Molecular biologist and DZL scientist Prof. Dr. Soni Savai Pullamsetti, Professor at the Cardiopulmonary Institute (CPI) Cluster of Excellence at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), has been elected to the prestigious Leopoldina. The members of the National Academy of Sciences, the oldest scientific and medical learned society in Germany, include outstanding scientists worldwide.
"I warmly congratulate Prof. Pullamsetti on her election to the Leopoldina," said JLU President Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee. "We are proud to have such a highly respected scientist in our ranks. Lastly, Giessen's lung research also benefits from her impressive achievements."
New treatment strategies for lung diseases
In her research, Prof. Pullamsetti investigates how epigenetic mechanisms and transcription factors influence gene regulation. In this way, she hopes to create the basis for new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of lung diseases, in particular, pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, and pulmonary fibrosis. She heads the research groups "Lung Vascular Epigenetics" in Gießen and "Molecular Mechanisms of Pulmonary Vascular Disease" at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research (MPI-HLR) in Bad Nauheim, as well as the Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) disease area at the DZL.
Prof. Pullamsetti was born in Andhra Pradesh, India. She obtained her Bachelor's degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and her Master of Science in Biotechnology from Central University. 2002, she came to Giessen for her PhD and research at JLU. In 2019, she was awarded one of the highly endowed European Research Council (ERC) Consolidation Grants to study the causes of pulmonary hypertension. She was appointed Professor of Lung Vascular Epigenetics a year later at JLU. She has received various national and international awards for her scientific achievements, including the Romain Pauwels Research Award of the "European Respiratory Society" (ERS) and the Research Excellence Award of the German Respiratory Society (DGP).
Prof. Soni Savai Pullamsetti was elected as a member of the "American Heart Association" (FAHA) and is a member of the "Task Force" of the "World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension" (WSPH). In addition to the DZL, she is an active member of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) and a board member of various national and European funding organizations.
She also held various board positions in the most significant international societies for the improvement of knowledge and therapy of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, such as the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute (PVRI).
Leopoldina - National Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Founded in 1652, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is a classical learned society with around 1,600 members from almost all fields of science. It was appointed by Germany's National Academy of Sciences in 2008. This function has two tasks: representing German science abroad and advising politicians and the public.
The Leopoldina transcends thematic, professional, political, and cultural boundaries in interdisciplinary discourse. It advocates respect for human rights. Self-applications for the Leopoldina are not possible.
Source: Justus Liebig University Giessen
