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Nov 14 2025

14:16

This year’s “Scientist of the Year” award goes to medical professionals Maria Vehreschild and Thomas Oellerich, while the “New Horizon – President's Prize" is awarded to the startup Modulux 3D

Shaping Transformations: Goethe University Honors Researchers

Every two years, Goethe University presents the “Scientist of the Year" award to researchers from the university. Annually, the President of Goethe University bestows the New Horizon Prize. The awards honor outstanding research and teaching achievements.

FRANKFURT. “Nothing is as constant as change," University President Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff emphasized in his welcome address at the festive award ceremony, referencing this famous quote by Heraclitus to make the point that changes also require creative design. “Today, we honor researchers who shape change – through knowledge, commitment, and a spirit of discovery, not just for themselves, but also for future generations, future leaders, and ultimately for society as a whole." Schleiff expressed his gratitude to Gunther Ruppel, Chairman of the Board of the Alfons and Gertrud Kassel Foundation, Dr. Christian Zschocke, the initiator of the New Horizon Award, as well as the two laudators, Prof. Dr. Maike Windbergs Prof. Dr. Hubert Serve.

The 2025 “Scientist of the Year Award" from the Alfons and Gertrud Kassel Foundation was presented to two physicians. The first was Prof. Dr. Maria Vehreschild, “for her outstanding research in the field of infectiology and microbiome research, as well as her exceptional commitment to students, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral researchers," as stated in the award's reasoning. The other award went to Prof. Dr. Thomas Oellerich, “for his groundbreaking research in the field of leukemia and lymphomas and his remarkable dedication to students, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral researchers." The recognition of the two awardees was delivered by Prof. Dr. Hubert Serve, Director of Medical Clinic 2 at University Hospital Frankfurt. Serve highlighted Thomas Oellerich's thirst for knowledge and drive for action, saying that his papers, published in top-tier journals, carried a distinctive manuscript style. Maria Vehreschild, he noted, is shaping the field of infectiology in Germany; she was among the first in her field to address post-COVID conditions. Concluding his remarks, Serve expressed his pride and gratitude that both researchers are part of Medical Clinic 2.

The “Scientist of the Year Award" is presented every two years by Goethe University Frankfurt in collaboration with the Kassel Foundation to honor an outstanding researcher at Goethe University who serves as a role model. The award includes a prize of €25,000. Recipients of the “Scientist of the Year" award are professors at Goethe University who have demonstrated exceptional research achievements and have made significant contributions to supporting early-career researchers. Previous awardees include physicist Prof. Dr. Hannah Elfner, microbiologist Prof. Dr. Inga Hänelt, and atmospheric researcher Prof. Dr. Joachim Curtius.

This year's recipient of the “New Horizon President's Prize" is a team: Frankfurt-based Modulux 3D is composed of scientists, biotechnologists, optics specialists, and business developers. The team, consisting of Dr. Francesco Pampaloni, Louise Breideband, Levin Hafa and Zeeshan Mahmood, is working on an alternative to animal testing and has developed an innovative solution with the 3D bioprinter LUMINATE. Using patented technology that operates with colliding laser beams, it enables the creation of complex tissue and organ models. LUMINATE offers a promising option for pharmaceutical research seeking to reduce animal testing. Modulux 3D is supported by the Main/Rhein startup network (Unibator at Goethe University, HIGHEST at TU Darmstadt, as well as FUTURY the Future Factory). This year's award presenter was Prof. Dr. Maike Windbergs, Managing Director of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology, who pointed out that Modulux 3D had courageously applied the pioneering work in Physical Biology developed by Prof. Dr. Ernst Stelzer at Goethe University. The team has also gained international partners and secured capital for their promising alternative to animal testing, Windbergs highlighted in her commendation.

With the €5,000 “New Horizon President's Prize," the President of Goethe University honors an individual or team at the university who, through their academic work or other forms of commitment to Goethe University, explores new ways of thinking while demonstrating curiosity, optimism, courage, and openness. The New Horizon Prize was awarded to business education expert Dr. Christin Siegfried in 2022, inclusion researcher Lukas Gerhard in 2023, and the Science Garden team in 2024. The New Horizon initiative was launched in 2016 by attorney Dr. Christian Zschocke to foster individuals with initiative and optimism. This year, the prize money was doubled thanks to the startup support fund Futury Capital.

About the Alfons and Gertrud Kassel Foundation: Established in 2007, the foundation aims to promote science, research, and teaching at Goethe University. It is funded by the endowment left by its founder, Gertrud Kassel. Through this endowment, the foundation supports numerous university projects.

Images for download
Scientist of the Year: http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/180376367
New Horizon: http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/180376433

Captions:
Scientist of the Year: Prof. Dr. Maria Vehreschild and Prof. Dr. Thomas Oellerich
New Horizon: Team Modulux 3D (from left to right): Levin Hafa, Dr. Francesco Pampaloni and Louise Breideband

Photos: Uwe Dettmar/Goethe University Frankfurt

Sep 11 2025

10:06

Annual conference brings together more than 100 international researchers, consultants and practitioners in regional labour market policy at Goethe University Frankfurt

Looking to the Future Together: 20 Years of the European Network on Regional Labour Market Monitoring

What challenges do regional labour markets in Vietnam and in Hesse share? And what can each side learn from the other’s solutions? Questions like these will be at the heart of the discussions of this month’s conference of the European Network on Regional Labour Market Monitoring, which brings together more than 100 experts from Europe, Asia and Africa at Goethe University Frankfurt.

FRANKFURT. Steering the right course for regional labour markets requires reliable forecasts. Yet in times of multiple crises and unpredictable political decisions, traditional methods are reaching their limits: events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, and structural change in key industries have all reduced forecasting accuracy. Simply projecting past developments into the future is no longer sufficient given the unprecedented speed of change. An alternative lies in so-called foresight methods.

Rather than providing statistical data, foresight methods systematically gather expert knowledge to explore how future developments might unfold, often by sketching out different scenarios. Worldwide, scholars and policy advisors are increasingly turning to this approach. In many European countries and regions, however, foresight is still largely uncharted territory, especially in policy consulting. The conference of the European Network on Regional Labour Market Monitoring, held from September 17 to 19, will explore this topic in a series of lectures and discussions.

Founded 20 years ago by Goethe University’s Institute for Economics, Labour and Culture (IWAK), the European Network on Regional Labour Market Monitoring now counts more than 400 members from over 30 countries. Its mission: to improve the data and information base for labour market-related decision-making in regions across the globe. At its annual meetings, members exchange insights on the development of regional labour markets as well as on theories, concepts and methods of labour market monitoring.

“We expect this conference to provide valuable impulses for labour market policy in Hesse,” says Heike Hofmann, Hessian Minister for Labour, Integration, Youth and Social Affairs, who has taken on patronage of the event and will also actively participate in it. For 20 years, the Network has proven the benefits of thinking beyond borders. While challenges may often be similar across regions, solutions differ. “This can provide a strong stimulus for new ideas for one’s own region,” notes Christa Larsen, Head of IWAK and Coordinator of the Network, adding that within Germany, Hesse is already ahead of many other federal states in this respect. But there are also international models to learn from: regions in Spain, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Austria are well advanced in fostering close cooperation between research and policy in order to promote evidence-based policymaking.

Other international organizations also benefit from the Network, and it is not by coincidence that Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Frankfurt is a co-organizer. A large delegation from the labour ministries of the ten ASEAN states will likewise attend, and the Network also collaborates closely with the OECD’s Local Employment and Economic Development (LEED) program, another event co-organizer.

The European Network on Regional Labour Market Monitoring (EN RLMM) will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala evening on September 18, bringing together leaders from business, labour and politics in Hesse. The keynote will be delivered by Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, Chair of the Management Board of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Looking ahead to the conference, Goethe University Vice President Prof. Dr. Bernhard Brüne says: “Goethe University is ideally suited as a venue for international exchange and cooperation, and I am delighted that this important topic of foresight is being strategically advanced here.”

Media representatives are welcome to attend:
https://www.iwak-frankfurt.de/konferenz-zum-20-jaehrigen-bestehen-des-european-network-on-regional-labour-market-monitoring-en-rlmm/

For further information and interview requests, please contact Dr. Christa Larsen at +49 (0)69 798-22152 or via email at c.larsen@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Apr 3 2025

11:42

Research Unit Focuses on Power and Abuse in the Church / Second Funding Phase of the Center for Advanced Studies on Polycentricity and Plurality of Premodern Christianities

Goethe University Acquires Two New DFG Research Groups

Goethe University Frankfurt has been awarded another humanities research unit funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG): The unit, titled “Power and Abuse in the Roman Catholic Church," will investigate the conditions that facilitate abuse and how they can be prevented. Additionally, the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences “Polycentricity and Plurality of Premodern Christianities" has secured follow-up funding for its study of Christianity from the first to the eighteenth century.

FRANKFURT. How do power and abuse develop, particularly within the Catholic Church? What defines this power, and how does it function? These questions have long been a research focus at Goethe University's Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology. An interdisciplinary research team will now intensify its work on this topic with additional support: The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) has approved the research unit “Power and Abuse in the Roman Catholic Church – Interdisciplinary Critique and Analysis" which brings together experts from theology, religious studies, philosophy of religion, law, and educational sciences. The group is led by Prof. Anja Middelbeck-Varwick, a religious studies scholar and Catholic theologian. “The issue of power and powerlessness in the Church has gained particular urgency due to the countless cases of abuse that have come to light in Germany since 2010. That is why this topic has been a major focus for our faculty. As an interdisciplinary research unit, we now have even greater strength and focus to address these issues – something we are very pleased about," she says.

The researchers approach the topic from various disciplinary perspectives, structured into three clusters: (1) Vulnerability and Systemic Conditions – examining the factors that make individuals and institutions susceptible to abuse; (2) Orders and Structures of Power – investigating institutional power dynamics; and (3) Theological Foundations of Power Imbalances and Abuse – analyzing underlying legal frameworks and thought structures that may enable or reinforce abuse. Questions revolve around what typical perpetrator-victim structures look like and what factors contribute to their becoming taboo or being covered up. The project also aims to apply its findings beyond the Church, contributing to broader efforts to combat and prevent abuse. The unit's members include Prof. Sabine Andresen (education specialist and former chair of Germany's Independent Commission for Child Sexual Abuse Issues), Prof. Ute Sacksofsky (constitutional law expert), and Prof. Christoph Mandry (ethics scholar). The research will initially be funded for four years, with the possibility of a four-year extension.

Follow-up funding for Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences

The Center for Advanced Studies “Polycentricity and Plurality of Premodern Christianities", first launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, will continue its work. The Center explores the diversity of Christian groups up to the eighteenth century. Traditionally, historical research has projected the highly centralized church structures of the nineteenth century onto earlier periods, neglecting the actual complexity of premodern Christianity. Terms such as “confession“ or “church" do not fully capture the reality of these historical Christian communities, hence the introduction of the term “Christianities." Unlike institutionalized churches, these Christianities are seen as interactive communities that defined themselves through their connection to Jesus Christ while maintaining identities distinct from other groups. These communities evolved dynamically, sometimes alongside or in opposition to formal church structures, which incidentally also grew out of these communities. Religious centers developed at times outside well-known church centers.

The first phase of funding has already produced several publications. In 2022, the Center welcomed displaced historians from Ukraine. Initially, they were funded through the Center's own resources, later with the support of the Gerda Henkel Foundation, and eventually as DFG Fellows. “These colleagues are a tremendous enrichment to our research. Ukraine has historically had a remarkable religious diversity. Before the Russian full-scale invasion, we had planned a research trip to the region. We hope that our collaboration will lead to lasting research partnerships with Ukrainian scholars," says Prof. Birgit Emich, an early modern historian and spokesperson for the Center. For the second phase, Prof. Hartmut Leppin, a scholar of early Christianity, will join the project. This next stage will involve external experts in the completion of a three-volume compendium, which will offer insights into the religious and social practices of the time. More details can be found at: https://www.poly-unifrankfurt.de/.

"I am very pleased about both funding approvals – the Research Unit and the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Science research at Goethe University holds great potential, which will now gain even more momentum and visibility. These two programs promise entirely new perspectives, both in terms of the past and the future of our society," says Prof. Bernhard Brüne, Vice President Research at Goethe University.

Research Units and Centers for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences

Funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG), Research Units (Forschungsgruppen) consist of small teams of scholars working together on a specific research question that cannot be solved individually. The funding program has existed since 1962 and was called Forschergruppe until 2018. It particularly aims to support international and interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers as well as early-career academics.

Centers for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (Kolleg-Forschungsgruppen) are a DFG funding program specifically designed for research in the humanities and social sciences. These centers bring together distinguished scholars to advance a specific research topic at a single location. The chosen topic should correspond with local research strengths and provide a framework for integrating individual research ideas. “Polycentricity and Plurality" is currently Goethe University's only Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences.

Further information
Prof. Dr. Anja Middelbeck-Varwick
Professor of Theology
Goethe University Frankfurt
Tel. +49 (0)69 798-33347 (Manager Dean's Office Dr. Carmen Nols)
E-Mail middelbeck@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Prof. Dr. Birgit Emich
Historisches Seminar
Goethe University Frankfurt
Tel. +49 (0)69 798-32595
E-Mail emich@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Sep 4 2024

14:08

Alleviating the long-term effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection

Post-COVID Syndrome: Government-funded drug study gets underway

An innovative study for the treatment of post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is starting under the direction of Frankfurt University Hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases. The research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), will investigate new ways of alleviating the long-term effects of COVID-19, including fatigue and cognitive impairment. The first patient has been enrolled in the study this week.

“There is still an urgent need for the treatment of post-COVID and associated symptoms,” says Prof. Dr. Maria Vehreschild, who heads the study and oversees Frankfurt University Hospital’s Infectious Diseases Department. “That is why we are pleased to conduct RAPID_REVIVE, the first adaptive clinical study within the Network of University Medicine.” The German Network of University Medicine (NUM) was set up in 2020 as part of the country’s COVID-19 pandemic crisis management to coordinate clinical COVID-19 research at German university hospitals.

RAPID_REVIVE (Randomized Adaptive Assessment of Post COVID Syndrome Treatments_Reducing Inflammatory Activity in Patients with Post COVID Syndrome) is a phase 2, adaptive, randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind clinical trial sponsored by Goethe University Frankfurt and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of NUM. The structural conditions required to commence the study were created as part of the NUM project “NAPKON Therapeutic Intervention Platform” (NAPKON-TIP). A total of 376 patients at eleven different NAPKON locations will be included in the study.

Post-COVID Syndrome
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that most people who have had COVID-19 recover fully. However, after overcoming the infection, a subset of those affected suffer long-term effects, known as post-COVID syndrome (PCS). PCS is defined by symptoms that remain even three months after the onset of COVID-19, that continue for at least two months thereafter and that cannot be explained by another diagnosis. While the symptoms are diverse, those affected by PCS often suffer from pronounced fatigue, shortness of breath as well as cognitive impairments.

The RAPID_REVIVE study examines changes in the physical functions of participants, which are recorded at different points in time using questionnaires and tests. Beyond that, the study also looks at general mental and physical health, fatigue, cognitive functions, the severity of mental health impairments, shortness of breath and physical resilience. The study also seeks to identify prognostic biomarkers that provide information about the individual progression of PCS, which should pave the way for the selection of a treatment strategy tailored to the individual patient.

Vidofludimus calcium: Testing a promising drug candidate
Study participants will receive either the drug vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) or a placebo. The decision as to who receives which preparation is randomly made (blinded 1:1 randomization). Once 150 patients have been included in the study, the allocation will be adjusted in accordance with the study’s interim evaluations. Vidofludimus calcium is a novel drug candidate that activates the neuroprotective transcription factor Nurr1, a novel target for neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, the drug inhibits the enzyme DHODH, thereby blocking the production of pyrimidines, which cells rely on primarily for RNA synthesis. It is particularly effective in highly activated immune cells as well as virus-infected cells, which have a high demand for pyrimidines. Administering vidofludimus calcium could also help in treating chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, since the drug reduces excessive inflammation and prevents viral infection and reactivation.

Vidofludimus calcium showed promising results in an earlier clinical trial involving COVID-19 patients: Those who received the drug recovered faster and suffered less long-term fatigue compared to those who received a placebo. The treatment was well tolerated with few side effects. Vidofludimus calcium could thus not only help with the acute treatment of COVID-19, but also alleviate long-term symptoms.

“We hope the RAPID_REVIVE study will constitute a significant advance in the treatment of post-COVID syndrome. Thanks to the successful implementation within the NAPKON-TIP structures, the platform should provide an established structure available to NUM and external parties for future adaptive studies – which will enable us to react flexibly to new findings and ensure the best possible patient care,” says Prof. Dr. Maria Vehreschild, adding: “We look forward to receiving the results of this groundbreaking study and evaluating its potential impact on future therapeutic approaches.”

Links:
Study at German Network of University Medicine (NUM) (in German)
https://www.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de/projekte/napkon-tip/studie-rapid-revive

German Network of University Medicine (NUM)
https://www.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de/en/about-us/network-of-university-medicine

WHO information on post-COVID 19 condition (long COVID):
https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/post-covid-19-condition

Further information
Prof. Dr. Maria Vehreschild
Medical Clinic 2
Head of the Infectious Diseases Department
Frankfurt University Hospital
Tel: +49 69 63 01 – 66 08
E-Mail: maria.vehreschild@ukffm.de

Aug 26 2024

10:43

How does the mobility of care workers influence politics and society in their home countries?

The senior care market as a European system

Five million people in Germany are in need of care, and their number is expected to rise to more than 7 million by 2050. Without labor migration, the system would have collapsed long ago. But how is transnational care organized? What impact does it have on the care workers' countries of origin? In what ways do national policies address it? These questions are at the center of an international research project coordinated by Goethe University Frankfurt’s Faculty of Social Sciences.

FRANKFURT. An increasingly older population also means the number of people in need of care is increasing. Germany’s huge demand for nursing staff can long since only be met by migrant workers. Given the economic disparity, this system has been working well for years: care workers, especially women, from Eastern Europe come to Germany, where they earn more than in their home country. But how does the mobility of female Polish care workers, for example, affect the situation in Poland? This is what researchers are investigating as part of “Researching the Transnational Organization of Senior Care, Labour and Mobility in Central and Eastern Europe” – a project endowed with €1.5 million by the Volkswagen Foundation as part of its “Challenges and Potentials in Europe” program.

The research project titled “CareOrg”, which also involves teams in Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine and the Netherlands, investigates transnational senior care work both from and within Central and Eastern Europe. The focus is on understanding and theorizing emerging transnational care markets and finding solutions for sustainable and decent care and care work in Europe. Engaged and empirical research will map and analyze the current and future patterns of commercialization, marketization, transnationalization, professionalization and digitalization of senior care.

Care workers are in the job for an average of eight years. Many are unable to endure the high psychological and physical stress with moderate recognition and low salaries for longer. Created as an illegal emergency solution to care for relatives, so-called live-ins have long since become established, legalized and formalized in Germany: There are agencies that place care workers with those requiring care. These care workers not only commute, they also rotate with colleagues from home country. The COVID-19 pandemic was a shock for this system: from one day to the next, this cross border mobility was no longer possible and the system threatened to collapse. This is no sustainable practice, says Ewa Palenga-Möllenbeck, who heads the project, adding that precarious internal European migration cannot be the solution. After all, the populations in the care workers’ home countries are also getting older and need care.

“In the care workers' countries of origin, family members remain the primary providers of care – work that is usually done by women, who retire earlier as a result, and pay correspondingly little into the pension scheme,” Palenga-Möllenbeck explains, adding that the fact that governments and politicians in these countries are not facing up to the problem comes on the backs of these women. There is a kind of cascade, she says, pointing out that while many Polish women go to Germany to work as live-in carers, Ukrainian women come to Poland to provide care – and usually do so without having any proper contractual basis. “Many of them are really exploited and only earn as much as to be able to cover their living expenses,” Palenga-Möllenbeck explains.

In addition to shining a light on the situation, her research also emphasizes the need for action. In Switzerland, for example, care workers arriving from abroad often receive training on their rights and obligations organized by trade unions. There is an urgent need for proper employment contracts throughout Europe, Palenga-Möllenbeck says, adding that this also applies to Germany, where many care workers are employed on the basis of less advantageous contracts under private law.

CareOrg is an international and interdisciplinary research team composed of scientists specialized in work, mobility and ageing studies. Dr. Palenga-Möllenbeck (Goethe University Frankfurt) serves in a dual role as both project head and project coordinator. The other participating institutions are Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic), the Center for Social Sciences in Budapest (Hungary), Babeș-Bolyai-University in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), the Institute for Systemic Alternatives in Kyiv (Ukraine) and the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands). Based on a cross-thematic and cross-country comparative research design, CareOrg uses a mix of methods, including comparative policy analysis and five country-specific and topic-oriented in-depth case studies on care drain, care situation as a result of war and flight in and from Ukraine, care mediated via agencies and digital platforms, qualifications and requirements for international caregivers and much more.

The project is part of Volkswagen Foundation's “Challenges and Potentials for Europe” program, in which Goethe University is involved with a total of five projects, making it the program's most involved university in Germany. Starting Wednesday, September 4, a three-day symposium will take place at Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover, in which 21 international research projects will participate and present their findings on many highly relevant social issues such as intergenerational relationships, ageing, migration, populism and COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Ewa Palenga-Möllenbeck from Goethe University's Institute of Sociology is responsible for organizing the symposium.

Further information
Dr. Ewa Palenga-Möllenbeck
Head and Coordinator of the “Researching the Transnational Organization of Senior Care, Labour and Mobility in Central and Eastern Europe” project (https://careorg.eu)
Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences
Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6
E-Mail e.pm@em.uni-frankfurt.de

About the program:
https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en/funding/funding-offer/challenges-and-potentials-europe-intergenerational-futures

About the symposium:
https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en/events/potentials-and-challenges-europe

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