31/10/2017
Report on the 1st transatlantic BMEP Summer Forum 2017
Dear Alumni and Alumnae!
It is our pleasure to update you on the recent developments of the BMEP.
By the end of 2016, the BMEP e.V. has been founded to create a forum for open, life-long international exchange across the disciplines of the LifeSciences.
After a short time of restructuring the BMEP, the founding of the BMEP e.V. Alumni Association and a first meeting in Boston last year, the first transatlantic BMEP Summer Forum very successfully took place at the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin from September 1st to 2nd, 2017. The designated conference venue at the beautiful historic site Hörsaalruine (Rudolf Virchow’s former lecture hall) provided an appropriate ambience for the outstanding presentations by renowned scientists and clinicians, politicians and supporters of the program.
We further introduced the Hilmar-Stolte Prize as part of a scientific contest, awarded to the best scientific presentations from BMEP students of the returning Academic Years 2014/15 as well as 2015/16.
Day 1
In a stimulation discussion before the official opening of the 1st transatlantic Summer Forum 2017: Prof. Pries, Dean of the Charité, Dr. h.c. Bulmahn, Vice President of the German Bundestag, Prof. Dreinhöfer, Board Member of the BMEP e.V., Claudia Friedrich, M.Sc., Organizing Committee BMEP e.V.
The first transatlantic Summer Forum was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. med. Karsten Dreinhöfer (Member of the Interim Board of the BMEP e.V.) and Prof. Dr. med. Axel Radlach Pries (Dean of the Charité). Hereafter, Claudia Friedrich, M.Sc., Head of the Organizing Committee of the BMEP Summer Forum, had the high honour to introduce the Vice President of the German Federal Parliament, Dr. h.c. Edelgard Bulmahn, who addressed the audience with a very informative keynote speech. As former Federal Minister of Education and Research, Dr. Bulmahn stressed the relevance of international scientific exchange and the promotion of young scientists while she fully supported the endeavours and honorary commitment of the Organizing Committee of the BMEP e.V. for the future of the BMEP, the promotion of innovative scientific approaches and the further development of the BMEP Alumni Association.
The success of the Biomedical Sciences Exchange Program spanning more than 30 years was shown in a recently published dissertation by Dr. Thomas Bierbaum. He identified more than 600 alumni and surveyed their professional development. A significant number of alumni established themselves in high positions in science and industry, about one third of them pursued a career in the United States.
The first winner of the Hilmar Stolte Science Contest is cand. med. Laura Wienecke, who was awarded the prize by Dipl.-Verw. Wiss. Halgard Stolte, Board Member oft he BMEP e.v. and sponsor of the Hilmar Stolte Prize
An overview of the study was presented by Claudia Friedrich, M.Sc. at the conference, and a summary will be available on the website www.bmep.info soon.
A new integral part of the BMEP program has been introduced as the Hilmar Stolte Science Contest:
BMEP participants of the recent two Academic Years presented their scientific achievements abroad to acknowledge their efforts and finalize their Academic Year in a marvellous setting. After a thorough evaluation through the extended BMEP e.V. Board, the Hilmar Stolte Prize was awarded to cand. med. Laura Wienecke (Medizinische Hochschule Hannover) for her excellent presentation and handed over by Prof. Stolte’s daughter, Dipl.-Verw. Wiss. Halgard Stolte, who both supported the Core Team and sponsored the prize. Congratulations!
Furthermore, members of the “Core Team“ of the BMEP Association gave an overview of the new developments and an outlook on the further activities. The BMEP “Core Team“ consists of the board members as well as of active alumni, friends and sponsors of the BMEP, who all work in a voluntary capacity in order to achieve the Association’s goals.
Scientific Keynote Speech by Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier
Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier presenting her groundbreaking findings on genetic editing „CRISPR/CAS-9“ at the BMEP Summer Forum. She grants parts of her findings to her research in Umea, Sweden
While various discoveries in the biomedical world are labeled as “breakthroughs”, few have been as influential and game changing as CRISPR/Cas9. The tool allowing for rapid and easy gene editing was first described by Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier and colleagues in 2012. Her keynote speech at the Gala Dinner of the transatlantic BMEP Summer Forum put an inspiring end to the first day of the Summer Forum. The extensive discussions following her speech covered the significance of scientific exchange and the importance both geographic and theoretical mobility in any discovery. Madame Charpentier herself lived and worked in Vienna, New York City, Paris, Hannover, Braunschweig and Uppsala, before she obtained the offer as Director of the Max-Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, which she finally accepted. Besides, she holds a honorary position as Professor at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and has received multiple awards including nomination for the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine1.
Day 2:
Dr. Julien Colomb speaks about the global movement „March for Science“ to raise awareness for the impact of science on the wellbeing of societies
To start the day on a lighter note, Prof. Dr. Claudia Barth, Chief Medical Officer at B. Braun and BMEP alumna, looked back on the many years of the exchange program in a humourous way.
Next, Dr. Julien Colomb spoke about the “March for Science”, which he who co-organized in Berlin earlier in 2017. He described how scientists set up the largest global demonstration for science and got ten thousands of people to march for science globally, and about 11.000 people solely in Berlin.
Prof. Dr. med. Torsten Doenst welcomed the BMEP students, alumni and alumnae on behalf of the Biomedical Exchange Program in Hannover. As both the Director of the Heart and Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Jena, as well as Board Member of the Biomedical Exchange Program in Hannover, he emphasized the need for scientific cooperation as well as collaboration with the BMEP e.V. in Berlin
We further had the honor to welcome Prof. Dr. med. Torsten Doenst, Chief, Department of Heart and Thoracic Surgery from the University Hospital Jena. He welcomed the BMEP students , alumni and alumnae on behalf of the Biomedical Exchange Program and explained how the program was revived after Prof Stolte’s decease. He strongly emphasized the need for further collaboration with the BMEP Alumni Association.
Prof. Dr. med. Duska Dragun, Director of the Biomedical Innovation Academy by the Berlin Institute of Health, highlighted the importance of science for innovation in medicine. She is a strong supporter for young scientists and confirmed her support for the endeavours of the BMEP e.V
Prof. Dr. med. Duska Dragun, Professor of Medicine/Nephrology at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Director of the BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy by the Berlin Institute of Health, presented BIH’s Clinical Scientist Program. The program supports physicians who are in their specialist training during a three-year period of research, and it successfully runs in the 5th year by now.
Prof. Dr. Alexander Schachtrupp, Medical Director for Scientific Affairs at B. Braun and BMEP alumnus himself, presented the foundation and their activities in the health care sector, such as sponsorships
One of the long-standing sponsors of the BMEP program and now the new BMEP association, is the B. Braun Foundation. Prof. Dr. Alexander Schachtrupp, Medical Director for Scientific Affairs at B. Braun and BMEP alumnus himself, presented the foundation and their activities.
Finally, Mark Turrel, M.A., a technology pioneer and former Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, and PD Dr. med. Sönke Bartling provided an outlook on “The Science of Tomorrow”, covering Artificial Intelligence, novel crowdfunding methods for science projects based on blockchain (ICOs) and further computer-augmented life extension and its associated social as well as economic implications many exciting topics.
In conclusion, the relaunching of the organisation and its first transatlantic BMEP Summer Forum 2017 can be regarded as a huge success.
The active Alumni Association managed to bring together alumni and alumnae from several decades of the Academic Year programme. Inspiring speakers presented exciting topics that sparked controversial discussions among the audience.
The spirit of the founder and former President, Prof. Stolte, in bringing different scientific specialities together and in touching most current issues of today as well as visionary areas was certainly carried on: As Birgit Stolte put it:
“Transgenerational, transatlantic and transdisciplinary at its best.”
We are very pleased about the positive resonance and opportunity to catch up with many of you at the Summer Forum.
Mingling of speakers, guests, supporters, sponsors, BMEP students and BMEP alumni at the Closing Ceremony of the 1st transtatlantic Summer Forum 2017.
The Core Organizing Committee deeply thanks the speakers, participants, guests for turning this meeting into a success! We further would like to express our gratitude to everyone among the Alumni Association, as well as Friends, Supporters and Sponsors of the program, for their outstanding contributions.
See you next year at the 2nd transatlantic Forum 2018!
More details will be released on time at www.bmep.info.
Sincerely,
Your BMEP e.V. Core Team
References
1) http://blogs.plos.org/synbio/2017/10/05/when-will-crispr-get-a-nobel-prize/
Download as PDF
http://bmep.info/2751-2/
