Martina Sester is a biologist, Professor of Transplantation and Infection Immunology and Head of Department of the Institute of Infection Medicine at Saarland University Hospital[1] as well as former Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer at Saarland University.[2]

Martina Sester
TitleProfessor of Transplantation and Infection Immunology
Academic background
EducationMax Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics
ThesisStruktur-Funktions-Analyse des Adenovirus E3/19K Proteins: Charakterisierung der Interaktion mit MHC Klasse I Molekülen und dem 'Amyloid Precursor like Protein 2' (APLP2) (1996)
Academic work
DisciplineBiologist
Websitehttps://www.uniklinikum-saarland.de/de/einrichtungen/kliniken_institute/infektionsmedizin/transplantations_und_infektionsimmunologie

In her department, she combines basic and clinical research[3] and focuses on analysing the reaction of the immune system to pathogens such as the human cytomegalovirus, the tubercle bacillus, adenoviruses or HIV.[4] She also deals with the optimization of immunosuppression, for example after organ transplantation.[1]

Career

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Martina Sester studied biology at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg and at the University of Sussex in Brighton from 1991 to 1994. In 1996, she completed her doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology in Freiburg with a thesis on proteins of a subtype of adenoviruses.[5]

After her doctorate, she moved to Saarland University Hospital (UKS) in Homburg and headed a research laboratory focusing on infection immunology and immune monitoring until 2009.

In 1999, the Association of Friends of the UKS awarded her the €10,000 research prize on the topic of “Accurate virus diagnostics after transplantations”.

In 2004 she habilitated and received the authorisation to teach in the subject of experimental medicine.[6]

In the following years, she and a colleague developed a new immunoassay for transplantation. The procedure is used to test whether a patient's immune system is strong enough to fight an infection with the cytomegalovirus or whether it is necessary to take action against possible complications with medication. For this purpose, the individual relationship between viral load and immune defence is determined.[7] The procedure was included in routine diagnostics after organ transplants at the university hospital and formed the basis for further research projects in the field of other bacterial and viral infections and found its way into more than 100 publications.[8]

In 2009, Martina Sester was appointed Professor of Transplantation and Infection Immunology at the UKS.[6]

In addition to her academic career, Martina Sester is involved in the committees of her university. She was deputy vice dean of the Department of Clinical Medicine and deputy dean of research.[9]

She is a member of national and international professional societies, such as the steering committee of TBNet, an international tuberculosis network, for the area of translational research.[10] In the Transplantation Society, a research NGO on transplant medicine, she worked on the guidelines for the management of cytomegalovirus infections after organ transplantation as a member of the CMV expert group in 2017.[11] Furthermore, she is co-author of further medical guidelines.[12]

In 2018, she was awarded the Memento Research Prize for Neglected Diseases for her contribution to combating tuberculosis or improving healthcare for people affected by the disease.[13]

Publications (Selection)

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  • Struktur-Funktions-Analyse des Adenovirus E3/19K Proteins: Charakterisierung der Interaktion mit MHC Klasse I Molekülen und dem 'Amyloid Precursor like Protein 2' (APLP2) (Dissertation) (in German). Freiburg (Breisgau). 1996.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

References

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  1. ^ a b "Abteilung für Transplantations- und Infektionsimmunologie". Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes (in German). Retrieved 2020-03-22.
  2. ^ "Dies sind die vier neuen Vizepräsidenten der Saar-Universität". Saarbrücker Zeitung (in German). 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  3. ^ "Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes - Transplantations- und Infektionsimmunologie". Retrieved 2020-03-22.
  4. ^ Universitätsmedizin am UKS. Kompetenzbericht 2012 (PDF). 2012. p. 161.
  5. ^ Struktur-Funktions-Analyse des Adenovirus E3/19K Proteins: Charakterisierung der Interaktion mit MHC Klasse I Molekülen und dem 'Amyloid Precursor like Protein 2' (APLP2). 1996.
  6. ^ a b Curricula Vitae Prof. Dr. Martina Sester (PDF) (in German), 2022, retrieved 2023-02-22
  7. ^ Neuer Routine-Test soll Transplantationen sicherer machen (PDF). 2005. p. 15.
  8. ^ Gestern Preisträger – heute? Forschungspreisträger berichten (PDF). 2018. p. 12.
  9. ^ "Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes - Fakultätsleitung" (in German). 2016-05-13. Archived from the original on 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  10. ^ "About Us". TBnet. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
  11. ^ "TTS Konsensusempfehlungen zur CMV Infektion nach Organtransplantation". uniklinikum-saarland.de (in German). Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
  12. ^ Bumbacea, Dragos; Arend, Sandra M.; Eyuboglu, Fusun; Fishman, Jay A.; Goletti, Delia; Ison, Michael G.; Jones, Christine E.; Kampmann, Beate; Kotton, Camille N.; Lange, Christoph; Ljungman, Per; Milburn, Heather; Morris, Michele I.; Muller, Elmi; Muñoz, Patricia (October 2012). "The risk of tuberculosis in transplant candidates and recipients: a TBNET consensus statement". European Respiratory Journal. 40 (4): 990–1013. doi:10.1183/09031936.00000712. ISSN 0903-1936. PMID 22496318. S2CID 18691065.
  13. ^ "Der Memento Forschungspreis". memento-preis.de (in German). Ärzte ohne Grenzen e. V. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
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