Checking back: What has become of our formerly funded scientists?

The subject of our portrait today is to introduce you to Prof. Dr. Dr. Christine Engeland, EKFS First Applicant in 2015 and Else Kröner Memorial Fellow in 2019.
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Prof. Dr. Dr. Christine Engeland took on the capacity as Professor for Experimental Virology on the faculty for Virology and Microbiology at Witten/Herdecke University in 2020. Together with her project team she studies virus-host interactions and, on the basis of these findings, researches new therapeutical approaches – one focal point thereof is cancer immunotherapy.

As a result of groundbreaking findings, completely new and effective possibilities for treating heretofore incurable illnesses have been created in recent years in the field of immuno-oncology. Why the therapies do not take effect for all patients has not been clarified to date. “Through my research I want to contribute toward understanding these phenomena and consequently create improved options for treatment to enable more effective therapies to be offered to more patients,” explains Prof. Dr. Dr. Engeland.

She completed her studies in medicine at Heidelberg University from 2004 to 2010. After receiving her doctorate as Dr. med. in virology along with a doctorate as Dr. rer. nat. in natural sciences at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), she was active in a capacity as head of the laboratory at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg. Due to the successful first application approved by EKFS, in 2015 she was able to accomplish the independent conception and implementation of a research project for the first time while assuming responsibility for both a project and a project team. “The funding occurred at the right time during a decisive phase of my development toward becoming a self-reliant scientist. This was a key moment in my scientific career,” says the physician.

In 2019 she was appointed to head a work group at the joint institutes NCT/DKFZ and was awarded an Else Kröner Memorial Fellowship. Freed from clinical duties, she was able to focus on science during this time and her work group attained significant research findings. Prior to the Else Kröner Memorial Fellowship, as early as 2006 she had already been accepted into the MD/PhD program at Heidelberg University and was honored with the Anita-and-Friedrich-Reutner-Prize for Medical Research in 2018. In the course of funding by EKFS she attended the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in 2020. “What particularly impressed me was how many of these distinguished figures dedicate themselves to the major issues of our times and assume a commitment to society, above and beyond their field of research,” describes Prof. Dr. Dr. Engeland.

Primary motivating factors for the professor within her scientific activities are the exchange with other scientists and, in particular, the stewardship of doctoral candidates: “One of my most appealing responsibilities is to discuss new data with the doctoral candidates, to develop our research projects further, and to accompany and support them during their scientific careers.”