Professor Stefanie Dimmeler of Goethe University Frankfurt, together with Max Planck Director Professor Iain Couzin of the University of Konstanz, has been honored with the Science Prize of the Weinheim-based Hector Foundation. With this prize, the Hector Foundation recognizes researchers in Germany who are particularly committed to outstanding interdisciplinary research.
Stefanie Dimmeler is Professor of Molecular Cardiology at Goethe University Frankfurt, Chair of the Executive Board of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), and spokesperson for the Cluster of Excellence Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI). She is one of the internationally renowned researchers in the field of cardiovascular diseases and, across disciplines, ranks among the most highly cited female scientists in Germany. In her research, she investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the loss of heart and vascular cells – for example after a myocardial infarction – and how new regenerative therapies can be derived from these insights.
A particular focus of her work lies on non-coding RNAs—small “switches” in our cells that control which genes are active—as well as on the body’s own repair mechanisms for damaged tissue. Together with her team, Stefanie Dimmeler has shown how the inner lining of blood vessels (the endothelium) is regulated and how vascular protection and healing processes can be specifically strengthened – also in order to mitigate premature aging processes of the heart. Her research has thus advanced new cellular and pharmacological approaches to the regeneration of the heart and blood vessels and established non-coding RNAs as potential targets for future therapies.
In its commendation, the foundation emphasizes that the work of Stefanie Dimmeler impressively demonstrates how findings from molecular research can be translated into clinical applications and incorporated into the development of clinical diagnostic and therapeutic concepts.
The Hector Foundation, founded in 1995 by the Hector couple in Weinheim an der Bergstraße, is particularly committed to promoting young scientists in the natural sciences. Each year, the prize is awarded to researchers who excel through unconventional approaches and scientific excellence. This gives rise to the Hector Fellow Academy, which supports especially promising researchers in Germany.
Source: Press release Goethe University Frankfurt
