JSPS Alumni Club Award 2020
by executive board member Dr. Wolfgang Staguhn
Laudation for Professor Dr. Beate Heissig, Nov. 20. 2020
Dr. Beate Heissig is currently Associate Professor at the Juntendo University at the Graduate School of Medicine. Her research topics include work in the fields of cancer research and stem cell research. Before that, Professor Heissig had worked as a scientist at Tokyo University in these research areas for 16 years.
As a German scientist, she heads an international laboratory with an international team at Juntendo University. In her function as Principal Investigator in Japan, she was able to open up the prospects for Japanese students to get a position in Germany for further research work. In the course of this scientific exchange, Professor Heissig works with several universities in Germany, including Ulm, Mainz and Heidelberg. But she was also able to pave the way for students/researcher from universities in Germany to Japanese universities, for example to Keio University or Tokyo University.
A new initiative of Professor Heissig in the scientific exchange between Japan and Germany is about a project with the Charite in Berlin.
This internationally renowned medical facility disposes of resources that enable extraordinarily productive basic research while at the same time strong scientific networking at international level. Dr. Heissig’s specific goal is to attract more German medical professionals to their research, but also to do their PhD here in Japan. A Japanese-German exchange program for students and medical professionals between Juntendo University and Charite can address research at all academic levels: students, postdocs and experienced scientists. The discussions so far are very promising and show that her project has also been received with great interest by the Charite. At present, at least 8 young scientists come to Juntendo University every year. The next step in this cooperation should be to develop exchanges in the opposite direction as well.
It is no exaggeration to describe the commitment of Professor Heissig for scientific exchange between Japan and Germany as a “Science Ambassador”. The JSPS Club would therefore like to award the JACA 2020 today and honor the work accordingly.
Acceptance Speech by Prof. Dr. med. Heissig
Video in the Club’s YouTube channel
Laudation by board member Dr. Wolfgang Staguhn
Report in Neues vom Club 01/2021 (in German)
Supplementary links for the field of work and scientific exchange:
Heissig Laboratory, Juntendo University
Clinical Observership Program, Juntendo University
Short Term Research Fellowship Program, Juntendo University