A Transatlantic Bridge for Cancer Research

A new exchange program brings young researchers of the University Hospital in Essen/Germany and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) closer together in cancer research: The Pittsburgh-Essen-Partnership-Program (PEPP) was designed to build a transatlantic bridge for cancer research, as the UPCI is one of the most renowned cancer institutes worldwide. An official contract for the cooperation was signed in Essen.

The program enables five postdoctoral fellows of the medical faculty of the University Duisburg-Essen per year to spend 18 to 24 months in the UPCI-research facilities with a PEPP-grant, conducting studies in tumour-immunology and tumour-biology. Young researchers from Pittsburgh are welcome to make use of the exchange program as well, spending time at the University Hospital in Essen, where cancer research is one of the main research areas.

“Both sides can profit immensely from this exchange program. The Pittsburgh Cancer Institute runs one of the leading cancer research programs in the USA, is extremely well connected to other institutes and has state of the art research laboratories. In addition to that, the UPCI is well known for its excellent educational programs for young researchers”, notes Professor Dr. Stephan Lang of the University Hospital Essen, who developed the idea for the PEPP-scholarship with Prof. Dr. Theresa Whiteside of the UPCI and UPCI-chairman Dr. Ronald Herberman. On her recent visit to Essen Prof. Theresa Whiteside stressed how useful the input of the young researchers from Essen is for her institute. “We are looking forward to this close encounter with the research fellows from Germany”, Whiteside stated.

According to Professor Lang, the patients at the University Hospital Essen will profit from this exchange program as well. Lang is director of the Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology at the University Hospital of Essen and coordinates international programs of the medical faculty.

The PEPP-scholarship-grant will be provided by the medical faculty of the University of Essen and by the clinical institutions where the scholar is based as a postdoctoral fellow. American scholars who visit Essen will be financed by the University of Pittsburgh. Cancer research fellows of all departments and institutes at the UK Essen are welcome to take part in the new PEPP-adventure.