NEWS
The Department of Immunology plays a prominent role within the measles and rubella network and has a high visibility within the World Health Organization. Prof. Dr. Claude P. Muller and Dr. Judith Hübschen will give 4 oral presentations during the meeting.
A report will follow after the meeting.
Photo: Prof. Dr. Claude P. Muller (left) and Dr. Judith Hübschen (right)
The paper ranked 4th in 2011 (http://www.scfbm.org/mostviewed/year ), and is already one of the most viewed papers of all time in this journal (currently ranked 6th ).
The article underscores an example of previous and ongoing collaborative efforts that result in new computing tools to enable biomedical research at CRP-Santé and elsewhere.
In addition, the department collaborates with many countries on the surveillance and characterisation of human and animal viruses of major public health and veterinary interest. 2011 was a particularly successful year: 29 publications + 6 in press including a patent application with 42 international partners from 13 European countries and 3 countries from Asia, 3 from Africa and 4 from Newly Independent States (former Soviet Republics) and USA as well as with partners from the WHO Measles and Rubella laboratory network. By the end of the year 2011 the department sports a total of 214 publications. Members of the department have given presentations in more than 50 countries worldwide (75 in 14 countries in 2011 alone), and are solicited as experts not only by WHO but also by the Worldbank, the EU, ECDC, CDC and other international organisations. For instance, CDC and WHO have nominated the Head of Department to the 8-member expert panel to examine the feasibility of worldwide eradication of measles and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). In 2011, department staff has been invited to write expert reviews for textbooks on BSL3 and BSL4 pathogens and book chapters for the renowned Conn’s Current Therapy . The department signed a new agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Luxembourg to collaborate with laboratories of the New Independent States for research, surveillance and capacity building on viral infections. But not only our international collaborations have received much attention. For instance, a prevalence study of antibodies against swine-origin pandemic A/H1N1/2009 virus performed in collaboration with the Direction de la Santé in Luxembourg swine workers is unique in Europe.
Laurence Renard defended her thesis at the University of Paris Descartes for 3 hours and was evaluated by a jury composed of international experts coming from the Public Health field. She was strongly congratulated on the quality of her oral presentation and her multidisciplinary work gathering the fields of Public Health, Epidemiology, Diabetes, Health Economics. Her thesis has received the recognition of the “European Label” and was held in a beautiful and historic place at the “Ecole de Médecine de Paris”, University Paris-Descartes.
The jury was composed of:
President: Prof. Marcel GOLDBERG, University of Versailles (France)
Thesis promotor : Prof. Claudine Blum-Boisgard, University Paris-Descartes (France).
Reporters : Prof. Carlo De PIetro, University of Bocconi (Italy) and Prof. Alain Leveque, University of Brussels ULB (Belgium)
Other members:
Prof. Pierre Lombrail, University of Paris, 13 (France) and Prof. Serge Briançon, University of Nancy (France).
Stress represents a significant problem for Western societies. The human glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is the receptor for the key stress molecule cortisol. Lei Cao has concentrated on the structure of the gene of the GR, and mechanisms controlling GR transcription. In her study, both genomic and environmental factors linked with GR expression are covered. This research showed that GR promoters were susceptible to silencing by methylation and the activity of the individual promoters was also modulated by SNPs. The research presented in this thesis explored several layers of complexity in GR transcriptional regulation.
Lei Cao has written or co-authored 2 publications, three other publications are submitted or in preparation. She has given a number of oral presentations, both as department seminars and at national and international meetings.
Lei was a member of the renowned DFG- and NWO-sponsored International Research Training Group on 'Psychoneuroendocrinology of Stress: from Molecules and Genes to Affect and Cognition', which is a joined venture of Melly Oitzl's & Ron de Kloet's Leiden research group and the psychobiology research groups in Trier and Luxembourg.
Her PhD has been sponsored by a fellowship of the Fonds National de la Recherche, Luxembourg and the DFG, Germany.
Lei Cao will leave the Department in February 2011 to return back to China to continue with a career in science.
Publications list of Lei Cao during her PhD at the Department of Immunology
L Cao, SC Leija, R Kumsta, S Wüst, J Meyer, JD Turner, CP Muller. Transcriptional control of the human glucocorticoid receptor: Identification and analysis of alternative promoter regions. Human Genetics 129, 533-543, 2011.
JD Turner, SR Alt, L Cao, S Vernocchi, S Trifonova, N Battello, CP Muller. Transcriptional control of the glucocorticoid receptor: CpG islands, epigenetics and more. Biochem Pharmacol 80, 1860-1868, 2010.
SR Alt, L Cao, SR Alt, SC Leija, SB Mériaux, OC Meijer, JD Turner, CP Muller. Transcriptional regulation and epigenetic sensitivity of the glucocorticoid receptor transcript 1F. Submitted.
L Cao-Lei, S Suwansirikul, P Jutavijittum, SB Mériaux, JD Turner, CP Muller. Glucocorticoid receptor gene expression and promoter methylation status throughout the human brains. Submitted.
N Grova, L Cao-Lei, H Schroeder, CP Muller CP. Effects of an oral subacute administration of benzo(a)pyrene on cerebral CYP1A1 expression and anxiety-related behaviour in adult mice. In preparation.
Mathematical detail will be avoided but the value of statistics as a form of advanced common sense and a guide to rational decision-making will be stressed. The emphasis will be on practical philosophy rather than abstract algebra.
Details and online registration on : www.Statistical-Issues.lu