
Marco Galardini appointed W2 professor at TWINCORE
Inaugural lecture on 6 March 2026

TWINCORE was founded in 2008 by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and the Hannover Medical School. We combine the expertise of medical professionals and scientists from a wide range of disciplines to find answers to the pressing questions in infection research. Our focus: translational research – the bridge between basic science and clinical application.
The LISA Summer School 2026 takes place from 23 August to 11 September 2026. Registration is open until 31 March.

Inaugural lecture on 6 March 2026

Some extension numbers have changed.

zukunft.niedersachsen provides €2.7 million in funding for joint project on rare diseases
We conduct translational infection research to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in humans. We focus on three areas that characterize our research work. Find out here how we proceed and what results we achieve.
Under the leadership of our best scientists, various labs are working on different projects within our research topics.
Waqas F, S da Costa L, Zapatero-Belinchón F, Carter-Timofte M, Lasswitz L, van der Horst D, Möller R, Dahlmann J, Olmer R, Geffers R, Gerold G, Olagnier D, Pessler F
Elwy A, Abdelrahman H, Specht J, Ewert G, Friebus-Kardash J, Dhiman S, Falkenstein J, Christ T, Wiebeck E, Shamoon A, Leimkühler N, Gramberg T, Russ A, Kalinke U, Kuang F, Sutter K, Kopf M, Mack M, Hansen W, Nimmerjahn F, Lang K
Zhang Y, Matzaraki V, Vadaq N, Blaauw M, Vos W, Groenendijk A, van Eekeren L, Stalenhoef J, Berrevoets M, Rokx C, Delporte M, Otten T, Joosten L, Xu C, Li Y, Vandekerckhove L, van der Ven A, Netea M
Patients with chronic rheumatic diseases have an increased risk of infection due to severe inflammation. This project investigates inflammation in various tissues, particularly in systemic sclerosis, in order to develop targeted therapies.
The project is researching how the effect of monoclonal antibodies can be improved. These antibodies are already being used successfully against viruses. The aim is to optimize the so-called Fc effector functions in order to fight infections even more effectively.
Older people are at high risk of a poor immune response to the flu vaccine. Together with partners, we are looking for biomarkers and risk factors for this inadequate response and are investigating ways to improve the vaccination response.
Population genetic studies show that genetic variability between bacterial strains can influence the evolution of antimicrobial resistance. Using automated laboratory evolution (ALE), we are investigating how genetic backgrounds control AMR evolution.
„ Finding the needle in the haystack of microbial pangenomes “
Prof. Makoto Takeda
Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan
“Host protease-mediated activation of respiratory viruses: From the laboratory bench to the frontlines of infectious disease control”
Postponed - new date will be announced soon.

