University of Giessen Lung Center

Mission Statement

University of Giessen Lung Center (UGLC)

The last decade has seen tremendous changes within the field of medical research. In order to meet the challenges of these dynamic developments in science clinicians and researchers of 12 institutes and centers at the Justus-Liebig University School of Medicine in Giessen, Germany took action: With a collaborative effort they established the University of Giessen Lung Center (UGLC) in the fall of 2004. The collaborating partners are renowned for highest standards in clinical medicine and internationally recognized achievements in pulmonary research. They include the Departments of Internal Medicine (Intensive Care medicine, Pulmonology and Oncology), Pediatrics and Surgery and the Institutes of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Virology, Human and Animal Physiology, Pathology and Pharmacology and Toxicology.

"Treating Today's Lung Diseases - Training Tomorrow's Lung Scientists"

With this maxim, the close cooperation of world renowned institutes now allows the concertized pursuit of clinical, research and training activities of pulmonary medicine in the heart of Germany. The UGLC comprises a scientific network incorporating 20 research groups with more than 120 basic scientists and clinicians and a vast experience in respiratory medicine and molecular biology.
The UGLC clinicians and scientists believe in translational research: Optimal clinical medicine for nationally and internationally referred lung patients is combined with cutting-edge research of the physiology and pathobiology of the lung. The close interaction allows for "bench to bedside"- medicine- where safe and effective implementation of novel therapeutic strategies of lung diseases is possible. In collaborating interactively, the UGLC members hope to understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic lung diseases in a comprehensive approach. They have the advantage to look back on long traditions of inventive treatment strategies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies that have improved health. The clinical and scientific networking is continuously fostered by an exchange of complementary scientific knowledge, skills and experience. It is fertilized by a joint dedication to graduate education. The UGLC faculty members actively engage in a conjunctive concept to integrate young scientists and clinicians from all over the world in a training program specialized on pulmonary medicine and molecular biology.

Clinical Medicine

The Departments of Internal Medicine, Surgery and Pediatrics offer juvenile and adult patients suffering from different lung diseases modern care facilities and services. The UGLC holds emergency and intensive care units with adjoining wards designed for the treatment of rare and specific lung infections (i.e. HIV /AIDS, avian influenza). Additionally, the UGLC hosts highly specialised outpatient units for all general lung diseases, as well as juvenile and adult mucoviscidosis, lung cancer, fibrotic or chronic obstructive lung diseases including asthma, pulmonary hypertension, and sleep disorders. Some of these facilities, namely those focusing on pulmonary hypertension and lung fibrosis, care for one of the largest patient groups in Europe. The UGLC clinicians are supported by the skilled diagnostical expertise of the Institutes of Microbiology, Virology, Pathology and Pharmacology. Beyond their daily efforts, the UGLC members hope to understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic lung diseases in a comprehensive approach.

Research

Scientists from different institutes and departments are actively taking part or coordinating a number of prestigious national and international networks of scientists focussing on lung diseases. Only recently, the Excellence Cluster "Cardio-pulmonary System" (ECCPS) was elected within the excellency initiative launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, short BMBF): The UGLC - in cooperation with the University of Frankfurt and the Max-Plank-Institute (MPI) for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim - convinced independent councils of its compelling concept for translational medicine: The Federal Government is investing more money in research and development than ever before. An additional six billion Euro have been earmarked for R&D until 2009. As of October 2006, the research network will benefit from 6.5 Mio Euro per year until 2011.

A defining role within the scientific network plays the prestigious Collaborative Research Center 547 "Cardio-pulmonary Vasculature". Funded by the "Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft" DFG since 1997, it laid the foundation for the strong interdisciplinary research alliance of the UGLC today. Closely affiliated are three Clinical Research Groups (Klinische Forschergruppen) investigating projects related to Respiratory Insufficiency, Pneumonia and Pathomechanisms and Therapy of Lung Fibrosis. Two junior research groups are specifically investigating the mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis.

Scientists from different institutes and departments are actively taking part or coordinating a number of national and international networks of scientists focussing on lung diseases, such as the EU Lung Research Project "Pulmotension" , the GRID as part of the NGFN as well as the Collaborative Research Center 535 "Invasion and Replication Strategies of Pathogens" . Members of the UGLC participate in extramural studies at the Max-Planck Heart and Lung Institute, which will be closely linked to the Justus-Liebig-University research facilities.

Education

With highest standards in clinical care medicine and internationally recognized achievements in pulmonary research the UGLC is ideally preconditioned to provide for a specialized education in pulmonary medicine: The center's profile of is complemented with clinical fellowships and the International Graduate Program "Molecular Biology and Medicine of the Lung" (MBML). In part funded by Altana Pharmaceutical Company, this PhD and MD/PhD Program offers doctoral training at highest scientific standards. Over the period of three years it offers research opportunities for a selected group of internationally recruited graduate students of the basic sciences as well as medical disciplines.
The MBML is the proud host of the first biomedical graduate program in transatlantic cooperation in Germany: As of October 2004 the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) supports the International Graduate Program "Signalling Mechanisms in Lung Physiology and Disease". The complementary scientific knowledge, skills and experience of the faculties of the influential pulmonary research centers at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Albert-Einstein College of Medicine, both situated New York, USA, and the UGLC will be directed to optimize education in lung research.