Dr. Herbert Stolzenberg Publication Award for the Life Sciences

After receiving 13 excellent applications from GGL members and alumni, we are happy to announce that we were able to award the first Dr. Herbert Stolzenberg Publication Award for Research in the Life Sciences at our Graduation Ceremony on 30 November 2022 to two young scientists.

The awardees are Marija Gredić, PhD, Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, and Katrin Wiltschka, Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, Justus Liebig University Giessen. Our warmest congratulations!

Marija Gredić received the Dr Herbert Stolzenberg Publication Award in recognition of her outstanding publication " Myeloid-cell-specific deletion of inducible nitric oxide synthase protects against smoke-induced pulmonary hypertension in mice."

Marija Gredic investigated how protection against pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is possible. This disease is the third most common cause of death worldwide and triggered by air pollution and tobacco smoke. She was able to show that inactivation of a specific enzyme, said nitric oxide synthase, can protect against pulmonary hypertension. In her outstandingly thorough investigations, she used a wide range of methods including laboratory studies as well as preclinical models on mice and in human lung tissue. Her results could be an approach for developing new therapy concepts.

Katrin Wiltschka has particularly convinced the selection committee with her publication "Hydrodechlorination of hexachlorobenzene in a miniaturized nano-Pd(0) reaction system combined with the simultaneous extraction of all dechlorination products".  She investigated a new approach for the dechlorination and eventual biodegradation of hexachlorobenzene (HCB). This compound was used as a fungicide and disinfectant in the past but is now banned due to its harmful impact on human health and long lifetime in the environment. Katrin Wiltschka investigated the potential of novel catalytically active metal nanoparticles to accelerate the degradation of HCB in order to remove the compounds from natural resources such as water or soil.

The award winners were honored by Gerhard Jung (Commerzbank AG), representative of the Dr. Herbert Stolzenberg Award, and Prof. Dr. Eveline Baumgart-Vogt, Director of the GGL.