From Bench to Bedside: A financial injection to successful career paths for clinician scientists

Clinician Scientists, doctors who are active in research in addition to their clinical responsibilities, are important, because they support the faster implementation of discoveries from fundamental research into innovative changes that help patients. They shorten the proverbial path „From Bench to Bedside“. 

The Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I³) of the medical faculty of the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg has long had the goal to fund researching doctors. Over three different research organizations, there are a total of 17 positions for clinicians to put their hospital duties on hold and to devote all of their time to research. Eleven of these positions, which involve research into the inflammatory processes for the development of cancer, are in the Else Kröner Research College (EKFK), which was refunded at the start of 2018 for an additional three years. Four Gerok positions are offered by the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 854 „Molecular organization of cellular communication in the immune system“, which was also recently refunded for four additional years (2018-2021). Gerok positions allow young doctors to take twelve months off of their clinical duties to focus on research. Two additional Gerok positions are also funded by the newly approved Graduate College 2408 „Maladaptive processes on the physiological boundaries of chronic diseases“. 

These Gerok postions were founded on the idea that young doctors use their experience in research to continue combining research and patient care over the course of their career.  The SFB 854 takes a step further. At the suggestion of the chair of the SFB 854, Prof. Dr. med. Burkhart Shraven, the SFB board recently decided to use the resources of the group to create an Innovation Fund for „Clinician Scientists“. The SFB made 360,000 € availible for this project. The money is available for clinician scientists, who want to continue their research in Magdeburg after their time at the EKFK or in a Gerok position. „Colleagues can apply for funds for personel or for urgently needed lab equipment“; explained Prof. Schraven. Prof. Thomas Fischer, director of the Department of Hematology and Oncology and speaker for the EKFK, will manage this new innovation fund and stated, „We hope to use these fujnds to create a structure that makes it easier for doctors who return to their work in the clinic to continue to combine research and patient care.“

Further information and applications:
Prof. Dr. Thomas Fischer
Department of Hematology and Oncology

Figure: Cells being cultivated in a laboratory (Photo: Stefan Berger)