07/10/2022

Malene Hansen to join IMB’s Scientific Advisory Board


PRESS RELEASE

07 October – The Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) is pleased to announce that Dr Malene Hansen will be joining its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Malene is a Professor and Chief Scientific Officer at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, California, USA. She is a global leader in the field of ageing research and is deeply committed to the education and mentoring of junior scientists.

Prof. Malene Hansen’s research focuses on cellular autophagy, a homeostatic process by which cells remove and recycle misfolded or damaged proteins. This is extremely important for maintaining cell function and organismal health. Autophagy is thought to be a key mechanism of ageing, as many organisms show decreased autophagy with age. Moreover, perturbed autophagy is often seen in age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disease.  

Malene’s lab focuses on understanding how autophagy declines with ageing, and the underlying genes that regulate these changes. Her work is the first step towards the discovery of new treatments to treat age-related diseases, extend human lifespan and promote healthy ageing.

Malene’s extensive expertise in ageing research will be an invaluable addition to IMB's SAB. The SAB is comprised of seven internationally renowned researchers, who visit IMB every 1-2 years to review its achievements and provide advice and recommendations on the institute’s strategic research directions and management, as well as recruitment and career development programmes for junior scientists. We welcome Prof. Hansen to our SAB and look forward to receiving her advice and guidance.


Further details

Further information can be found at https://www.buckinstitute.org/lab/hansen-lab

About the Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH

The Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH (IMB) is a centre of excellence in the life sciences that was established in 2011 on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). Research at IMB focuses on the cutting-edge fields of epigenetics, genome stability, ageing and RNA biology. The institute is a prime example of successful collaboration between a private foundation and government: The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation has committed 154 million euros to be disbursed from 2009 until 2027 to cover the operating costs of research at IMB. The State of Rhineland-Palatinate has provided approximately 50 million euros for the construction of a state-of-the-art building and is giving a further 52 million in core funding from 2020 until 2027. For more information about IMB, please visit: www.imb.de.

Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation

The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that is committed to the promotion of the medical, biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical sciences. It was established in 1977 by Hubertus Liebrecht (1931–1991), a member of the shareholder family of the Boehringer Ingelheim company. Through its Perspectives Programme Plus 3 and its Exploration Grants, the Foundation supports independent junior group leaders. It also endows the international Heinrich Wieland Prize, as well as awards for up-and-coming scientists in Germany. In addition, the Foundation funds institutional projects in Germany, such as the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), the department of life sciences at the University of Mainz, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg. www.bistiftung.de

Press contact for further information

Dr Ralf Dahm, Director of Scientific Management

Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH (IMB), Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 6131 39 21455, Email: press(at)imb.de