DKMS John Hansen Research Grant
Grant for the study of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cell therapy for hematological diseases
In honor of John A. Hansen, this grant is intended to provide financial support to promising young researchers to advance the understanding of complications and therapeutic strategies in the context of hematological diseases. The grant is funded by the foundation DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden and administered by the DKMS Group gGmbH.
Application period closed for the DKMS John Hansen Research Grant 2025
Thank you to everyone who applied for the DKMS John Hansen Research Grant! The application period is now officially closed.
For those who missed the opportunity, don’t worry - we will announce the next call for applications in 2025.
Thank you for your interest in advancing research and innovation!
Description of the grant
The DKMS John Hansen Research Grant awards €240,000 for a time period of three years (maximum €80,000 annually), subject to reasonable progress of the research. Up to four projects will be selected from the eligible applications.
Research scope
The research proposal needs to address issues on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or cell therapy for hematological diseases. Various aspects can be covered, including but not limited to: diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, transplant immunology, stem cell transplantation complications, donor selection, or cell manufacturing.
Qualifications of the applicant
Applicants must have received a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent achievements) in a field pertinent to the grant within the last 10 years from the grant call start date (for details please refer to the funding guidelines). Applicants do not need to hold a faculty position and may be trainees (Fellows, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Junior Faculties). Applicants from all countries are invited to submit an application.
If you have any further questions, please write to grant@dkms.org
Awardees 2024
Senthil Bhoopalan, MD, PhD
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, USA
Project title: "Preclinical Development of Lentiviral Vector Gene Therapy for Diamond-Blackfan Anemia"
JHRG_2024_Abstract for Publication_Bhoopalan.pdf
Nicoletta Cieri, MD, PhD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA
Project title: "Systematic identification of minor histocompatibility antigens to inform GvHD outcomes"
Livius Penter, MD
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Project title: "Single cell phenotypes and dynamics of measurable residual disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation"
Tobias Wertheimer, MD
University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany
Project title: alloPRECISE (allogeneic stem cell transplantation PRECIsion Oncology using SystEms Immunology)
Selected projects 2015–2023
2023 - Ivan Cohen, PhD
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, USA
Project title: "Precision targeting of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma using Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells"
2023 - Eiko Hayase, MD, PhD
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
Project title: "Developing a novel synbiotic strategy with Bacteroides ovatus for intestinal graft-versus-host disease"
2023 - Andri Lemarquis, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA
Project title: "The role of recirculating Tregs in endogenous thymic regeneration"
2023 - Eliana Ruggiero, PhD
University Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan, Italy
Project title: "Exploiting newly identified anti-tumor TCRs to dissect the T cells/leukemia interplay in acute myeloid leukemia"
Selected projects 2015–2022
2022 - Sarah Lindner, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA
Project title: “Bile acid signaling affects Graft-versus-Host disease”
2022 - Sabrina Prommersberger, PhD
Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Germany
Project title: “Leveraging dasatinib as an ON/OFF switch for SLAMF7 CAR T cells to prevent fratricide and exhaustion and augment anti-myeloma potency”
2022 - Cristina Toffalori, PhD
San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy
Project title: “Multimodal mapping of the leukemia immune microenvironment to personalize the therapy of posttransplantation relapses”
2021 - Ignazio Caruana, PhD
University Children's Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
Inducible CAR-T-cells derived from a donor-derived peptide-stimulated oligoclonal T-cell population with on/off-switches for targeted immunotherapy post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
2021 - Shuichiro Takashima, PhD, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA
STAT1-driven orchestration of the intestinal stem cell response to gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease
2021 - Esteban Arrieta-Bolaños, PhD
University Hospital Essen, Germany
Unraveling HLA-DM-sensitive T-cell alloreactivity against HLA-DP: mining for novel tools in leukemia immunotherapy
2021 - Miguel Álvaro-Benito, PhD
Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Beyond the classics: functional profiling of ncHLAII genetic variation
2020 - Cynthia Perez, PhD
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (Lausanne)
Exploiting SLAMF7 self-interactions to provide additional co-stimulation to CAR-T cells against multiple myeloma
2020 - Andrea Schmidts, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center (Boston)
CRISPR-based Modeling of Genetic Resistance to CAR-T Cell Therapy for Multiple Myeloma
2020 - Mirjam Belderbos, PhD, MD
Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology (Utrecht)
What is the optimal stem cell source for transplantation? Population dynamics of post-transplant hematopoiesis using single cell analysis of somatic mutations
2020 - Yiouli Ktena, MD
Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore)
Defining the role and targets of T cell DNA methylation in control of graft-versus-host disease and the graft-versus-tumor effect after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
2019 - Dr. May Daher
MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston)
CIS checkpoint deletion in cord blood derived iC9.CAR19.IL-15-NK cells for the treatment of B-cell hematologic malignancies
2019 - Dr. Natalie Köhler
Universtitätsklinikum Freiburg
Defensins as a potential treatment option for acute graft-versus-host disease
2019 - Dr. Kate Markey
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York)
Investigating the role of the microbiota in chronic GVHD and immune reconstitution after HCT
2019 - Dr. Katarina Riesner
Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Mechanisms and therapeutic targets of endothelial damage during GVHD
2018 - Pietro Crivello, PhD
University Hospital Essen
Impact of HLA-DM mediated peptidome editing on the immunogenicity of HLA-DP alloantigens
2018 - Dr. rer. nat. Elke Rücker-Braun
Technische Universität Dresden
NPM1mut-specific TCRs for immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia
2017 - PD Dr. med. Frederik Damm
Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Influence of donor clonal hematopoiesis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
2017 - PD Dr. med. Hendrik Poeck
Klinikum rechts der Isar (Munich)
PROTECTOR – Protecting the barrier by engagement of CyTOsolic nucleic acid receptors
2016 - Dr. rer. nat. Angela Jacobi
Technische Universität Dresden
Evaluation of mechanical properties as a novel marker to characterize and to sort human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells for transplantation
2016 - PD Dr. med. l-Kang Na
Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
The role of the bone marrow vascular niche for memory immunity after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
2015 - Jarrod Dudakov, PhD
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle)
Developing strategies to enhance T cell reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
2015 - Dr. Luca Vago
Fondazione Centro San Raffaele (Milan)
Novel approaches to decipher the biological mechanisms of post-transplantation leukemia relapse
John A. Hansen
The scholarships of the DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden have been renamed DKMS John Hansen Research Grant – after the exceptional physician and foundation board member of many years, John A. Hansen.
John A. Hansen, who passed away on July 31, 2019, at the age of 76, was an outstanding oncologist, an excellent immunogeneticist, and an empathic and compassionate physician. As a long-standing member of the DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden Foundation Board and the DKMS Medical Council, he was deeply connected to the DKMS family. With his groundbreaking research, he made a significant contribution to increasing blood stem cell and bone marrow transplants’ efficacy and safety – giving numerous patients a second chance at life.