Doctoral Researchers in Medicine

Bertram Linderkamp ✉

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Leif-Erik Sander, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Med. Klinik m.S. Infektiologie und Pneumologie (04.2018-12.2019)

Dissecting innate responses of dendritic cells to bood-stage and pre-blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum

Dendritic cell responses to Plasmodium falciparum will be characterized in various genetic backgrounds using a newly-established cell culture model-system and human primary cells. In addition to standard immunology readouts (ELISA, FACS), single-cell whole-transcriptome analysis will afford insights into heterogeneous activation profiles of DCs after plasmodium challenge.

Clara Bergmann ✉

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Frank Mockenhaupt, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health (04.2018-12.2019)

Characterization of Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance in Huye district, Rwanda

Resistance to first line treatment of Plasmodium falciparum poses a serious threat to global malaria control. This project aims at studying possible resistance or decreased sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum to Artemisinin based therapies in the Huye district of Southern Rwanda. The parasites will be characterized using different in vivo and in vitro techniques for sensitivity testing and the newly established Ring Stage Survival Assay. In addition, host genetic factors influencing malaria and parasite clearance will be analyzed.

Pinkus Tober-Lau ✉

Supervisor: PD Dr. med. Florian Kurth Medizinische Klinik m. S. Infektiologie & Pneumologie - Clinical Research Group in Tropical Medicine

Post-treatment delayed hemolysis is common following oral artemisinin combination therapy of uncomplicated malaria

Artemisinins are the recommended first-line treatment for severe and uncomplicated malaria. Post-treatment haemolysis (PTH) is common in severe malaria treated with intravenous artesunate. We investigated PTH in patients with uncomplicated malaria receiving oral artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).

Cäcilie Wedel

Supervisor: PD Dr. med. Florian Kurth

Medizinische Klinik m. S. Infektiologie & Pneumologie - Clinical Research Group in Tropical Medicine

The outcome of malaria in individual patients critically depends on their history of previous infections. The presence of blood stage parasites is tolerated far better by patients who have repeatedly been exposed to Plasmodium spp. than those with first-time infections, e.g. with respect to organ damage. This state of so-called semi-immunity can even lead to asymptomatic parasitemia in patients in endemic areas. Both enhanced defense strategies against Plasmodium spp and tolerance of the parasites play an important role. By comparing clinical manifestations of patients with varying degrees of disease tolerance in combination with deep phenotyping, we aim to identify and characterize the factors underlying and influencing semi-immunity and disease tolerance.

Doctoral Researchers in Medicine

anu canberra

hu berlin