Stefanie Dimmeler facts for kids

Stefanie Dimmeler, born on July 18, 1967, is a German biologist. She is an expert in understanding how diseases affect the heart and blood vessels. Her important work has earned her several awards, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. This prize was given for her research on how certain cells in blood vessels die in a planned way. Since 2008, she has been the director of the Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration at the University of Frankfurt. Her current research aims to find new ways, using cells and medicines, to help the heart heal and repair itself. She also works on using special molecules called non-coding RNAs to develop new treatments.

Her Life and Education

Stefanie Dimmeler grew up and went to school in towns like Hagnau and Stetten, and then high school in Markdorf. From 1986 to 1991, she studied biology at the University of Konstanz. In 1993, she earned her doctorate degree from Konstanz. Her research for this degree was about how "nitric oxide" affects cells.

After her doctorate, Dr. Dimmeler worked as a researcher at the University of Cologne from 1993 to 1995. Then, from 1995 to 2001, she continued her research at the University of Frankfurt am Main. In 1998, she became qualified to teach at a university level in experimental medicine. Her work focused on how blood vessel problems, like those in atherosclerosis, are linked to the death of certain cells.

Since 2001, she has been a Professor of Molecular Cardiology at the University of Frankfurt. In 2008, she became the Director of the Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration. This institute is part of the Center for Molecular Medicine at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Important Awards and Research Support

Dr. Dimmeler has received many important awards and grants for her research. In 2005, she won the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, which is a very high honor in German research. This prize came with a large amount of money to support her work. In 2007, she received the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine. She also received big research grants from the European Research Council in 2008 and 2015. These grants helped her continue her important studies.

In 2020, Dr. Dimmeler was chosen to be the Chairwoman of the "German Center for Cardiovascular Research e.V." (DZHK). This organization works to improve how common diseases are prevented, found, and treated. It was started in 2011 by the German government. The main goal of the DZHK and other similar centers is to quickly turn new discoveries from basic research into real treatments for patients.

Dr. Dimmeler is also a spokesperson for the "Cardio-Pulmonary Institute." This is a special research group that receives funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Her Scientific Discoveries

Dr. Dimmeler has written more than 470 scientific papers. Her research team works to understand the basic ways heart and blood vessel diseases happen. Their goal is to create new treatments, both with cells and medicines, to improve how these diseases are handled. Her current research looks at how special molecules called RNA and different cell types can help the heart repair itself. She has been recognized as a "Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher" since 2014. This means her work is very important and often referred to by other scientists around the world.

Awards and Honors

• 2022: Otto Warburg Medal
• 2021: Paul-Morawitz-Preis
• 2020: Gold Medal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
• 2018: Selby Travelling Fellowship
• 2017: Member of the German Academy for Science Leopoldina
• 2017: Willy Pitzer Award
• 2016: Paul Dudley White Lecture
• 2016: Michael Oliver Memorial Lecture
• 2015: Thomas W. Smith Memorial Lecture Award
• 2014-2018: Thomson Reuters "Highly Cited Researcher"
• 2014: Madrid Award for Cardiovascular Stem Cell Therapy
• 2010: Life Achievement Award
• 2008: Research Award of the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
• 2007: Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine
• 2006: Karl-Landsteiner Lecture
• 2006: Basic Science Lecture and Silver Medal of the European Society of Cardiology
• 2006: FEBS Anniversary Prize
• 2005: George E. Brown Memorial Lecture
• 2005: Leibniz Award of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
• 2004: Forssmann Award
• 2002: Alfried Krupp-Award
• 2000: Award of the German Cardiac Society
• 1999: Award of the Herbert and Hedwig Eckelmann-Foundation
• 1998: Award of the German Heart Foundation
• 1994: Fritz-Külz-Award
• 1991: Foundation of German Sciences, Award