On November 17–18, 2025, the Lung Science Meeting took place in Hannover for the first time under the joint patronage of the DZL Academy, the German Respiratory Society (DGP), and the Society for Pediatric Pulmonology (GPP). Together with representatives of the DZL Academy, DZL scientists Prof. Dr. Christine Happle (Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Neonatology) and Prof. Dr. Jonas Schupp (Department of Pneumology and Infectious Diseases) at Hannover Medical School—who played a major role in shaping the scientific focus of the meeting—invited early-career researchers in German lung research to participate.
Around 130 participants gathered at the Hannover Medical Park to present their research projects, network with colleagues from across Germany, and discuss new scientific approaches. This year’s program offered an unusually broad thematic spectrum: a total of 59 posters were presented, and 32 short talks by early-career researchers—previously selected by a scientific review committee—were delivered. The program was complemented by three outstanding keynote lectures by Prof. Dr. Pieter Hiemstra (Leiden University), Prof. Dr. Sylvia Knapp (Medical University of Vienna), and PD Dr. Nicolaus Schwerk (Hannover Medical School). Participants particularly emphasized the productive collaboration between adult and pediatric lung research, which broadened and enriched the thematic scope of the meeting. Discussions were consistently lively and intense—and in many cases could easily have extended well beyond the scheduled time.
During the meeting, especially compelling contributions from the oral and poster sessions were recognized:
Oral Presentation Awards
- 1st Place: Jannik Ruwisch (Hannover Medical School) – “Dissecting Pathogenic Cell Circuits in the Bronchiolitis Obliterans Niche”
- 2nd Place: Cengiz Gökeri (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin) – “Pulmonary glycosaminoglycans and fucosylation regulate lung barrier function and defense against S. pneumoniae”
- 3rd Place: Maria Camila Melo Narvaez (Philipps University Marburg) – “Single-Cell Mapping Reveals CXCL11 as a Modulator of Mucus Production and Inflammation in the Airway Epithelium During Influenza A Infection in COPD”
Poster Awards
- 1st Place: Danielle Fomferra (Justus Liebig University Giessen) – “Impact of Oxidative/Nitrosative Stress Modulation on Acta2⁺ Cell-Mediated Remodeling and Regeneration in COPD”
- 2nd Place: Niall Hardiman (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin) – “Breaking Barriers: Probing the Role of Airway Mucin Glycoproteins in Pneumococcal Infection with a Mucin-Selective Protease”
- 3rd Place: Xin Wei (Helmholtz Munich) – “Development of Optimized N23Ps for Antifibrotic Therapy and Mechanistic Target Identification”
The Lung Science Meeting 2025 demonstrated impressively how valuable close networking between adult and pediatric lung research truly is. At the same time, it became clear that German lung research boasts an exceptionally strong cohort of early-career scientists who will shape the field for years to come. We sincerely thank all participants and sponsors for their contributions and dedication—and we look forward to continuing this vibrant scientific exchange in the years ahead.
Source: Strong Networking and Excellent Early-Career Researchers: Review of the Lung Science Meeting 2025 in Hannover
