This year's CMMC Annual Retreat was a great success! Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of speakers, poster presenters, and attendees, the event was vibrant and highly engaging. The retreat took place at the MTI Lecture Hall Building of the Faculty of Medicine from Wednesday, March 12, 2025, to Thursday, March 13, 2025.
As in previous years, the program was expertly organized by members of the CMMC Junior Faculty. We sincerely thank Alessandro Annibaldi, Johannes Brägelmann, Sebastian Brähler, Elisa Motori, and Débora Trentini for their outstanding efforts in shaping the scientific program of the retreat.
We were honored to have Prof. Esther von Stebut-Borschitz (Vice Dean - Faculty of Medicine) and Prof. Stanislav Kopriva (Vice Dean – Science Faculty) open the event with a welcome address.
Scientific Program Highlights
The retreat featured three Short Talk Sessions with 14 presentations, where CMMC PIs or their representatives shared progress on their research projects. Additionally, two Flash Talk Sessions provided an opportunity for 26 PhD students and PostDocs to introduce their research in a dynamic and engaging manner. These talks served as a perfect introduction to the two Poster Sessions, which featured a total of 83 posters. Poster presenters - primarily PhD students - enthusiastically invited fellow participants to engage in discussions, fostering a lively and insightful scientific exchange.
The scientific program was further enriched by two CMMC Lectures: Ilaria Ella (KU Leuven) delivered an inspiring talk on metabolic cross-talk between cancer and immunce cell in metastatic melanoma and Christoph Kuppe (University Hospital RWTH Aachen) presented an engaging lecture on patient-level multiomics analysis of human heart and kidney disease
Flash Talk & Poster Award Winners
We are delighted to announce the recipients of the Flash Talk Awards and Poster Prizes:
A huge thank you to all the Flash Talk Speakers and Poster Presenters for your participation. You all did an outstanding job, making the evaluation process a real challenge!
The retreat was accompanied by an Industrial Exhibition, featuring the following companies: ABclonal • INTEGRA • Macherey-Nagel • MedChemExpress • Merck • New England Biolabs • Proteintech.
We sincerely appreciate everyone who contributed to making this event a success and look forward to welcoming you again at next year’s CMMC Annual Retreat 2026!
Introducing Ilaria Elia - CMMC Lecture I
We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Ilaria Elia (Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Medicine - KU Leuven, Leuven, BE) will be our honorary speaker for the CMMC Lecture I scheduled for March 12, 2025. Her talk is titled “Understanding the metabolic cross-talk between cancer and immune cells in metastatic melanoma.”
Ilaria Elia is an assistant professor at KU Leuven, where she has been leading the Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation of Cell Function since 2021. She earned her Ph.D. under the mentorship of Prof. Sarah-Maria Fendt at VIB (KU Leuven), focusing on the metabolic adaptations of metastatic breast cancer cells during lung colonization. Her research identified the critical role of the amino acid proline and pyruvate-derived alpha-ketoglutarate in supporting metastatic establishment in the lung.
Ilaria pursued postdoctoral training in immunometabolism at Harvard Medical School, collaborating with Drs. Marcia Haigis and Arlene Sharpe. There, she developed a co-culture model that mimics the interactions between tumor and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, uncovering pivotal mechanisms such as the role of pyruvate anaplerosis in succinate signaling and anti-tumor immunity, as well as the enhancement of immunotherapy through one-carbon metabolism.
Her distinctive skills and research perspective have led to the publication of several key manuscripts on cellular metabolism in cellular behavior (Elia et al., Nature, 2019; Elia et al., Nature Communications, 2017) and anti-tumor immunity (Elia et al., Cell Metabolism, 2022; Rowe, Elia* et al., Cancer Discovery, 2023*). Ilaria´s work has been recognized through substantial research funding and prestigious awards, including the FEBS Excellence Award and the Beug Foundation’s Prize for Metastasis Research.
Since August 2021, Ilaria has been leading her own laboratory of Metabolic Regualtion of Cell Function at KU Leuven. She has presented at international conferences, written review articles, established high-profile collaborations, and secured about 2 million euros in research funding. This support is enabling her to expand the field of cancer immunometabolism by investigating the metabolic profiles of immune and cancer cells in immune-resistant primary tumors and metastasis.
Introducing Christoph Kuppe - CMMC Lecture II
We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Christoph Kuppe (Div. of Nephrology and Clinical Immunology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, DE) will be our honorary speaker for the CMMC Lecture II scheduled for March 13, 2025. His talk is titled “Patient-level multiomics analysis of human heart and kidney disease”.
Christoph Kuppe is a physician-scientist at the University Clinic of RWTH Aachen, where he serves in the Div. of Nephrology. He holds a professorship of quantitative cell dynamics and translational systemsbiology and leads a research group focused on understanding human diseases of the heart and kidney. Christoph's innovative research integrates cutting-edge technologies such as genetic fate tracing, gene editing, single-cell, and spatial omics to redefine the molecular mechanisms underpinning these diseases. His work aims to decode the molecular landscape of patient tissues, gaining insights into the cellular and molecular determinants of disease. He earned his medical degree from the University of Aachen in 2011 and has received numerous accolades for his research achievements. Notably, he was awarded a DFG-funded Emmy Noether group leader position and received an ERC Starting Grant (EU).
March 12, 2025 - Program
9.15 - 10.45 a.m.
Meeting of the CMMC Executive Board
(only for members of the EC Board)
Location: Seminar Room, MTI-Lecture Hall (Venue of the CMMC Annual Retreat)
10.00 - 10.50 a.m.
Reception with Registration
For Poster Presenters: please collect your poster board number and display your poster on the designated board
11.00 - 11.15 a.m.
Welcome Address - CMMC Annual Retreat 2025
Esther von Stebut-Borschitz -Vice Dean of Science - Translation - Transfer, Faculty of Medicine
Stanislav Kopriva - Vice Dean of Research, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Thomas Benzing -Chair of the CMMC
Introduction to the scientific program by the organizers
Alessandro Annibaldi • Johannes Brägelmann • Sebastian Brähler • Elisa Motori • Débora Trentini Schmidt
11.15 - 12.45 p.m.
Short Talk Session I - CMMC Research Area C
Molecular mechanisms and metabolic control of tissue degeneration and regeneration
Chairs: Elisa Motori1 and Débora Trentini Schmidt2 - Institute for Biochemistry1 and CMMC2
11.15 - 11.30 a.m.
Consequences of age-related G-quadruplex formation for the fidelity of mammalian transcription
Robert Hänsel-Hertsch1and Andreas Beyer2
CMMC1 and CECAD2
11.30 - 11.45 a.m.
Cellular and molecular crosstalk in skin wound resolution
Sabine Eming and Mario Fabri
Dept. of Dermatology and Venereology
11.45 - 12.00 p.m.
Understanding the role of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay in differentiation, development and disease
Niels Gehring
Institute for Genetics
12.00 - 12.15 p.m.
The quality control Ubiquitin ligase CHIP: a key regulator of Insulin signaling, healthy aging & neuroprotection
Thorsten Hoppe
Institute for Genetics and CECAD
12.15 - 12.30 p.m.
Skin insulin-IGF signalling in health and disease
Carien Niessen
Dept. of Cell Biology of the Skin and CECAD
12.30 - 12.45 p.m.
Two are not enough: Extra base pairs in nucleic acids and their application (Research Area A)
Stephanie Kath-Schorr
Institute for Organic Chemistry (MNF)
12.45 - 2.00 p.m.
Lunch Break and Industrial Exhibition
2.00 - 3.15 p.m.
Flash Talk Session I (odd poster numbers)
Chairs: Débora Trentini Schmidt and Alessandro Annibaldi - CMMC
FT 03 - Chronic infection induces a broadly neutralizing B cell response to Elastase B of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Albus, Alexandra -Member of Simonis´RG - Dept. I of Internal Medicine
FT 09 - Structural investigations of the human KMT2D complex
Basler, Fabian - Member of Pöpsel’s RG - CMMC
FT 11 - Overexpression of the fructose transporter SLC2A5 (GLUT5) in association with PHGDH splicing dynamics is a venetoclax resistance mechanism in acute myeloid leukemia
Blakemore, Stuart - Member of Pallasch´s RG - Dept. I of Internal Medicine
FT 15 - Helicase-mediated regulation of Yamanaka Factor-G-Quadruplex interactions in pluripotency and drug-tolerant persister cells
Dasarathan, Lokapriya - Member of Haensel-Hertsch´s RG - CMMC
FT 17 - Insights into co-translational protein quality control of polytopic membrane proteins
Eisenack, Tom - Member of Trentini Schmidt´s RG - CMMC
FT 31 - Title pending
Holm Solheim, Marie - Member of Brüning´s RG - Dept. of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine & MPI for Metabolism
FT 43 - Investigating cellular and inflammatory networks in kidney development in a model for neonatal chronic lung injury
Kuiper-Makris, Centina - Member of Alejandre Alcazar´s RG - Dept. of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
FT 47 - Mitofusin 2 displays fusion-independent roles in proteostasis surveillance
Mohn, Marie - Member of Escobar-Henrique´s RG - Institute for Genetics
FT 49 - Training versus tolerance – Previous adjuvant exposure impairs SARS-CoV-2 spike protein directed immune responses in vitro and in vivo
Mudler, Julie - Member of Rybniker’s RG - Dept. I of Internal Medicine
FT 55 - Assessing the role of olfactory receptor 2 in a model of diet-induced obesity
Park, Yein - Member of Winkels ‘s RG - Dept. III of Internal Medicine
FT 59 - Interaction of human KDM5 histone demethylase with retinoblastoma protein
Rüngeler, Till - Member of Pöpsel´s RG - CMMC
FT 65 - Elucidate the regulatory cascade controlling mitochondrial fission in mitosis
Tailor, Hirak Naitik - Member of Piano’s RG - Institute for Human Genetics
FT 71 - Title pending
Vaseghi, Akbar - Member of Maleki’s RG - Institute for Inorganic Chemistry
CMMC Info I
CMMC New Gene - Schinya Ibrahim
CMMC Empowerment - Katarzyna Bozek and Simon Pöpsel
CMMC Sustainibility - Claudia Herr
GAMMA, Facuty of Medicine - Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher
3.15 - 5.00 p.m.
Poster Session I (P 01 - P 83) and Industrial Exhibition
with Coffee and Cake
5.00 - 5.45 p.m.
CMMC Lecture I
Understanding the metabolic cross-talk between cancer and immune cells in metastatic melanoma
Ilaria Elia, Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, BE
Chair: Elisa Motori - Institute for Biochemistry
at 5.45 p.m.
CMMC Get-Together at the venue and Industrial Exhibition
March 13, 2025 - Program
9.00 - 10.15 a.m.
Short Talk Session II - CMMC Research Areas B
Principles of immunity, inflammation and infection
Chairs: Johannes Brägelmann and Christina Ising - Inst. for General Pathology and CECAD Research Center
9.00 - 9.15 a.m.
The hidden cost of hosting a microbiome
Filipe Cabreiro, Mauro Corrado and Francesca Solagna
CECAD
9.15 - 9.30 a.m.
Cell death and immunity
Hamid Kashkar
Institute for Molecular Immunology and CECAD
9.30 - 9.45 a.m.
Antibodies and the challenge of viral diversity
Florian Klein
Institute for Virology
9.45 - 10.00 a.m.
Deciphering innate immune responses in SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination
Sebastian Theobald and Jan Rybniker
Dept. I of Internal Medicine
10.00 - 10.15 a.m.
Heme biogenesis flux regulates switch between inflammation and ferroptosis
Aleksandra Trifunovic
Institute for Mitochondrial Diseases and Ageing and CECAD
10.15 - 10.45 a.m.
CMMC Report
incl. announcement “Submission of project proposals – 11th CMMC Funding Period” and introduction of Central Core Facilities (MF) presented by Marten Schulte (CCF-Coordinator)
Thomas Benzing - Chair of the CMMC
10.45 - 11.00 a.m.
Coffee Break and Industrial Exhibition
11.00 - 11.45 a.m.
CMMC Lecture II
Patient-level multiomics analysis of human heart and kidney disease
Christoph Kuppe, Dept. of Nephrology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, DE
Chair: Sebastian Brähler - Dept. II of Internal Medicine
11.45 - 12.45 p.m.
Flash Talk Session II and CMMC Info II
Chairs: Alessandro Annibaldi and Débora Trentini Schmidt - CMMC
FT 02 - Unmasking the human AIS Proteome: on the way to decoding AIS-based TAU sorting mechanisms
Adam, Daniel - Member of Zempel’s RG - Institute for Human Genetics
FT 12 - Ajuba proteins impact on YAP/TAZ phase separation in podocytes
Inês Cabrita - Member of Schermer’s RG - Dept. II of Internal Medicine
FT 14 - Extended mitochondrial transport in neuronal dendrites maintains motor skill learning
Choi, Hae-Na - Member of Motori´s RG - Institute for Genetics
FT 16 - Identification of therapeutic vulnerabilities of KEAP1-mutated lung adenocarcinoma
Demond, Hannah - Member of Hillmer´s RG - Institute for General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy
FT 22 - Exploiting liquid biopsy analyses to estimate metastatic risk in non-small cell lung cancer patients
Gewalt, Tabea - Member of Hillmer´s RG - Institute for General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy
FT 30 - Decipering the role of the immunoreceptor CD300lf in Tauopathies
Hollenbeck, Jana Caroline - Member of Isings´s RG - CECAD
FT 32 - Understanding the role of ribosome UFMylation in translation-arrested protein degradation
Ibrahim, Schinya - Member of Trentini Schmidt´s RG - Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne
FT 36 - Regulated cell death in the pathogenesis of cystic kidney diseases
Kieckhöfer, Emilia - Member of Schermer’s RG - Dept. II of Internal Medicine
FT 42 - The aging factor EPS8 induces disease-related protein aggregation through RAC signaling hyperactivation
Koyuncu, Seda - Member of Vilchez’s RG - CECAD
FT 48 - Quality control mechanisms of collagen VI assembly and secretion
Moeller, Elena - Member of Lemberg´s RG - Center for Biochemistry (MF)
FT 50 - Implication of SRRM3/ 4 in neuronal µ-Exon splicing
Mueller, Andre - Member of Gehring´s RG - Institute for Genetics
FT 52 - Essential role of SLUG during the evolution of drug tolerance in lung adenocarcinomas
Ostendorp, Jenny - Member of Haensel-Hertsch´s RG - Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne
FT 64 - Edited allogeneic CD30CARTRAC-KI-PD1KO-HLA-IKOT cells against lymphomas: preclinical development
Stripecke, Renata -Dept. II of Internal Medicine
CMMC Info II
CF - Flow Cytometry - Unit of the Central Core Facilities (CCF), Faculty of Medicine
Albert, Marie-Christine - Flow Cytometry Core, Faculty of Medicine
CF - CyTOF and Hyperion Unit
Hoffmann, Petra - Dept. I of Internal Medicine
CF - CMMC Microscopy Service - From sample to insight
Babaki, Mehrnaz - CECAD/CMMC Imaging Facility
12.45 - 1.15 p.m.
Lunch Break and Industrial Exhibition
1.15 - 2.45 p.m.
Poster Session II (P 02 - P 82)and Industrial Exhibition
2.45 - 3.45 p.m.
Short Talk Session III - CMMC Research Area A
Mechanisms of tumor development: intrinsic and extrinsic control of cell proliferation and tissue invasion
Chairs: Sebastian Brähler1 and Roland Ullrich2 - Dept. II of Internal Medicine1 and Dept. I of Internal Medicine2
2.45 - 3.00 p.m.
Role of synaptic hijacking in SCLC brain metastatic growth
ElisaMotori1and Matteo Bergami2
CMMC1 and CECAD2
3.00 - 3.15 p.m.
Ubiquilins expose an actionable target in cancer therapy
Ron Jachimowicz
Dept. I of Internal Medicine and MPI of Ageing
3.15 - 3.30 p.m.
Mechanisms of Hedgehog-Gli signaling in mammalian skin
Catherin Niemann
CMMC and Institute for Biochemistry (MF)
3.30 - 3.45 p.m.
Essential role of macrophage-derived LYN tyrosine kinase in tumor support
Phuong-Hien Nguyen1, Renata Stripecke1 and Alessandro Annibaldi2
Dept. I of Internal Medicine1 and CMMC2
3.45 - 4.00 p.m.
Awarding the Flash Talk and Poster Prizes and Final Discussion
Poster Session I and II
Please find here the detailed information on:
CMMC Art Project 2025
Join us and take part in the CMMC Art Project 2025 - click here for more information!
Venue
MTI - Lecture Hall of the Medical Faculty (Biochemistry)
Joseph-Stelzmann Str. 52 (Building 44b)
50937 Cologne
Speakers Short Talk Sessions
CMMC Art Project 2025
We gratefully acknowledge the support by our industrial partners
ABclonal • INTEGRA • Macherey Nagel • Merck • New England Biolabs • Proteintech
The sponsoring (€ 450,- per company) is used for event related expenses; e.g. travel of the keynote speakers, conference handouts and event management. Conference material provided by MedChemExpress.
