Dr. Sascha Kahlfuss is junior professor for inflammation and immune metabolism in Magdeburg

Early career scientist returns as junior professor to the Medical Faculty of the Otto-von-Guericke University on the 1^st of August

The central theme in Dr. Sascha Kahlfuss‘ scientific work is the regulation of immune cells and their role during the immune defense. In this context he also analyses the behaviour of these cells during detrimental immune reactions such as allergies and autoimmune disorders.

As an MD he had been doing research in the lab of Prof. Stefan Feske in Manhattan, New York for the past four years. This stay at the New York University Medical Center was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). On the 1^st of August 2020 he was appointed as junior professor for inflammation and immune metabolism at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology (director: Prof. Dr. med. Burkhart Schraven) of the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU).

His previous studies show, how calcium signals intricately modulate the function of T cells, e.g. during the immune response against fungi or in autoimmune diseases. Furthermore Kahlfuss has identified novel mutations in calcium signalling pathways that can cause severe infections and autoimmune syndromes in patients.

In Magdeburg he now wants to study, how immune cells adapt to specific surroundings in different organs during protective and detrimental immune reactions. He and his team want to find out how these adaptations occur in detail. Ultimately, this knowledge could be used for the therapie of allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Kahlfuss is returning back to his German roots with a return scholarship of the DFG. Born in 1987 in Saxonia-Anhalt, he studied at the medical school of the OVGU and in 2015 obtained a PhD at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology in the group of apl. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ursula Bommhardt. He states that his return to Magdeburg was mainly based on the excellent research conditions for his future scientific plans and the numerous and vital possibilities for cooperations between the institutes and clinics of the medical school. Kahlfuss also emphasizes: "Immunology is a proven research focus with international visibility in Magdeburg". This is due to the outstanding interdisciplinary work in Magdburg, including research consortia such as the Collaborative Research Center 854, the Research Training Group 2408 or the master course immunology, which is unique in Germany and the Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I³). "My teams research has profited even in these first weeks already enormously from the help of experienced scientists and from local collaborations. This is tremendously important, especially during early career stages. It is something that we want to develop further", he explains his future plans. 

In the context of his appointment as junior professor Dr. Sascha Kahlfuss will also teach in the study courses for human medicine, biosystems engineering and the M.Sc. Immunology.

Source: Friederike Süssig-Jeschor, Universitätsmedizin Magdeburg