Research focus
Statutory bodies
Statutory bodies of the Collaborative Research Center
Women in our SFB/TRR219 and specific measures to promote gender equality
Jobs
The DFG/SFB TRR219 Consortium is offering:
9 postdoc positions / 14 PhD positions / 10 non-academic staff positions
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:
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:
Managing Director
Heidi Noels, PhD
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Phone: +49-241-8037147
E-mail:
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:
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:
Univ.‐Prof. Dr. med. Jürgen Floege
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Medical Clinic II - Nephrology
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8089530
E-mail:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Nikolaus Marx
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Medical Clinic I – Cardiology
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8089300
E-mail:
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:
Heidi Noels, PhD
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8037147
E-mail:
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:
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:
IRTG Coordinator (Aachen)
Dr. rer. nat. Claudia Goettsch
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Medical Clinic I - Cardiology
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen
Phone: +49-241-8037312
E-mail:
Gender equality
Women in our SFB/TRR219
Within our consortium, female researchers are represented on different levels of project preparation,
scientific management as well as in the scientific partnership as scientific project leaders, with currently 26% of women among the principal investigators and with 7 of 17 projects (41%) headed or co-headed by a female leader.
Since the resulting percentage of male and female leaders is still unbalanced at this stage, we will take all possible measures to further elevate the percentage of female researchers in our consortium.
Specific measures to promote gender equality
-
Female Advisory Mentoring Panel” to offer advice to female doctoral students aiming for an academic career
-
Mentoring courses for female scientists offering a range of workshops and seminars focusing on the participation of women in academia by strategically promoting the career development of excellent female doctoral, postdoctoral and habilitating scientists through professional coaching
-
Research management courses and networking.
-
Financial support to facilitate research careers of female investigators and young families
-
Flexible and family-friendly work schedules, part-time employment and support for returning to work after maternity leave, to facilitate the balance of work and family
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
Interested candidates should send their application including a current curriculum vitae, motivation letter, academic transcripts, 3 recommendation letters and indication of projects of preference by February 12th, 2018 to TRR219jobs@gmail.com to the attention of Prof. Joachim Jankowski.
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.