Prof. Dr. Gesine Hansen is co-speaker of RESIST and participates in research projects A1 and B1.

My Research Interest in RESIST

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in young children and a major cause of hospital admissions and health-care expenditures globally. One of our major scientific interests in RESIST is to identify susceptibility factors for severe RSV infections in infants and to find biomarkers that predict the course of the disease. The long-term goal is to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies for protection of infants and elderly people from severe RSV infections. Another major research focus is the identification of environmental factors that favour the development of a protective immunity in premature and mature babies with long term effects on a healthy life. 

Contact

Prof. Hansen about her scientific work

This Video was recorded in 2021.

Prof. Dr. Gesine Hansen – Curriculum Vitae

Current Position

  • Since 2005 Professor of Pediatrics (W3) and Clinical Director, Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany 

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training

  • 1985 – 1992 Medical School, Bochum University & Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London, UK 

  • 1992 Medical Doctorate (Dr. med.), Dep. of Microbiology & Virology, Bochum University 

  • 1992 License as MD

  • 1993 – 1997 Resident and Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, Düsseldorf University 

  • 1997 – 1999 Research Associate, Dept. of Immunology & Transplantation Biology, Stanford University, CA, USA 

  • 1999 – 2003 Fellow and Senior Consultant (Oberärztin), Pediatrics, Halle University 

  • 2001 Habilitation and venia legendi in Pediatrics, Halle University 

Academic and Research Posts

  • 2001 – 2006 Head Research Group “Immune regulatory mechanisms in allergic asthma”, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

  • 2003 – 2005 Professor of Pediatrics (C3 professorship), Dep. of Pediatrics, Halle

  • Since 2005 Professor of Pediatrics (W3 professorship), Chair Center of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, MHH 

  • 2009 – 2014 Speaker, Collaborative Research Center 587 “Immune regulation of the lung in infection and allergy”, German Research Foundation (DFG)

  • Since 2013 Member, management board, German Center for Lung Research- BREATH (BMBF) 

  • Since 2018 Programme Commission Clinician Scienstist Academy PRACTIS, MHH (DFG) 

  • Since 2019 Speaker, Else Kröner Forschungskolleg for Physicians TITUS- The First Thousand Days of Life – Early Priming and Prevention

  • Since 2019 Deputy Speaker, Cluster of Excellence 2155 “RESIST” – Resolving Infection Susceptibility

  • 2006 – 2014 and 2021-2023 Chair, Center of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

  • Since 2024 Board of Five Directors, German Center for Lung Research (DZL)

Other Scientific Roles

  • Since 2006 Commission for Drugs in Children&Adolescents, Member, Federal Ministry of Health 

  • 2004 – 2008 Executive Committee Member, International Society of Pediatric Pneumology 

  • 2006 – 2014 Board Member, Graduate School 108 (DFG)

  • 2007 – 2011 Project leader, Clinical Research Group 123 (DFG) 

  • Since 2007 Member of the Research Commission of the MHH

  • 2008 – 2015 President, International Society of Pediatric Pneumology (GPP) 

  • 2008 – 2015 Executive Committee Member, Society of Pediatric Allergology 

  • 2008 – 2013 Advisory Board Member, Program of Medical Genome Research (BMBF) 

  • 2016 – 2024 Elected Panel Member, Germany Research Foundation (DFG)

  • Since 2016 Member, Review Board Commission, Germany Research Foundation (DFG) 

  • 2019 – 2023 Member Executive Board German Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

  • 2020 – 2024 Appointed Member Selection Committee Alexander von Humboldt Professorships

  • 2023 Congress President, German Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

  • 2023 – 2027 Supervisory Board, University Hospital Jena, Germany

Awards and Prizes

  • 2000 International Young Investigator Award, Munich, Germany

  • 2001 Johannes Wenner Award, Int. Society of Pediatric Pneumology, Bern, Switzerland

  • 2001 Arthur Schlossmann Award, Society of Pediatrics, Germany

  • 2002 Wilhelm-Roux-Research Award, Martin-Luther-University, Halle, Germany

  • 2002 Adalbert-Czerny-Award, German Society of Pediatrics, Leipzig, Germany

  • 2003 International Pharmacia Allergy Research Award, Vancouver, Canada

  • 2007 Karl Hansen Award, German Society for Allergy & Clin Immunology, Lübeck, Germany 

  • 2013 Eva Luise Köhler Research Award for Rare Diseases, Berlin, Germany

  • 2013 Member, Leopoldina, National Academy of Sciences 

Recommended Links

For further information about Prof. Hansen’s scientific work please check the following links:

10 Selected Publications

Drug repurposing screen identifies lonafarnib as respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein inhibitor. Sake, S. M., X. Y. Zhang, M. K. Rajak, M. Urbanek-Quaing, A. Carpentier, A. P. Gunesch, C. Grethe, A. Matthaei, J. Rückert, M. Galloux, T. Larcher, R. Le Goffic, F. Hontonnou, A. K. Chatterjee, K. Johnson, K. Morwood, K. Rox, W. A. M. Elgaher, J. B. Huang, M. Wetzke, G. Hansen, N. Fischer, J. F. Eléouët, M. A. Rameix-Welti, A. K. H. Hirsch, E. Herold, M. Empting, C. Lauber, T. F. Schulz, T. Krey, S. Haid, and T. Pietschmann. 2024. Nat Commun 15: 1173. PMID 38332002

Pathogen spectra in hospitalised and nonhospitalised children with community-acquired pneumonia. Wetzke, M., K. Schutz, M. V. Kopp, J. Seidenberg, C. Vogelberg, T. Ankermann, C. Happle, G. Voigt, H. Koster, T. Illig, C. Lex, A. Schuster, R. Maier, M. Panning, G. Barten, G. Rohde, T. Welte, and G. Hansen. 2023. ERJ Open Res 9. PMID 36923566

IRIS: Infection with Respiratory Syncytial Virus in infants – a prospective observational cohort study. Wetzke, M., D. Funken, M. Lange, L. Bejo, S. Haid, J. G. T. Monteiro, K. Schutz, C. Happle, T. F. Schulz, J. Seidenberg, T. Pietschmann, and G. Hansen. 2022. BMC Pulm Med 22: 88. PMID 35291998

IgA(+) memory B-cells are significantly increased in patients with asthma and small airway dysfunction. Habener, A., R. Grychtol, S. Gaedcke, D. DeLuca, A. M. Dittrich, C. Happle, M. Abdo, H. Watz, F. Pedersen, I. R. Konig, D. Thiele, M. V. Kopp, E. von Mutius, T. Bahmer, K. F. Rabe, A. Meyer-Bahlburg, G. Hansen, A. S. G. 2022.  Eur Respir J 60. PMID 35595320

Regulatory B cells control airway hyperreactivity and lung remodeling in a murine asthma model. Habener, A., C. Happle, R. Grychtol, J. Skuljec, M. Busse, K. Daluge, H. Obernolte, K. Sewald, A. Braun, A. Meyer-Bahlburg, and G. Hansen. 2021. J Allergy Clin Immunol 147: 2281-2294 e2287. PMID 33249168

Pulmonary transplantation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages ameliorates pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Happle, C., N. Lachmann, M. Ackermann, A. Mirenska, G. Göhring, K. Thomay, A. Mucci, M. Hetzel, T. Glomb, T. Suzuki, C. Chalk, S. Glage, O. Dittrich-Breiholz, B. Trapnell, T. Moritz, and G. Hansen. 2018. Am J Resp Crit Care 198: 350-360. PMID 29652170

B cells control maternofetal priming of allergy and tolerance in a murine model of allergic airway inflammation. Happle, C., A. C. Jirmo, A. Meyer-Bahlburg, A. Habener, H. G. Hoymann, C. Hennig, J. Skuljec, and G. Hansen. 2018. J Allergy Clin Immun 141: 685-696. PMID 28601684

Gene correction of human induced pluripotent stem cells repairs the cellular phenotype in pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Lachmann, N., C. Happle, M. Ackermann, D. Luttge, M. Wetzke, S. Merkert, M. Hetzel, G. Kensah, M. Jara-Avaca, A. Mucci, J. Skuljec, A. M. Dittrich, N. Pfaff, S. Brennig, A. Schambach, D. Steinemann, G. Gohring, T. Cantz, U. Martin, N. Schwerk, G. Hansen*, and T. Moritz*. 2014. Am J Resp Crit Care 189: 167-182. PMID 24279725 (*equal contribution)

Pulmonary transplantation of macrophage progenitors as effective and long-lasting therapy for hereditary pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Happle, C., N. Lachmann, J. Skuljec, M. Wetzke, M. Ackermann, S. Brennig, A. Mucci, A. C. Jirmo, S. Groos, A. Mirenska, C. Hennig, T. Rodt, J. P. Bankstahl, N. Schwerk, T. Moritz, and G. Hansen. 2014.  Science Transl Med 6. PMID 25143363

Allergen-specific Th1 cells fail to counterbalance Th2 cell-induced airway hyperreactivity but cause severe airway infmammation. Hansen G., G. Berry., RH DeKruyff, and DT Umetsu .1999.  J Clin Invest 103. PMID 9916129

Contact

  Prof. Dr. Gesine Hansen
  Klinik für Pädiatrische Pneumologie, Allergologie und Neonatologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
  Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1
30625 Hannover
  +49 511 532-9138
  Hansen.Gesine@
mh-hannover.de