Considering Conducting Research in Europe?

Practical Hints and Useful Background Information

Research in (Ocular) ImmunologyU. Pleyer

Charité, Berlin

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When?

Which Money?

Where?Europe

Why?

Considering Conducting Research in Europe?

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When?

Which Money?

Where?Europe

Why?

Why in Europe ?

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• Ability to work / see another unit

• Learn new techniques• Experience another

Culture• Learn another language• Broaden career

opportunities• Make lifelong friends

                                                                           

        

Why in Europe ?

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European Contributions

• Hermann von Helmholtz, (Germany) invented ophthalmoscope in 1850

• Hermann Snellen (Holland) introduced the Snellen Chart to study visual acuity in 1862

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• Allvar Gullstrand (Sweden)

Nobel Prize winner in 1911

work on Optics in the eye

• First successful transplant

in man (Czech Rep.) 1905

• Sir Harold Ridley (UK)

implanted first IOL 1949

European Contributions

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• Robert Koch

Nobel Prize Medicine, 1905He became famous for isolating tuberculosis bacillus Bacillus anthracis and for his development of „Koch´s postulates“

• Paul Ehrlich

Nobel Prize Medicine Physiology, 1908He is noted for his work in hematology, immunology, and chemotherapy. He predicted autoimmunology calling it "horror autotoxicus"and popularized the concept of a „magic bullet„.

European Contributions

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When?

Which Money?

Where?Europe

Why?

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• Student Usually months – year(s)

• Doctoral (Thesis)In Europe usually 4-6 years as full time studiesGoal: PhD degree, Masters + PhD

• Post-doctoralIn Europe usually 1-2 years full time studiesGoal: Learn new methods, establish international contacts

Aims and Goals

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When?

Which Money?

Where?Europe

Why?

Where in Europe ?

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(Some) Centers of Excellence

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..Centers in Ocular Immunology

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..Centers in Ocular Immunology

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What we do in Berlin (all the time…)

Ocular Immunology Thomas Ritter, Birgit Sawitzki, J. Jun, Niangao (autoimmunity, transplantation) Gong, Xi Lie, S. Sedlakova, L. Otasevic. PY. Robert

Ocular mucosal Immunology Erich Knop, N. Knop

Ocular Infection Oliver Liesenfeld, Sylvia Metzner, N. Suttorp, RKI

Ocular Cell Biology Stefan Mergler, Sylvia Metzner, F. Jaeckel

Ocular Imaging (H. Baatz), U. Porstmann, O. Klotz

Translational Research - N. Torun, P. Ruokonen, R. Keitzer, V. Wahn(Clinical Uveitis, Corneal Transplant, OCP)

Ocular Immunology in Berlin

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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Since 2003 joint Medical School of

Freie Universität Berlin

and

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Berlin

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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

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Charité in Figures

15.000 employees with

5.000 scientists

5.000 medical staff

3.500 Beds

125.000 inpatient visits per year

900.000 outpatient visits per year

Annual budget: 1100 Mill. Euro total

300 Mill. Euro Research and Medical Education

700 Mill. Euro Patient Care

140 Mill. Euro Grants

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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Research

More than 140 Mio Euro of grants (2007) = top three Medical Schools in Germany

2500 research projects with approximately 4000 scientists

Major areas of research : Neurosciences Immunology / Organ Transplantation / Infectious Diseases Oncology Pulmonology Cardiology/ Nephrology Genetics Musculoskeletal Disorders

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Berlin Center for Regenerative Therapies

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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

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When?

Which Money?

Where?Europe

Why?

Funding ?

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• European Union funds

• National Research council (DFG)

• International governmental support organizations

• Private funds

• Local funds

Funding

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Charité - European Cooperation Partners

European Exchange ProgramSOKRATES/ERASMUS:

• 92 Partner universities• 190 Outgoing students per year• 130 Incomings students per year

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Charité - Internationalization of Medical Education

International Projects & Cooperations Internet-based Language Courses Summer Schools Collaboration with the German University

in Cairo (GUC) Visiting Doctors Program Visiting scholar program(German Academic

Exchange Service)Study Abroad Programs and Support European Exchane Program SOKRATES/ERASMUS Biomedical Sciences Exchange Program UNIBRAL, Program of the German

Academic Exchange Service Partner universities all over the world Language courses Administrative support www.charite.de/chic

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Charité - Research - International

Joint research projects with institutions in more than 50 countries

Main focus on European Research Projects Interdisciplinary ResearchExcellency NetworksFunding of about 5.5 million Euro by the European Union and international foundations

Research cooperation with U.S. institutions, mostly funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA)

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University of TasmaniaHobart, Tasmania/Australia

University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, USA

Medical University of Southern AfricaPretoria/South Africa

Instituto Superior de Ciencias Medicas, La Habana/Cuba

Pontificia Universidade Católica doParaná, Curitiba/BrazilUniversidade Federal do Estado de Ceará, Fortaleza

Universida de Moròn, Buenos Aires/Argentina

Tongji Medical University, WuhanSecond Military Medical University, ShanghaiFujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, FuzhouJinan University, GuangzhouShanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, ShanghaiZAST Zhejiang Association of Science and Technology, Hangzhou

Gachon Medical SchoolInchon/South Korea

Saitama Medical SchoolSaitama/Japan

University of TartuEstonia

Burdenko Medical Academy,

Voronezh/Russia

Tehran University of Med.Sciences, Tehran/Iran

2nd Tashkent State Med. Institute, Tashkent/Usbekistan

Bilateral Cooperations:scientist exchange programs,joint projects (Doctoral, PhD)

Charité - Research - International

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Funding – „National Level“

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Funding – „National Level“

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Funding – „European Level“

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Funding – „European Level“

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European Vision Institute

Current EU FP Programs (1/2) – EVI GenoRet

• FP6 project (ending 2007)

• www.evi-genoret.org• Funding: €10 million

• Goals: create the first integrated, fundamental European database of the retina in health and disease

• 24 Partners: EVI, INSERM, UCL, UTUB, AIBILI, FTELE, UMCN, ULUND, UNIMIB, MRC, GSP, UKE, UNI.ZURICH, UHD, RET.INT, FZJ, GENABLE, QUB, CERBM, GENOWAY, FUNADACION JIMENEZ DIAZ, NKUA, INSERM-TRANSFERT

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European Vision Institute

What is the „EUROPEAN VISION INSTITUTE“?

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European Vision Institute EEIG

Current EU FP Programs (2/2)- EuroVisionNet

The European Union under the 7th Framework program

Supported by:

2008-2012

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European Vision Institute

Member Distribution – by country

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• There are many options of European and national grants and fellowships

• Make a planbudget 1-2 years before you plan to go

• Contact the lab where you want to go well ahead

Good luck !!

Summary

U N I V E R S I T Ä T S M E D I Z I N B E R L I NU N I V E R S I T Ä T S M E D I Z I N B E R L I N

Thank you very much

for your attention!

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin