CV Prof. Dr. Bernd Lepenies

Education and Academic Positions:

Since 07/2015:

Associate Professor (W2) for Infection Immunology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ)

12/2014:

Habilitation in Biochemistry at the Freie Universität (FU) Berlin; Topic: "C-type lectin receptors: ligand identification, cell-specific targeting, and their role in infection and inflammation"

02/2009 – 06/2015:

Group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany (Junior research group Glycobiotechnology, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF)

01/2008 – 01/2009:

Postdoctoral fellow at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland, in the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry (Group Prof. Dr. Peter H. Seeberger)

11/2004 – 12/2007:

PhD thesis (summa cum laude) at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, and the University of Hamburg, Germany (Group Prof. Dr. Bernhard Fleischer, and PD Dr. Thomas Jacobs)

10/1999 – 10/2004:

Diploma studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, Germany

07/1998 – 07/1999:

Civilian service, Altenzentrum Springe, Germany

08/1985 – 06/1998:

School education, University-entrance diploma at the Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium Springe, Germany

Research Grants:

10/2020 – 09/2023:

Research Grant (DFG, LE 2498/9-1): “Funktion der C-Typ-Lektinrezeptoren SIGNR3, MICL und DCIR bei der Erkennung von Plasmodium-Liganden und ihre Beteiligung an der Pathogenese der zerebralen Malaria“

04/2018 – 03/2021:

Research Grant (DFG, LE 2498/6-1): “C-Typ Lektinrezeptor-vermittelte Effekte neurotroper Viren auf Neurodegeneration und Immunpathologie im Gehirn“

06/2017 – 05/2018:

Pilot project (Nationale Forschungsplattform für Zoonosen, DLR / BMBF): “GlykoViroLectinTools: Etablierung von Lektinbibliotheken aus Mensch, Schaf und Stechmücken – eine neue Plattform für Bindungsstudien mit viralen Glykoproteinen am Beispiel des Rifttalfiebers“

10/2016 – 09/2018

Niedersachsen-Research Network on Neuroinfectiology (N-RENNT-2) (Volkswagenstiftung, MWK): “Role of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) in the recognition of neurotropic pathogens and in the pathogenesis of neuroinfections”

01/2015 – 12/2018:

Innovative Training Network (ITN) "Immunoshape" (EU, Horizon 2020): "Development of potent carbohydrate immunomodulators targeting C-type lectin receptors on antigen presenting cells"

02/2009 – 09/2014:

Junior Research Group Glycobiotechnology, (BMBF, Fkz. 0315446): "Funktion der C-Typ Lektinrezeptoren (CLRs) bei der Modulation der Immunantwort"

03/2011 – 06/2015:

Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 765 (DFG, FU Berlin); TP B8: „Multivalent carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions for cell-specific targeting and Imaging“

07/2013 – 06/2015:

International Max Planck Research School (MPI-KG, University Potsdam): "Unraveling carbohydrate/lectin interactions and targeting lectins in vivo"

10/2011 – 09/2013:

Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM) (BMWi; Fkz. KF2909301SB1, project cooperation with AnalytiCon Discovery, Potsdam)

Research Interests:

Infection immunology; Glycoimmunology; Innate immunity; C-type lectin receptors; Vaccination; Adjuvants; Targeted drug delivery

Scholarships and Awards:

Nachwuchsgruppe "Glykobiotechnologie": Grant by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (2009–2014)
PhD Award "Intelligible Science", GKSS Research Centre, Germany (2008)
Travel awards from the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the German Society of Immunology, the European Federation of Immunological Societies, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Scholarship holder of the German National Academic Foundation (1999-2004)

Invited Talks (Selection):

39^th Symposium on Glycoinfection, Grenoble, France: “Targeting C-type lectin receptors on antigen-presenting cells – a promising strategy for immune modulation during infections?”, June 2018
East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai & Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China: “C-type lectin receptors as targets for immune modulation – from glycan arrays to murine studies”, October 2017
28^th Joint Glycobiology Meeting, Aachen: “Role of C-type lectin receptors in pathogen recognition and innate immunity”, September 2017
3^rd N-RENNT Symposium on Neuroinfectiology, Hannover: “The role of C-type lectin receptors in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria”, February 2016
Symposium of the European Society for Animal Cell Technology, Barcelona, Spain: “From Glycobiology to Glycoimmunology”, June 2015
International Conference on Host-Pathogen Interactions, Hyderabad, India: "The role of C-type lectin receptors in pathogen recognition – from glycan arrays to murine studies", July 2014
9th International Symposium on Glycosyltransferases, Porto, Portugal: "The role of C-type lectin receptors in infection and inflammation", June 2014
MPI-India joint workshop "Chemical biology of infectious diseases", New Delhi, India: "C-type lectin receptors as targets for immune modulation in infection and inflammation", January 2014
National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: "Oligosaccharide synthesis and glyconanotechnology as tools to understand carbohydrate-protein interactions", July 2013
Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan: "C-type lectin receptors as targets for immune modulation: from glycan arrays to murine studies", April 2013
Dwek Research School of Chemical Science, Rehovot, Israel: "Immune modulators on surfaces: glycan arrays as tools for adjuvant development", July 2012
Jenner Glycobiology and Medicine Symposium, Den Haag, The Netherlands: "Towards novel adjuvants: from glycan arrays to murine studies", April 2012

Teaching Experience (Selection):

Acquisition and assessment of immune mechanisms (practical course), TiHo Hannover, since SS 2016
Infektionsimmunologie (elective course), TiHo Hannover, since SS 2016
Allgemeine & Spezielle Infektionslehre: Immunologie (lecture), TiHo Hannover, since WS 2015/16
Infection biology: Immunology (lecture for M.Sc. students), TiHo Hannover, since WS 2015/16
Immunology for biochemistry students (practical course), FU Berlin, SS 2011 - SS 2015
Glycobiology / Immunology (lecture), FU Berlin, WS 2010/11 - SS 2015

Radiochemistry for biochemistry students (practical course), FU Berlin, WS 2009/10 – SS 2012

Memberships in Scientific Societies:

German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM)
German Society for Immunology (DGfI)
European Macrophage & Dendritic Cell Society (EMDS)
Member of the selection committee of the German National Academic Foundation
Deutsche Veterinärmedizinische Gesellschaft (DVG)

Peer-Review Activities:

Reviewer for the following foundations: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, Minerva Stiftung, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, Baden-Württemberg Stiftung, Israel Science Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, National Science Centre, European Union

Ad-hoc reviewer for the following journals: ACS Chem. Biol., Bioorg. Med. Chem., Clin. Vaccine Immunol., Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm., Int. J. Med. Microbiol., J. Am. Chem. Soc., J. Biosci. Bioeng., J. Carbohydr. Chem., J. Mol. Recognit., J. Proteome Res., Med. Microbiol. Immunol., Nat. Commun., Nat. Microbiol., PLoS One, Proteomics, Small, Front. Immunol., Sci. Rep., u.a.