Young Researchers Honored and Connected
With numerous participants, engaging scientific presentations, and in-depth professional discussions, the Young Research Day on May 18, 2026 at Magdeburg University Hospital was a resounding success. The event brought together students, doctoral candidates, and early-career researchers from various departments and provided a platform for presenting current research projects and for networking within the university hospital.
The event was jointly organized by the Commission for the Promotion of Young Researchers (NaKo) and the Health Campus for Immunology, Infectiology, and Inflammation (GC-I³).
A special focus was placed on the poster competition, in which early-career researchers presented their scientific projects. The entries were evaluated by a jury in the categories “Basic Biomedical Research,” “Clinical Research/Health Services Research,” and “Newcomers” with less than one year of research experience.
The Best Poster Awards 2026 went to:
Basic Biomedical Research
Aaron Hoffmann, Institute for Clinical Immunology and Cell Therapy (IKIZ)
Title of the work: “Anchored for action: a dual role for integrin β1 in mast cell perivascular positioning and vasoactivity to license leukocyte recruitment”
Clinical Research / Health Services Research
Stefan Tiedemann, University Clinic for Cardiology and Angiology (KKAR)
Title of the paper: “Acute effects of physical exercise on Klotho levels in young and older adults and possible modulation by SGLT-2 inhibitors”
Newcomer
Daria Terens, University Clinic for Orthopedics (KORT)
Thesis title: “Ag-Zn-PMEDM-modified prostheses for the prevention of periprosthetic infections”
In addition, the “Best Paper of the Year” award was presented in collaboration with the GC-I³. The award recognized outstanding scientific publications by early-career researchers.
The 2026 rankings:
1st place – €1,000
Dr. rer. nat. Konstantinos Katsoulis Dimitriou, Institute for Clinical Immunology and Cell Therapy (IKIZ)
Title of the publication: “Ingestion of mast cell granules boosts macrophages and drives atypical programming” published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
2nd place – €500
Corinna König, Division of Translational Inflammation Research (TEF)
Title of the publication: “Oligomerised RIPK1 is the main core component of the CD95 necrosome” published in The Embo Journal.
3rd place – €250
Dr. rer. nat. Lorena Morton Moreno, Institute for Inflammation and Neurodegeneration (IIN)
Publication title: “Vascular and Neural Transcriptomics Reveal Stage-Dependent Pathways to Inflammation and Cognitive Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Hypertension” published in Journal of the American Heart Association.
“Young Research Day impressively demonstrates the diversity, quality, and innovative strength of our next generation of scientists. At the same time, the event creates space for networking, scientific exchange, and new collaborations,” says Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Anne Albrecht, Vice Dean for Young Researchers and Equal Opportunity at the Faculty of Medicine.
In addition to scientific lectures and poster presentations, the event provided an opportunity for cross-disciplinary dialogue. Participants also made extensive use of information and advisory services regarding the promotion of young researchers and central research support at the Faculty of Medicine.
Furthermore, the Young Research Day provided students and doctoral candidates in particular with insights into current research topics and scientific career paths at Magdeburg University Medical Center. The event thus offered not only a platform for presenting scientific work but also guidance and inspiration for their own research and doctoral projects. Plans are in place to continue the event next year to support early-career researchers.
Dynamic page content: Gallery: YRD 2026 Winners, Client: ummd
Contact:
Dr. Anna Orlikowski, Office for Equality, Diversity, and Young Talent Development – Dean’s Office at the Faculty of Medicine, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, med4science@med.ovgu.de