On 6th July, 2023, 140 researchers from the Munich site of all eight German Centers for Health Research (DZG) met at the 1st DZG Munich Day. Presentations, posters and a panel discussion provided participants with an overview of the structures and scientific highlights of the individual DZG, including the DZL (German center for lung research) and it’s Munich site, the CPC-M.
Prof. Martin Hrabě de Angelis (DZD Board and Helmholtz Munich) opened the event on behalf of all Munich DZG site spokespersons. Minister of State Markus Blume (Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Art), Prof. Matthias Tschöp (CEO Helmholtz Munich and Vice-President of the Helmholtz Association for the Research Field Health) and Prof. Thomas Gudermann (Dean of the Medical Faculty of LMU Munich) presented the importance of the DZG in greeting speeches and underlined the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Overview presentations on the DZG
As this year's chair of the DZG board, Prof. Martin Hrabě de Angelis presented the structures created for DZG-wide collaboration, such as the DZG Innovation Fund for the promotion of cross-disciplinary projects, a joint office and the DZG working groups. The working groups on research IT, promotion of early career researchers, patient involvement, public relations, regulatory aspects of clinical trials, global health and biobanking each involve experts from all DZG in order to jointly advance these topics across diseases.
In short overview presentations by the Munich site spokespersons, the excellent research in the individual DZGs as well as the variety of already existing collaborations between the DZGs at the Munich site became apparent.
The director of the CPC-M (DZL Munich site), Erika von Mutius, particularly emphasized the DZL Academy. The promotion of young scientists through mentoring programs, workshops etc. and the associated exchange between young and old in lung research inspires her again and again. CPC-M group leader Thomas Conlon then presented a scientific highlight of the CPC-M. In the joint group with Ali Önder Yildirim (Director of the LHI, Helmholtz Munich), he researched the influence of typical Western nutrition on the immune system and an associated higher susceptibility to COPD.
Strengthening of DZG collaborations in Munich
In a concluding panel discussion of the Munich DZG site spokespersons, ideas and success factors were collected to further promote the exchange between the different DZG centers. Together with the audience all participants want to strengthen the many already existing collaborations between the DZGs in Munich, further develop synergies and establish new contacts.
Find more informations on the German Centers for Health Research here.