Three Bonn researchers selected to participate in Lindauer Nobel Laureate Meetings Three Bonn researchers selected to participate in Lindauer Nobel Laureate Meetings

Three Bonn researchers will share a very special honour this year. Dr. Maike Effern, Dr. Susanna Ng and Dr. Andreas Zietzer were selected to participate in the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Conference. The participants had to go through a lengthy application process in order to participate in the conference.
 
Maike Effern was part of the Bonn & Melbourne Research and Graduate School Immunosciences (IRTG2168) funded by the DFG and received her doctorate in early 2020. She is a graduate of the Institute of Experimental Oncology at the University Hospital Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne, Australia. During her doctoral studies, she focussed on resistance mechanisms to adoptive T-cell immunotherapy in melanoma. Effern used both experimental mouse models, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology and multi-colour flow cytometry. As a postdoc in the working group of Prof. Michale Hölzel she is currently investigating the spatial-temporal context of T-cell expansion and persistence during adoptive T-cell immunotherapy with the help of high plex immunohistochemistry technology CODEX® and spectral flow cytometry. Maike Effern was nominated by the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn and Michael Hölzel wrote a letter of recommendation for her. She is particularly looking forward to "exchange ideas with the speakers about the future trends in the life sciences."
 
Susanna Ng is an early career researcher in the field of tumour immunology with a background in journalism and public relations. She completed her doctoral thesis under the supervision of Prof. Christian Engwerda at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia. Ng dealt with the characterization of the "natural killer cell granule protein 7" (NKG7) - a molecule involved in the regulation of cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses to natural killer (NK) and T cells. She is currently supported by an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral scholarship and investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cytotoxicity and inflammation within the tumour microenvironment. The young scientist uses techniques such as flow cytometry, ultra-high plex immunohistochemistry (CODEX), as well as patient-derived organoids, and in vitro primary immune cell cultures. Ng was nominated by the Humboldt Foundation for the Lindau meeting. "I'm excited for the opportunity to hear first-hand about the scientific journey that the Nobel Laureates have travelled, and to network with peers that are passionate about advancing our knowledge in the field of medicine and physiology," says the young scientist.
 
Andreas Zietzer is a Clinician Scientist in the Heart Centre of the University Hospital Bonn working with Prof. Dr. Nickenig. His research mainly deals with endothelial cell biology and the pathophysiology of the calcification of aortic valve stenosis. He is a junior working group leader here and receives funds from the German Society of Cardiology and the German Research Foundation. As a specialist in internal medicine and cardiology, Andreas Zietzer deals with new digital programs for cardiovascular prevention as well as with the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. "At the conference, I am particularly looking forward to the interdisciplinary exchange and hope to be able to benefit from the experiences of the speakers," says Andreas Zietzer.
 
In total there will participate about 600 people, including 30 to 40 Nobel Laureates. These are students, doctoral students and postdoctoral students from all over the world. However, they all have one thing in common: they have accomplished outstanding achievements and have demonstrated a genuine interest in science and research. In addition, only those who are under 35 years old and have never participated in the conference before are eligible. This is intended to create an intergenerational dialogue between Nobel Prize winners and the leading scientists of tomorrow.
 
The Lindauer Nobel Laureate Meetings will take place this year for the 72nd time. The thematic focus alternates annually between the three scientific Nobel Prize disciplines of physiology and medicine, chemistry and physics. The topic of this year's conference is physiology and medicine.