Current and important events
The information on this page is arranged chronologically. Recent events are always at the top, past and possibly expired events are therefore further down.
NEWS 2026
Farewell at our Summer Party
Today, at our Summer Party, we said goodbye to Imke Steffen's team, who will be leaving the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo) at the end of June.
After a successful and productive time at the Institute of Biochemistry, Imke Steffen will continue her scientific career in the United States, where she has already established her own research group.
Imke Steffen - College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
We would like to sincerely thank Imke and her team for their valuable contributions, their collaboration, and the many enriching moments they brought to our institute.
We wish Imke and her team all the best for this exciting new chapter, continued success in their research, and a great start with the new team in the USA.
Good luck and every success for the future!
New Leadership at the Institute of Biochemistry
Since April 1, 2026, the Institute of Biochemistry has been under new leadership: Professor Dr. Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede has been appointed to the W3 Professorship of Biochemistry and has assumed the directorship of the institute.
This appointment marks a forward-looking strategic development of biochemical research at our institution. Under the leadership of Professor von Köckritz-Blickwede, future research will focus particularly on investigating the impact of lipid metabolism and hypoxia on immune responses, as well as on host-pathogen interactions.
In addition, the establishment and optimization of alternatives to animal experimentation will represent a major research priority, especially with regard to the use of physiological oxygen conditions. These research directions place key biological mechanisms and innovative experimental approaches at the center of efforts to better understand infectious processes and immunological responses.
With this new orientation, the Institute of Biochemistry is further strengthening its profile in a highly relevant and internationally significant field of research, while providing important impulses for future scientific development in both research and teaching.
Laura Schaltz Wins Poster Award in March 2026
Visit to India as part of the InDeVet Consortium
Professor Dr. Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede and Laura Schaltz visited the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) in Ludhiana, India, as part of the InDeVet consortium.
The exchange focused on One Health topics, international research collaborations, and the further strengthening of networks between German and Indian partner institutions. Further information can be found in the news item published by GADVASU on the InDeVet Summit 2026.
GADVASU - Guru Angad Dev Veterinary And Animal Sciences University
R2N Symposium 2026: Innovative Insights into Biomedical Research
On March 17 and 18, 2026, the R2N Symposium titled “Advancing Micro-Physiological Systems: Innovations and Applications in Biomedical Research” took place at Hannover Medical School.
The symposium was organized within the collaborative project “MicroReplaceSys,” aimed at optimizing alternatives to animal experimentation, jointly conducted by Hannover Medical School (MHH), the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo), and Technische Universität Braunschweig.
The focus was on current developments and applications of micro-physiological systems (MPS) in biomedical research. A particular highlight was an engaging panel discussion on the current status and future perspectives of MPS technologies, which provided fascinating insights into this forward-looking field of research.
High-profile international keynote speakers further emphasized the scientific relevance and timeliness of the symposium.
NEWS 2025
Ahmed recognized as FELASA Severity Workshop Independent Trainer!
We are proud to announce that Ahmed has been officially recognized as a FELASA Severity Workshop Independent Trainer!
After successfully completing two supervised Severity Workshops – the most recent held on 7 October 2025 in Mannheim – the FELASA Severity Workshop Core Trainers highlighted Ahmed’s deep expertise in the rat model, the excellent guidance during group discussions, and the clear and comprehensive explanations provided to the participants.
We warmly congratulate Ahmed on this great achievement and thank them for their outstanding commitment to research quality and animal welfare assessment.
PhD position open starting next year
Maren received a grant form the Scheuch-Siftung with 762.174 Euro together with Prof.in Sabine Kästner on „Einfluss von mechanischer Beatmung auf die Lunge im translationalen Schweinemodell bei Influenza-induziertem ARDS“
https://karriere.tiho-hannover.de/jobposting/9a81be34baa5e009d304a3c247d125d9cd2276360
Auszeichnung für Frau Schaltz – Posterpreis auf dem ZSN-Symposium 2025
Unsere Doktorandin Frau Schaltz erhielt auf dem ZSN-Symposium am 29. September 2025 an der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover einen Posterpreis im Wert von 100 € für ihre hervorragende Präsentation.
Characterisation of viable and suicidal NETs in a model of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier after Streptococcus suis infection
Laura Schaltz1,2, Simon Lassnig1,2, Marita Meurer1,2, Karola Schlote1,2, Christian Schwerk 3 , Horst Schroten 3 , Matthias Mörgelin 4 , Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede1,2, Nicole de Buhr1,2
1University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Institute of Biochemistry, Hannover, Germany
2University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), Hannover, Germany
3Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Mannheim, Germany
4Colzyx AB, Lund, Sweden
DAAD-Preis für Ahmed Mohamed
DAAD-Preis für Ahmed Mohamed
Bei der Promotionsfeier im Dezember 2024 der TiHo wurde Ahmed Mohamed mit dem renommierten DAAD-Preis für ausländische Studierende ausgezeichnet. Sein außergewöhnliches Engagement in der akademischen und internationalen Gemeinschaft verdient höchste Anerkennung. Wir gratulieren herzlich zu dieser besonderen Ehrung!
Kursangebot: DFG Funding Opportunities
[Translate to English:] Workshop: DFG-Funding opportunities for the scientific carreer (PhD Course 3870)
Prof. Dr. Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede (DFG-Fachkollegiatin Tiermedizin)
Am Montag, den 23. Juni 14:15 – 15:45 Uhr RIZ-ZZ-Seminarraum 2. Stock (Gebäude 231, Zugang im Pathologie-Foyer)
Programme:
- Information on funding opportunities, especially for scientists in early career phases, tips on how to apply (formal aspects), procedure for processing the application.
- Tips for proposal writing (content/scientific aspects), common criticisms of reviewers/peer review board.
- Registration until 20th of June to: Maren.von.Koeckritz-Blickwede@tiho-hannover.de
News 2024
Gisa Gerold is Keynote Speaker at the GSEV Autumn Meeting in Hamburg
The German Society for Extracellular Vesicles (GSEV) Autumn Meeting will take place from October 1 to 2, 2024 in Hamburg. Prof. Gisa Gerold will give a keynote lecture in the session on "Extracellular vesicles in immunity & infection".
More information can be found here
The Gerold Lab is moving!
Biochemistry team won the cycling competition on campus
Gisa Gerold as guest speaker at the University Hospital Erlangen
Summer party 2024
On 24.06.2024 the Institute of Biochemistry celebrates its summer party at the Teehäuschen starting at 4 pm. In addition to a joint barbecue with a bring-and-share buffet, we will also bid a fitting farewell to Dr. Imke Steffen. She will be taking up a new position as a junior professor in Colorado, USA, in August 2024.
We look forward to seeing you there and to many interesting conversations.
Retreat 2024
This year's retreat of the Institute of Biochemistry will take place on 25.06.2024. In addition to inspiring lectures by the individual working groups on their scientific projects, two renowned guest speakers from the MHH will also present their research this year. Prof. Guntram Graßl from the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene will give a lecture on "Gut friends and foes: intestinal infections and how to fight them". Prof. Daniel Depledge from the Institute of Virology will present on the topic "Gotta get up, gotta get out: Toward a mechanistic understanding of VZV reactivation from latency in sensory neurons".
Employees and guests can also look forward to a refreshing ice cream break.
We look forward to numerous participants and lively discussions.
ZIM day 2024
Laura B. Talarico as guest speaker at the Seminar on Infection Biology (IBS)
On June 10th,2024, Laura B. Talarico gave a guest lecture as part of the Seminar on Infection Biology (IBS) on the topic “Complement protein C1q modulation of antibody dependent enhancement of dengue virus infection in human myeloid cell lines is dependent on cell type and antibody specificity. Many thanks for the interesting lecture and the lively discussion afterwards!
Stephanie Tannous won the prize for the best talk in Gastroenterology at ESPGHAN in Milan
Stephanie Tannous has won the prize for the best talk in Gastroenterology at the 56th annual meeting of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN), which is the biggest meeting of its kind worldwide (around 5000 delegates) and took place in Milan from 14.-18. May 2024. The title of the talk was: 'Gene variants of sucrase-isomaltase in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - impact on protein trafficking and enzyme function, by Stephanie Tannous, Mauro D’Amato and Hassan Y. Naim.'
Congratulations!
Jule Hupfeld has successfully defended her Master's thesis
Maura Lynch-Miller won poster prize at the 3R Science Camp in Kiel
Maura Lynch-Miller, PhD student of the AG Köckritz-Blickwede, won the first place poster prize at the 3R Science Camp of the MikroReplace Systems consortium from R2N, which deals with animal experiment replacement methods. The conference took place from April 23rd to 25th in Kiel. The title of the poster was: Establishment of microfluidic 3D cell culture systems for bacterial and viral infections of the lung under physiological oxygen conditions.
Congratulations!
Re-election to the borad of the jGfV
Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede is speaker for the DFG Review Board 207
Successful doctoral defenses
In the Infection Biochemistry group, we had three successful doctoral defenses in April:
Ahmed Mohamed: Cholesterol-associated changes in the intestinal tract during infectious hypoxia; supervisor: Prof. Dr. Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede
Simon Lassnig: Effects of influenza A virus-triggered neutrophil extracellular traps on bacterial co-infections; supervisor: Nicole de Buhr, PhD
The following doctoral thesis was successfully defended in the Membrane and Protein Biochemistry group on 12 April 2024:
Marianne El Khoury: Repurposing of FDA-approved drugs for SARS-CoV-2: Interaction of S1 and ACE2 in intestinal epithelial cells in vitro; Supervisor: Prof. Dr. phil. nat. Hassan Y. Naim
Congratulations!
Keystone Symposia: HIV and (Re)Emerging Viruses: Aligning Lessons Across Pandemics, Hannover
From April 09 to 11, 2024 the Keystone Symposium: HIV and (Re)Emerging Viruses: Aligning Lessons Across Pandemics will take place in Herrenhausen, Hannover.
Dr. Miriam Becker and Dr. Lisa Lasswitz from AG Gerold will participate in the symposium with poster contributions. Dr. Lisa Lasswitz will also give a talk on the topic: "CD81 is a host factor for chikungunya virus replication"
Gisa Gerold as guest speaker at the University of Freiburg
Gisa Gerold as guest at the Herrenhausen Science Movie Night Panel Discussion
The 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Virology (GfV)
Gisa Gerold as guest speaker at the Leibniz Institute for Virology (LIV), Hamburg
Conference of the DVG Physiology and Biochemistry
The conference of the DVG Physiology and Biochemistry Section will take place at the Institute of Physiology and Cell Biology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover from June 7 to 9, 2024.
You are all cordially invited. You are welcome to submit the latest results of your research by 15.03.2024 as an abstract by e-mail to dvg2024@tiho-hannover.de .
Prof. Dr. Leonida Fusani, MPhil PhD will give a keynote lecture on "New discoveries in the physiology of avian migration" on 07.06.2024.
To make the evening event even more attractive we need your registration! Early bird prices are valid until 17.03.2024.
We are looking forward to many registrations.
News 2023
Christmasparty
8th workshop of the Society of Virology (GfV)
Engaging discussions at our GfV workshop on new and re-emerging zoonotic viruses
Friedemann Weber, Seema Laldawala, Martin Beer and Alison Groseth gave engaging keynotes and all participants contributed with top notch short talks. Thanks to all participants for three days of exciting scientific exchange.
The prize for the best short talk was awarded to Peter Reuther from Freiburg. Congratulations Peter!
Gisa Gerold and Yvonne Börgeling
Workshop chairs
Ahmed Mohamed won poster prize at conference in Canada
Ahmed Mohamed, PhD student of the AG von Köckritz-Blickwede won a poster award at the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, Niagara Falls, 2023.The meeting took place from 27.08-31.08.2023 in Canada.
The project was carried out in cooperation with Bettina Seeger as last author and the Institute of Biochemistry and with the participation of the research group of Guntram Grassl.
Congratulations!
Retreat 2023
This year's retreat of the Institute of Biochemistry took place on 14.06.2023. In addition to inspiring talks by the individual working groups about their scientific projects, the day also offered exciting workshops and a refreshing ice cream break. The day ended with a barbecue and a relaxed bring-and-share buffet where we shared delicious food.
Thank you all for the numerous participation and the nice ending to this successful day!
Gisa Gerold is the plenary speaker at the UK hepacivirus and flavivirus meeting
Second One Health Workshop of the Society of Virology
Second One Health Workshop of the Society of Virology
We are pleased to announce that another workshop of the Society of Virology (GfV) will take place. The topic will be "New and recurrent zoonotic diseases". The workshop will be held from 06/09/2023 to 08/09/2023 at the conference center Kloster Wöltingerode in Goslar, Germany.
At the workshop, students and postdocs will be brought together with experts in the field of "one health" to promote and support scientific interdisciplinary exchange. In particular, we encourage infection biologists, cell biologists, veterinarians, and medical doctors to share their work on zoonotic infections. The interdisciplinary nature of the workshop aims to stimulate new collaborations in One Health and viral zoonotic research.
Four keynote speakers will present the latest developments in the field. Seema S. Lakdawala (University of Pittsburgh, USA), Martin Beer (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Riems, Germany), Friedemann Weber (Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany) and Allison Groseth (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Riems, Germany) will share their unique experiences and visions.
All participants will have the opportunity to present their work in the form of a full presentation or elevator pitch. Prizes will be awarded for the best oral presentation and the best elevator pitch. We will encourage a lively atmosphere with open discussions. We look forward to seeing old faces and meeting new colleagues who share our enthusiasm for viruses and zoonotic diseases.
Registration is open now through June 30. Please find attached the detailed announcement.
Gisa Gerold is now Member of the Board of Directors of the GfV
The 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Virology March 2023
The 32nd annual meeting of the Society of Virology (GfV) will be held in Ulm, Germany, March 28-31, 2023. For the first time since the onset of the Corona Pandemic the meeting will be held in presence.
At this meeting, the latest findings in virology will be presented by national as well as international experts in plenary sessions and workshops. Also the recently founded "young GfV" will organize a workshop and present new activities of these young scientists.
