News

During the second annual Diversity Week, our community took part in a series of events. They ranged from simulating the environments of disabled people, to discussing the importance of a diverse workplace. The aim was to raise awareness and to foster a welcoming work environment for everyone.

Simon Haas has been awarded the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) Prize for the promotion of cancer research, sponsored by the Monika Kutzner Foundation. His outstanding research focuses on the causes and the development of new concepts for the treatment of blood cancer.

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center have used cryo-electron tomography to uncover new details of the molecular structure of synaptic vesicles, which help transport neurotransmitters in the brain. The study, published in “PNAS,” could inform therapeutic strategies for psychiatric disorders.

Wenhan Luo received a two-year Humboldt Fellowship to continue his research in Gary Lewin’s Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Lab. Together, they aim to understand how naked mole rats navigate.

Three researchers at Max Delbrück Center – Sofia Forslund, Friedemann Paul, and Nikolaus Rajewsky – are among the most Highly Cited Researchers in the world in 2024, making the list two years in a row. Germany ranks fourth of countries and regions, behind the U.S., mainland China and the U.K.

As Scientific Director of Max Delbrück Center, Maike Sander is driving a bold shift toward interdisciplinary research to address the health challenges of our time. As a diabetes researcher, her next frontier is to use organ-on-a-chip technologies to build more accurate models of the human pancreas.

Foundation models are complex AI applications with enormous potential. Trained on vast datasets from medicine, climate, or material science, they can uncover new relationships and make predictions. Helmholtz is supporting this pioneering work, with €5.55 million going to the Max Delbrück Center.

The Max Delbrück Center proudly welcomes Dr. Nevine Shalaby as the new Head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department. With a rich background in genetics and industry, she aims to drive research impact, foster spin-offs, and strengthen industry partnerships, aligned with the Strategy 2030.

Researchers in the lab of Michael Sigal at the Max Delbrück Center and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have elucidated the role of the p53 gene in ulcerative colitis. The study, published in “Science Advances,” suggests a potential new drug target to stop disease progression to cancer.

Biochemist Erich Wanker studies neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. When we asked him for a reading recommendation, he was enthusiastic: He chose a dystopic novel from the 1950s, which later served as the basis for a film by François Truffaut.