TRAIN Academy

The Continuing Education Program in Translational Health Research

In the part-time curriculum “Translational Research & Medicine: From Idea to Product”, you will gain an overview of the necessary steps and measures that lead from a discovery in the lab to a product for medical use. Regulatory frameworks and the basics of quality management are covered, as well as the different product categories and phases of product development. In addition, seminars on methodological skills complement the training program. More than 70 experts provide practical and vivid insights into all areas of translational health research.  Benefit in the long term from your participation in the TRAIN Academy and become part of our network!

The TRAIN Academy is the right place for you if you:

have studied natural sciences or medicine,

are a postdoc at a research institution or about to complete your doctorate,

work in the pharmaceutical industry or healthcare sector.

The curriculum is a part-time continuing education program. It is not funded as a training measure by the German Employment Agency.

Angela Bortenreuter

TRAIN Office Coordination TRAIN Academy

academy @translationsallianz.de

+49 511 220027 112

Goals of the continuing education program

There are only a few continuing education and qualification programs available for scientists interested in translation, especially those in the early stages after completing their doctorate. The TRAIN Academy is one of the most unique programs available. Our comprehensive curriculum covers all stages of development, from the initial idea to the final product. We teach skills that are essential for translational health research. You will learn to systematically evaluate the potential of new medical procedures or products for medical application and commercialization.

Participation in the TRAIN Academy brings you into direct contact with experts from the relevant fields and offers you the opportunity to network with key players in translational health research in the region.

The TRAIN Academy supports you in finding your way in the field of translational health research and developing the right career path for you. Our continuing education program qualifies you as a competent contact person for translational issues in your institutions and supports your methodological and personal development.

Target audience

The TRAIN Academy is a part-time continuing education program. It is aimed at PhDs in natural sciences, medical professionals, and employees in the pharmaceutical industry or the healthcare sector. PhD candidates in natural sciences or medicine who are nearing completion of their doctoral thesis can also benefit from participating. The curriculum is designed as a part-time continuing education program. It is not recognized as a continuing education measure by the Employment Agency.

Curriculum Content

The curriculum “Translational Research and Medicine: From Idea to Product” is divided into four subject areas, guiding you through the stages of the translational development process.

I. Product Idea and Quality Assurance

Every product development begins with a discovery. For this discovery to lead to a product that can eventually be used in patient care, it must first be protected. There are many aspects to consider in protecting discoveries: Module 1 explains the essential first steps
Module 2 covers the quality assurance measures that must be followed throughout product development

Module 1: Idea – First Steps

Module 2: Quality Assurance

II. Product Categories

Product development differs greatly depending on the product category:
Traditional drugs often consist of small, structurally simple molecules (“small molecules”)
Highly innovative biological drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, or gene and cell therapies, are called “biologicals”
Devices and components such as implants, tissue-derived implants, or pacemakers fall under medical devices
Monoclonal antibodies are also considered separately due to their increasing relevance
Finally, vaccines used for prevention are discussed
These five distinct product groups are covered in Modules 3–7:

Module 3: Small Molecules

Module 4: Biologicals

Module 5: Medical Devices

Module 6: Antibodies

Module 7: Vaccines

III. Product Development

To gain market approval for new products, authorities require data on quality, preclinical, and clinical research. But what exactly must be considered when planning such development programs? This is addressed in Modules 8–10:

Module 8: Preclinical

Module 9: Clinical

Module 10: Market

IV. Methodological and Personal Development

Knowledge alone is not enough! You need additional skills to contribute effectively in complex translational teams. This area is addressed in Modules 11–12:

Module 11: Cross-Process Skills

Module 12: Interdisciplinary Skills

Module 13: Rotation

As a supplement to the many lectures, there is a 4-day internship – the Rotation. The aim is to broaden your perspective in the field of translational research and medicine. New insights and contacts can help advance your work or career.

Program Scope

The TRAIN Academy is designed for a duration of two years.  The full curriculum comprises approximately 350 hours in total.  To receive the certificate, you must complete around 200 hours, including the Rotation and self-study.  Each module must be attended to earn the certificate.

Keynote Lectures

Keynote Lectures complement the module content by exploring practical applications and current topics in translational research, while also providing networking opportunities.

11. November 2024

Milestone Year for TRAIN Academy: A Decade of Advancing Translational Research

In October, we launched the ninth cohort of the TRAIN Academy, marking our tenth year of advanced training.

Beitrag lesen

TRAIN Academy at a Glance

Part-time curriculum: 24 months, approx. 200 required hours

Weekly courses, usually on Thursdays, held in hybrid format

Start: annually in October

Target group: Professionals from science, medicine, industry, and regulatory authorities (min. 2 years of work experience)

Mandatory 4-day internship outside of your own field of work

Program Costs

€2,400 for participants from TRAIN partner institutions
€4,800 for participants from other institutions
Guest attendance:
Max. 15 sessions possible
€750 (member institutions) / €1,500 (others)
Industry participants:
€1,200 for participation in 10 events within one year
Additional events available for an extra fee upon request

Partner Companies

Several lectures include contributions from partner companies, such as:
Serum Life Science Europe, which organizes the Vaccine module
Leading representatives from medium-sized enterprises in the Market module
Additional lectures with partners from the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry

APPLICATION

You TRAIN Academy application recuires:

your CV

a signed declaration of consent from your supervisor

a signed declaration of cost coverage from your employer or yourself

a billing address

Still have questions?  Contact us for more information!

Contact Person
Angela Bortenreuter
+49 511 22002 7112
academy@translationsallianz.de

TRAIN Academy Testimonials

In our testimonial videos, participants and lecturers share their personal experiences with the program:  What they’ve learned, how it enriched their work, and why the TRAIN Academy is a key step in translating medical innovations.  Get inspired and discover how the TRAIN Academy can advance your career, too!

Personal interactions are important

Dr Bibiana Costa was a doctoral student at TWINCORE when she took part in the TRAIN Academy. On the one hand, she was able to acquire theoretical knowledge in new areas during the training programme, which expanded her specialist knowledge from her doctoral thesis at TWINCORE. On the other hand, she appreciates the contact with the experts at the TRAIN Academy and the opportunities for direct dialogue that the training offers.

From the lab to the patient and beyond

Dr Leander Grode is CEO of Serum Life Sciences Europe, a subsidiary of the world’s largest vaccine producer Serum Institut of India. As a lecturer at the TRAIN Academy, he teaches the most important aspects of vaccine development and how developments from the laboratory find their way to the patient. He also knows what makes TRAIN Academy graduates sought-after candidates for jobs in the pharmaceutical industry.

Translation and transfer right from the start

Prof Christine Falk heads the Institute of Transplantation Immunology at Hannover Medical School. As a lecturer at the TRAIN Academy, she passes on her knowledge of new technologies in the field of immunomonitoring, as immunological processes play an important role in vaccinations or cancer therapy. She finds it particularly important that young researchers today learn to plan translational aspects into their projects from the outset.

More than in biology studies

Dr Matthias Bruhn is a postdoctoral researcher at TWINCORE and is developing monoclonal antibodies against infections such as SARS-CoV-2. In order to develop a commercial product from this research project, he needed special knowledge that he did not learn in his biology studies. He therefore took part in the TRAIN Academy’s training programme, where he learned, among other things, how patents work and which regulatory aspects need to be considered in product development.

Getting to know translational processes

Veterinarian Dr Cornelia Schwennen is investigating how insects can be used as animal feed at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation. The aim is to develop a concrete product from this research. At the TRAIN Academy, she learnt how to plan and implement such a translational project. She also learnt about the options for obtaining funding for her work.

Making contacts and learning from others

Dr Henning Jacobsen is developing concepts for vaccines that induce long-lasting immunity at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig. At the TRAIN Academy, he learnt what steps are necessary to develop these into a market-ready product. He was able to expand his network and establish contacts with experts who have already successfully realised the step from laboratory to application. The exchange with other scientists who are also about to launch a spin-off also helped him a lot.

Lecturers Modules 1-6

Mark Brönstrup

TRAIN_Acaddemy_Personen_Mark_Brönstrup_MB1

Prof. Dr. Mark Brönstrup studied chemistry and obtained his PhD from the TU Berlin in 1999. He joined Aventis in 2000 as a lab head for mass spectrometry and spent a research sabbatical with S. P. Gygi at Harvard Medical School in 2003. Between 2005 and 2010, he was leading the Natural Products Science section at Sanofi Aventis in Frankfurt. Between 2010 and 2013, he was managing sections dealing with biomarkers, bioimaging & biological assays. Since December 2013, he has been head of the Chemical Biology Department at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig and W3 Professor at the University of Hannover. His research is focused on the discovery, the characterization and the optimization of novel antiinfective drugs.

Prof. Dr. Stefan Dübel is full Professor of Biotechnology at the Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany. After his PhD studies at the University of Heidelberg, in 1989 he joined the German Cancer Research Center where he pioneered in vitro antibody selection technologies, including the invention of antibody phage display, human naive antibody libraries and antibody libraries with randomized CDRs. His contributions to human antibody engineering, phage display and in vitro evolution included “Hyperphage” technology, ORFeome display, a universal allosteric switch module for antibody affinity, and multiclonal antibodies. His work resulted in >270 publications and >30 patent applications. He is co-founder of five biotech spin-offs, including the human therapeutic antibody discovery company YUMAB and the vegan antibody company ABCALIS, and he initiated CORAT Therapeutics which developed a human anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody made by phage display against COVID-19 to clinical trials within less than a year.

Dr. Jens Gerdelmann studied biology in Mainz and Leipzig. After graduation, he worked as a postgraduate and post-doc in scientific research at medical and biophysical university institutes in Leipzig and Göttingen for nearly ten years. Afterward Dr. Gerdelmann was active for more than nine years in the areas regulatory affairs and quality management for medical devices, first at MDSS GmbH and afterwards at the spin off MDSS Consulting GmbH in Hannover. He was working as safety officer for medical devices and as consultant for medical devices including IVD. The major focus of his consulting activities was on medical device clinical investigations and clinical evaluation reports for medical device manufacturers. Since 2019 Dr. Gerdelmann is head of quality assurance of Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM) in Hannover. ITEM quality assurance is responsible for maintenance and implementation of quality assurance programs for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) in non-clinical safety studies as well as for Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in early phase clinical trials.

Prof. Dr. Michael Hust studied biology at the C. v. O. Universität in Oldenburg from 1993-1999. He received his PhD from the Leibniz Universität in Hannover in 2002. Since end of 2002 he is working as group leader at the Technische Universität Braunschweig and in 2011 he finished his professorial dissertation (Habilitation). In 2014 he was appointed as professor for biotechnology and 2022 he became head of the Medical Biotechnology department. He published more than 190 articles and filed several patents in the field of antibody engineering and phage display. He is co-author of the German text book „Rekombinante Antikörper“ and editor of the book „Phage Display“. His research passion is the development of recombinant antibodies and antibody engineering for diagnostics and therapy with a focus on infectious diseases and toxins. He co-founded four biotech companies including YUMAB.

_TRAIN_Academy_Personen_Ann_Kathrin_Knöfel

Dr. Ann-Kathrin Knöfel completed her doctorate in pathophysiology at the University of Greifswald. She worked for 15 years as a postdoc in the HTTG Surgery of the MHH, where she was responsible for the acquisition and supervision of third-party funded projects. Since 2022, she has been working in the Research – Knowledge – Translation – Transfer (FWT2) staff unit as a research officer. In addition to advising on third-party funding applications, her responsibilities include supervising the qualification series for life scientists.

Dr. Gerhard Pohlmann (Dipl.-Ing., Dipl. Chem. and Dr. rer nat.) began his scientific career at the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Aerosol Research (ITA) in Münster. He then moved to the ITA in Hanover as a research assistant, where he became a research group leader in the field of exposure technology. In the following years, he took on various management positions, including head of the Medical Inhalation Technology division and the Translational Biomedical Engineering division. In addition, he founded rSPC-Therapeutics GmbH in 2018 and served as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Today, he is a Senior Scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM) in Hanover and CSO and co-founder of Inhale+.

Dr.-Ing. Thomas Rau is head of the interdisciplinary working group for computer-assisted surgery (CAS) and implant development at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Hannover Medical School. His research focuses on the development of mechatronic and image-supported assistance systems for cochlear implant surgery and the further development of the cochlear implant, in particular the electrode array. He has been working in this field of research since 2006 and has held a leading position since 2011. He received his doctorate from Ilmenau University of Technology in 2014 and completed the TRAIN Academy from 2018 to 2020. In addition to scientific curiosity, he is motivated by translational research in order to transfer scientific progress into clinical application.

_TRAIN_Academy_Personen_Matthias_Schiedel_2023_01

Prof. Dr. Matthias Schiedel studied pharmacy at the ALU Freiburg. During his PhD, which he completed summa cum laude in 2016, and his postdoc at the University of Oxford, Matthias Schiedel worked in the field of epigenetic drug discovery. He returned to Germany as a Liebig Fellow in 2019 and began his career as an independent researcher at the Institute of Chemistry and Pharmacy at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg. Matthias Schiedel has been Professor of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at TU Braunschweig since 2023. His research interests include medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and novel approaches to targeted drug development. A particular focus of his current work is on new chemical tools targeting intracellular allosteric binding sites of G-protein-coupled receptors.

Prof. Dr. med. Axel Seltsam is Managing Director and Medical Director of the Bavarian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service. He holds an adjunct professorship at the Hannover Medical School, is a board member of several professional associations and a member of the expert committee pursuant to Section 24 of the German Transfusion Act (Blood Working Group), which advises the competent federal and state authorities on issues relating to the safety of the collection and use of blood and blood products. His current research focuses on the development of procedures to improve blood safety and diagnostic systems to prevent incompatibility reactions in the context of blood transfusions. As Congress President, he organized the annual conference of the German Society for Transfusion Medicine in Berlin in 2023.

Prof. Dr. Marc Stadler studierte Biologie an der Technischen Universität Kaiserslautern und promovierte 1993 im Fach Biotechnologie über neue Wirkstoffe aus räuberischen Pilzen – mit einem Stipendium der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. Nach einer von der DFG geförderten Postdoc-Zeit an der schwedischen Universität Lund im Bereich Naturstoffchemie wechselte Marc Stadler 1995 in die Industrie und arbeitete in der Pharma-Forschung von Bayer Healthcare. Im Jahr 2006 gründete er zusammen mit anderen Bayer-Forschern die InterMed Discovery GmbH, wo er als Abteilungsleiter bis April 2012 tätig war. In seiner insgesamt 17-jährigen Industrietätigkeit war er für die pilzlichen und mikrobiellen Stammsammlungen, die biotechnologische Prozessentwicklung und ein naturstoffchemisches Labor verantwortlich. Zeitgleich habilitierte er sich an der Universität Bayreuth im Fachgebiet Mykologie. Er ist als weltweit anerkannter Experte für industrielle Mikrobiologie und Mykologie und pilzliche Biodiversitätsforschung Mitglied in den Herausgebergremien führender mykologischer Fachzeitschriften wie Studies in Mycology und Fungal Diversity. 2021 wurde er zum nächsten Präsidenten der International Mycological Association (IMA) gewählt. Seit 2012 forscht Marc Stadler am HZI und ist Professor an der TU Braunschweig, wo er Lehrveranstaltungen in Biologe und Biotechnologie abhält. Im Jahr 2013 wurde er zum Gastprofessor am Institut für Mikrobiologie CAS, State Key Laboratory der Mykologie und Lichenology, Beijing, PR China ernannt.

Lecturers modules 7-13

Sandor Batkai

Dr. Sandor Batkai is a freelance drug development consultant and co-founder of Cardior Pharmaceuticals GmbH in Hannover, Germany, which was successfully sold to Novo Nordisk in 2024. He is a recognized expert in preclinical drug development in the cardiovascular field, with a focus on the pharmacology of oligonucleotides and RNA therapeutics.
With over 150 publications in high-ranking scientific journals, Dr. Batkai is one of the leading internationally recognized translational researchers. Before joining the biotech industry, he headed the Cardiovascular Phenotyping and Translational Strategies research group at the IMTTS of the Hannover Medical School. Previously, Dr. Batkai worked for over 10 years at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, where he headed the Cardiovascular Phenotyping Core Facility.

_TRAIN_Academy_Personen_Phillipp_Bloching

Philipp Bloching studied medicine and business administration at the University of Vienna from 2005 to 2012. After completing his studies, he worked at Novartis from 2013 to 2017 in Healthcare Policy (Market Access) and Marketing. He then moved to Merck and led various teams in Key Account Management and Medicine. Most recently, he worked for Merck as Medical Director of Merck Taiwan before joining Desitin Arzneimittel GmbH in May 2020. As CEO of the company, Philipp Bloching is responsible for Marketing & Sales, Business Development, R&D, Production & Logistics, Supply Chain and Quality. The medium-sized pharmaceutical company based in Hamburg specializes in products for the treatment of neurological and rare diseases. Philipp Bloching has been a member of the Board of the BPI Regional Association North since 2022 and a member of the BPI Board since 2023. Since 2022, he has also been a member of the Board of AKG e.V., the largest voluntary self-regulatory organization in the pharmaceutical industry.

TRAIN_Acaddemy_Personen_Christiane-Bock-von-Wuelfingen

Christiane Bock von Wülfingen studied social sciences at the University of Hannover, specializing in health policy, law and social psychology. Before and during her studies, she worked as an intensive care nurse at the Hannover Medical School (MHH). She completed postgraduate studies/further training in the field of media: production, projects and public relations (Hannover/Berlin) and has many years of experience in the areas.
From 2009 to 2014, she was head of the MHHpersonalAkademie. Since 2015, she has been in charge of research and teaching, the conception of career paths and further training for scientists and physicians at the newly founded MHH Weiterbildungsakademie (WBA). Since 2018, she has been head of the Office of Research, Knowledge She is the transfer representative of the MHH and spokeswoman for the start-up representatives of the universities in Lower Saxony. She is the point of contact for all questions relating to the topic of translation and start-ups.

Prof. Armin Braun is Head of Preclinical Pharmacology and In Vitro Toxicology at the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine. His focus is on the preclinical development and evaluation of new drugs for respiratory diseases. His clients are major pharmaceutical and biotech companies from Europe, the USA and Japan. He therefore has extensive experience with animal models of lung diseases such as asthma, COPD and pneumonia. Immunotoxicology is also an important field of work for him. Based on these findings, alternative in-vitro models are being developed, e.g. using the “precision cut lung slice” (PCLS) technique to test lung toxicology and immune regulation. Immunologic diagnoses are performed in clinical studies by immunohistochemical staining techniques using confocal microscopy, flow cytometric analysis and quantification of biomarkers in bronchoalveolavage lavage fluid and blood. His work is funded by various EU and federal research agencies. He is a member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) and was active in the Collaborative Research Center SFB587 “Immune Reactions of the Lung in Infection and Allergy”, where research focused on the interaction of the nervous system and immune reactions in asthma. Prof. Braun has a strong background in basic research and is involved in several publicly funded research collaborations, e.g. with the Hannover Medical School (MHH), where he is a professor. International collaborations include vaccine development with the Fraunhofer CMB in the USA. He has published more than 100 reports in international journals.

Sven Büscher is a bioscientist, economist & senior consultant at SKC Beratung with a focus on strategic market access for digital health products, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Early on, he was interested in understanding molecular biological processes as the basis of health sciences. During his studies in natural sciences, he quickly realized that knowledge of health economics opened up opportunities for him to find his own approach to contributing to the development of an innovative and efficient healthcare system. After working for several years in the healthcare sector at a Big 4 consultancy, he supports clients across all industries in developing and implementing successful strategies for market access and long-term market success.

Dr. Marcel Mertz studied philosophy and sociology and holds a doctorate in philosophy with a focus on medical and bioethics. After working at the Universities of Basel, Mannheim and Cologne, he joined the MHH in 2011, where he has headed the Research Ethics and Medical Ethics Methodology working group at the Institute of Ethics, History and Philosophy of Medicine since 2018. In research and teaching, he deals with questions of research ethics and public health ethics, ethics of translational research, health technology assessment and methods of empirical medical ethics. He has also been a deputy member of the MHH Ethics Committee since 2024.

Gerald Parzmair is the Chief Development Officer at Memo Therapeutics AG and the Chief Operating Officer at Serum Lifescience Europe GmbH. With a strong background in Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Immunopharmacology, he oversees the development of biologics, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), recombinant proteins, and vaccines. Gerald holds a PhD in Infection Immunology from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, bringing extensive expertise to his leadership roles in the biopharmaceutical sector.

_TRAIN_Academy_Personen_Jens_Reinhardt_October 2024

Dr. Jens Reinhardt studied biology and received his doctorate in virology. After working as a postdoc in California and France, he joined the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut in 2008. He is deputy head of the department “Quality Assessment of Coagulation Products and Gene Therapy”, where he is responsible for the quality assessment of blood products and their recombinant counterparts as well as for coordinating the assessment of Plasma Master File applications. He is a member of the Scientific Advice Working Party (SAWP) at the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

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Dr. med. Tobias Schilling began his medical career in the Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery at the MHH. His scientific focus is on the development of bioartificial heart muscle, heart valve and aortic replacements as well as applied research management. He completed his doctorate on the subject of “Tissue engineering of bioartificial heart valves”. Dr. Schilling founded an Internet and consulting company in 1998, which he managed for 25 years. Mr. Schilling complemented his entrepreneurial experience with an MBA in business administration. He is also Head of Business Development at the Klinikum der Region Hannover (KRH).

TRAIN_Academy_Personen_Christoph_Schindler

Prof. Dr. Christoph Schindler is a clinical pharmacologist and Managing Director and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Center for Clinical Studies (ZKS) with integrated Early Clinical Trial Unit (ECTU) at Hannover Medical School (MHH). He studied medicine at the University of Ulm, where he obtained his doctorate at the Department of Cardiology, and at the University of Toronto. In 2000, he moved to the Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden. After training as a specialist in clinical pharmacology, he habilitated in 2008 and was awarded the venia legendi. Since 2008, he has headed the Experimental Cardiovascular Clinical Pharmacology working group (focus: therapeutic influence on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and metabolism) and the clinical trial unit of the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology at TU Dresden. In 2013, he was appointed adjunct professor at the Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden. In 2014, Christoph Schindler was appointed W2 Professor of Clinical Pharmacology – Early Clinical Trials and Drug Research at the Hannover Medical School. His scientific focus is on interdisciplinary translational early phase studies and investigator initiated trials (IITs).

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Christian K Schneider, M.D., is Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Development Services, at Cencora PharmaLex. Before joining PharmaLex, Christian was interim Chief Scientific Officer at the UK’s medical products regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Before that, he was Director of the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), an Agency within the MHRA. Christian has broad global regulatory authority experience, having served as Medical Head of Division Medicines Licensing & Availability at the Danish Medicines Agency and as Head of Division EU Cooperation/Microbiology at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Germany’s Federal Agency for Vaccines and Biomedicines. As a regulatory scientist, he has published more than 50 articles in international peer-reviewed journals.

Prof. Katherina Sewald is a distinguished researcher and lecturer in preclinical pharmacology and toxicology at Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM) in Hannover, Germany. She completed her biochemistry studies at the University of Leipzig, where she also earned her PhD in organic chemistry with summa cum laude honors. Following her PhD, Prof. Sewald pursued postdoctoral studies at the University of Leipzig and University Bielefeld. Since 2005, Prof. Sewald has been with Fraunhofer ITEM, Hanover, progressing from postdoctoral researcher to her current roles as Deputy Head of Division Preclinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Head of Department Preclinical Pharmacology and In Vitro Toxicology. In 2024, she was appointed as a Privatdozentin, further expanding her teaching and research activities. Prof. Sewald leads several research initiatives, including tissue disease modelling and immunopharmacology, and actively participates in international scientific committees, contributing significant publications on alternatives to animal testing.

Susanne Thiele, born in 1970 in Bernburg, studied microbiology and biochemistry at the Technical University of Braunschweig. She began her career at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Breeding before moving to BIOBASE GmbH in 1999, where she worked in marketing and corporate communications. She has been active in science communication since 2007. From 2012 to 2015, she headed the press office of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ. Since 2015, she has been responsible for press and communications at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research. She is also the author of popular science books and science thrillers.