The Cluster of Excellence RESIST has elected two new representatives to its early-career committee YOUNG RESIST: PD Dr. Stephan Traidl will take on the role of postdoctoral representative, while Isabel Klefenz will represent the interests of doctoral researchers. Both bring not only strong scientific expertise but also a strong commitment to networking and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Stephan Traidl studied human medicine at Hannover Medical School (MHH) and received several scholarships during his studies, including support from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the Hannover Biomedical Research School (HBRS). International stays in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States—particularly in dermatology and allergology—shaped his scientific interests early on.
His doctoral thesis, conducted במסגרת the HBRS StrucMed program, focused on eczema herpeticum in atopic dermatitis. Since 2019, he has been working at the Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venereology at MHH. He subsequently completed the DFG-funded Clinician Scientist Program “PRACTIS” and, alongside his specialist medical training, the Master’s program in Biomedical Data Science established within RESIST. Since 2025, he has completed his habilitation and is a board-certified specialist, and is also pursuing a PhD in Data Science. His research focuses on herpes infections in atopic dermatitis, as well as the SI and VZV cohort within the context of the RESIST Cluster of Excellence.
As a long-standing scientist associated with RESIST, Traidl aims in particular to strengthen the link between clinical practice and research. A key concern for him is the promotion of early-career researchers: “Modern research is highly specialized and thrives on collaboration. YOUNG RESIST can play a decisive role here—both in connecting young researchers and in building bridges to established scientists.” He is also particularly committed to the further development of transparent and fair funding concepts for early-career projects and conference travel.
Isabel Klefenz also brings an international and interdisciplinary background. After a study period abroad at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France, she began her medical studies at Philipps University Marburg in 2015, where she already focused on infectious diseases and immunology. At the same time, she temporarily studied chemistry and spent two semesters at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh במסגרת an ERASMUS exchange. After graduating in 2022, she joined the HBRS MD/PhD program “Molecular Medicine” at the Institute of Human Genetics. There, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Doris Steinemann, she is researching the detection of structural genomic variants in patients with immunodeficiencies—primarily antibody deficiency syndromes—using optical genome mapping. Her project is part of a RESIST-funded research initiative.
In her new role, Klefenz sees a valuable opportunity to further strengthen collaboration within RESIST: “Exchange between research groups opens up new perspectives and enables deeper insights than isolated projects.” She is particularly committed to supporting early-career researchers, intensifying the exchange of ideas, and improving communication within the network. At the same time, she looks forward to gaining new inspiration from the work of other groups.
With Stephan Traidl and Isabel Klefenz, YOUNG RESIST gains two dedicated representatives who are committed to strong networking, transparent funding, and close collaboration across disciplinary boundaries—helping to actively shape the future of the RESIST Cluster of Excellence.
Copyright Foto Traidl: Karin Kaiser/MHH
Copyright Foto Klefenz: Marina Vnuchko/RESIST