First research prize for pediatric medicine awarded in 2021

Dresden, July 20, 2021 - With the Research Award for Pediatric Medicine 2021, the Dresden University Medicine Foundation has initiated an award aimed at young researchers under the age of 35 who base their scientific work in the context of pediatric medicine. This year, there were four applicants with their publications for the prize, which is endowed with a total of 2000 euros, and no less than two prize winners. Dr. Julia Körholz's work focused on the role of the interferon gamma receptor in recurrent herpes virus infections. The patient had long been known to have a monogenetic disease, but until now this disease was not necessarily associated with susceptibility to viral infections. The door opener of the infection is the interferon-gamma receptor. Further research could now focus on which specific defense functions the interferon-gamma receptor assumes in the virus defense, explains Dr. Julia Körholz. The second prize winner, Dr. Christine Wolf, was able to elucidate the monogenetic cause of early childhood lupus erythematosus and show that treatment with baricitinib can significantly reduce the immune activation leading to the inflammatory reactions.

The award from the Dresden University Medicine Foundation was presented by Professor Manfred Gahr on behalf of the board. "With this prize, the foundation wants to send a signal to young researchers who are at the beginning of their academic careers and who have set very special priorities in their work," explains Professor Gahr. The prize is to be awarded annually in the future and is initially secured with funds from the foundation until 2023.

Foundation for the promotion of university medicine in Dresden

The foundation was established in 2012 as a foundation under civil law and officially recognized. It supports projects at the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine of the same name in Dresden in the areas of patient care, research and teaching. The foundation is a non-profit organization and is entitled to issue donation receipts. It gladly accepts donations to support Dresden University Medicine at any time under the bank details:

Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden
IBAN DE27 8505 0300 0221 0457 40
BIC OSDDDE81XXX

Contact information:

Foundation for the Promotion of University Medicine in Dresden
Fetscherstrasse 74 - 01307 Dresden
www.stiftung-hochschulmedizin.de