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Scientist at sterile bench

Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation²

Immunology as a key to better health

ImmunoSensation2 is a Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). We are dedicated to the study of innate immunity beyond the boundaries of classical immunology. We address the immune system as a sensory organ for health, which we term the immune sensory system. We are immunologists, neurobiologists, systems biologists, biochemists, biophysicists and mathematicians from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Bonn and the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) of the Helmholtz Association.

Founded in 2012, ImmunoSensation2 is currently in its twelfth year of funding. We continue to pursue our mission of innovative science in immunology. Further, we link immunology to other systems, such as the metabolic system and the nervous system. Ultimately, we want to better understand the intimate connection between the immune sensory system and human health and disease.

Members & Publications


Members

Members database


Publications

Publications database

News

Prof. Dr. Valentin Schäfer

Honors & Funding

Valentin Schäfer appointed to Specialized Ethics Committee

—Prof. Valentin S. Schäfer, Head of the Section of Rheumatology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and researcher at the University of Bonn, has been appointed to the newly created Specialized Ethics Committee for Special Procedures by State Secretary Dr. Thomas Steffen at the Federal Ministry of Health. The committee, which is based at the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), will begin its work on July 1, 2025 and is responsible for the ethical evaluation of complex clinical trials.
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Honorary Doctorate Sharon Lewin

Honors & Funding

Honorary Doctorate awarded to Sharon Lewin

—The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bonn has conferred an honorary doctorate on the illustrious researcher Professor Sharon Lewin. The Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, Professor Lewin is also a Laureate Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne in Australia and collaborates with the University Hospital Bonn. She is being recognized for her exceptional research on the international stage and her groundbreaking work in the field of HIV research in particular.
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NLRP3 Alzheimers McManus

Publication

Reducing Neuroinflammation Could Help Fight Alzheimer’s

—Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. A promising approach for its treatment is the prevention of inflammatory processes in the brain. An international team of scientists around Dr. Róisín McManus, Prof. Eicke Latz and Prof. Michael Heneka now provide new evidence supporting this approach and potentially contributing to the development of more effective therapies. The results have now been published in the journal “Immunity”.
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News overview

Upcoming events

Workshop: Creating an Inclusive and Respectful Work Environment

Featured Workshop On-site

Creating an Inclusive and Respectful Work Environment

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Lecture Hall Building, Venusberg Campus 1

Please note: Participation in this workshop is mandatory for all PIs at ImmunoSensation

  • Lecture On-site

    Spatial Biology Club

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    DZNE Lecture Hall

    Prof. Marco Prinz from the Institute of Neuropathology at the University Clinic Freiburg is giving a talk titled "The Myeloid Side of the Brain"

  • Lecture On-site

    Guest Talk

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    LIMES Institute – Seminar Room

    Prof. Sonia Garel, IBENS-ENS Collège de France, is giving a talk titled "Microglia in early brain development: a window of opportunity".

  • Lecture On-site

    ImmunoTalk

    BMZ I, Lecture Hall

    Leyuan Ma, Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania is giving a talk titled "Boosting Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell therapy via a synthetic vaccine​".

Events overview

Insights

Immunosensation 360°

Follow us on a virtual tour into the institutes and laboratories of ImmunoSensation2!

The 360° experience allows you to embark on an exciting journey, exploring the diversity of immunological research performed at ImmunoSensation2. Let our scientists guide you through the sites of scientific excellence and introduce you to the amazing world of the immune system.

Multimedia report "Beyond the Boundaries"

In our multimedia report "Beyond the boundaries" we introduce some of our outstanding group leaders. We take a closer look on their scientific work and their career paths within ImmunoSensation2, highlighting their innovative research approaches as well as the excellent research environment at the University of Bonn.

 

The report introduces