain at least in part why traditional strategies to improve cardiovascular outcome have largely failed in the context of CKD. This also emphasizes the need to identify pathological mechanisms adversely affecting the cardiovascular system in CKD, with the aim to reduce the increased cardiovascular mortality in CKD patients through novel therapeutic strategies.
The aim of this Transregional Collaborative Research Center TRR219 is to analyze in experimental and clinical studies the multi-factorial aspects of CKD-related cardiovascular morbidity and mortality caused by alterations in the circulation and the myocardium. In addition to examining pathological mechanisms affecting the cardiovascular system in CKD at the basic science level, we will also study the translational aspects by analyzing novel interventions and diagnostic tests in the context of CKD-related cardiovascular pathology.
Alterations in the circulation as well as in the myocardium crucially contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk in patients with CKD.
Statutory bodies of the Collaborative Research Center
Vice spokesperson (Homburg)
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Danilo Fliser
Saarland University – Campus Homburg
Internal Medicine IV – Nephrology
Kirrberger Straße
66421 Homburg/Saar
Phone: +49-6841-1623526
E-Mail: danilo.fliser@uks.eu
Spokesperson (Aachen)
Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Joachim Jankowski
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Institute for Molecular
Cardiovascular Research
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8080580
E-Mail: jjankowski@ukaachen.de
Managing Director
Heidi Noels, PhD, PD
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Phone: +49-241-8037147
E-mail: hnoels@ukaachen.de
Executive Board
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Danilo Fliser
Saarland University - Campus Homburg
Internal Medicine IV – Nephrology
Kirrberger Straße, 66421 Homburg/Saar
Phone: +49-6841-1623526
E-mail: danilo.fliser@uks.eu
Univ.‐Prof. Dr. med. Michael Böhm
Saarland University – Campus Homburg
Internal Medicine III – Cardiology
Kirrberger Straße, 66421 Homburg/Saar
Phone: +49-06841-1615031
E-mail: michael.boehm@uks.eu
Univ.‐Prof. Dr. med. Jürgen Floege
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Medical Clinic II - Nephrology
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8089530
E-mail: jfloege@ukaachen.de
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Nikolaus Marx
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Medical Clinic I – Cardiology
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8089300
E-mail: nmarx@ukaachen.de
Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Joachim Jankowski
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8080580
E-mail: jjankowski@ukaachen.de
Heidi Noels, PhD, PD
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8037147
E-mail: hnoels@ukaachen.de
Head of IRTG
Coordinator
Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Joachim Jankowski
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8080580
E-mail: jjankowski@ukaachen.de
IRTG Coordinator (Homburg)
Univ.- Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Barbara Niemeyer
Saarland University – Campus Homburg
Molecular Biophysics
Kirrberger Straße, 66421 Homburg
Phone: +49-6841-1616304
E-mail: Barbara.niemwyer@uks.eu
IRTG Coordinator (Aachen)
PD Dr. rer. nat. Claudia Goettsch
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Medical Clinic I - Cardiology
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8037312
E-mail: cgoettsch@ukaachen.de
Jobs
For PhD students we offer:
- Enrolment in a PhD graduate school as integral part of our SFB/TRR219 Consortium as well as within the local PhD programs at the respective universities, offering an intensive and dedicated PhD training program
- A highly dynamic research environment in an interdisciplinary clinical and basic research setting with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment
- Intensive cooperations within the SFB/TRR219 Consortium
The RWTH Aachen University and Saarland University are certified as family-friendly universities. We particularly welcome and encourage applications from women, disabled people and ethnic minority groups, recognizing they are underrepresented across our Universities. The principles of fair and open competition apply.
We are specifically welcoming students for a bachelor and master thesis in our consortium. Also medical students are highly welcome to join our consortium for a medical dissertation (Dr. med.). An option for financial support may be available.
Interested candidates can contact the project leader of the projects of interest by email for more information and for sending their application including curriculum vitae, motivation letter and academic transcripts.