With the BIH Johanna Quandt Professorships, Stiftung Charité supports outstanding women scientists in the life sciences who have already established scientific independence and are on their way to becoming internationally recognized leaders in their fields.
Across the two previous calls for applications in 2016 and 2019, six women scientists were appointed to BIH Johanna Quandt Professorships. Their subsequent career development demonstrates the lasting impact of the program: today, all six hold permanent professorships and scientific leadership positions. They lead research programs, coordinate international collaborations, and shape their respective fields.
„The Johanna Quandt Professorship was a quantum leap for my professional independence. It elevated both my scientific achievements and my personal visibility to a new level. I consider this format an ideal model of support, as it enables and encourages the development of an independent focus in both research and clinical medicine.“ – Il-Kang Na
The program strategically targets a career stage at which the representation of women in the German academic system declines markedly, thereby contributing to greater equal opportunities in science and medicine. It combines scientific independence, a binding pathway to a permanent professorship, and the opportunity to develop an individual research profile.
The professorships are embedded in the shared research area of the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC). They strengthen health research in Berlin and foster innovative approaches at the interface of basic research, clinical research, and patient care.
The BIH Johanna Quandt Professors
In the two calls for applications in 2016 and 2019, six women scientists were appointed as BIH Johanna Quandt Professors. Their research spans digital brain simulation and precision medicine, immunotherapy and human organ models, as well as cancer prevention. Together, they have pioneered new areas of research and helped shape translational medicine in Berlin.
„The Johanna Quandt Professorship gave me the freedom to develop an innovative translational research concept. It enabled me to strengthen my scientific profile, advance my career in a focused way, and further reinforce the connection between research and clinical application in Berlin.“ – Kirsten Kübler
BIH Johanna Quandt Professor for Therapy-Induced Remodeling in Immuno-Oncology (since 2017)
BIH Johanna Quandt Professor for Brain Simulation (since 2017)
BIH Johanna Quandt Professor for Hypertension and the Molecular Biology of Endocrine Tumors (since 2017)
BIH Johanna Quandt Professor for Translational Immune Mechanisms (2021-2024)
BIH Johanna Quandt Professor for Translational Human Organ Models (2021-2024)
BIH Johanna Quandt Professor for Early Cancer Development and Prevention (since 2021)
What has distinguished the BIH Johanna Quandt Professorships
From the outset, the BIH Johanna Quandt Professorships followed an approach that differed from traditional endowed professorships. At the heart of the program were scientific independence, long-term career perspectives, and the targeted support of outstanding women scientists on their path to leadership positions.
Defining features of the program included:
- an international call for applications
- a binding pathway to a permanent professorship
- scientific independence
- substantial financial support and long-term institutional commitment
- integration into the shared research area of BIH, Charité, and MDC
The previous funding rounds were also deliberately open with regard to research topics. Rather than defining specific disciplines, the program focused on outstanding women scientists and their ideas. The BIH Johanna Quandt Professors determined the direction of their professorships themselves and developed independent research profiles.
„The Johanna Quandt Professorship makes an important contribution to promoting equal opportunities in science and society – an objective that, despite some progress, has not yet been achieved. At the same time, its thematic openness creates opportunities for innovative, interdisciplinary research fields that often emerge beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. As a researcher working on digital brain twins at the intersection of medicine, computer science, mathematics, and other disciplines, the professorship enabled me to continue my academic career at Charité and BIH and to establish a pioneering field of research with lasting impact.” – Petra Ritter
“One of the most distinctive features of the Johanna Quandt Professorships, in my view, is their thematic openness. My work lies at the intersection of several disciplines. The BIH Johanna Quandt Professorship enabled me to continue and expand this work within Berlin’s outstanding research environment.” – Ute Scholl
Through this approach, the program combined equal opportunities, scientific excellence, and structural innovation. It reflected key recommendations of the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat) and set early benchmarks for modern career pathways in the life sciences.
A Lasting Impact on Science and Careers
The BIH Johanna Quandt Professorships provided outstanding women scientists with scientific independence, long-term perspectives, and excellent conditions for their further development and, in doing so, left a lasting mark on research, institutions, and careers alike.
The BIH Johanna Quandt Professors established independent research programs, gained international visibility, and assumed leadership responsibilities. Today, all six hold permanent professorships and scientific leadership positions.
At the same time, the professors have shaped – and continue to shape – the profile of Berlin’s life sciences ecosystem. They established new research approaches and research infrastructures, strengthened national and international collaborations, and contributed to the scientific development of the BIH.