DKMS John Hansen Research Grant
About the 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 2025
DKMS John Hansen Research Grant 2025
Gabriele Casirati, MD, PhD
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, USA
Project title: "Epitope Editing to Enable Next-generation Non-genotoxic Conditioning Regimens for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation"
Project Summary - Gabriele Casirati
DKMS John Hansen Research Grant 2025
Susan E. De Wolf, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
Project title: "Understanding T cell and leukemic blast interactions in the bone marrow regulating GVL"
Project Summary - Susan E. De Wolf
DKMS John Hansen Research Grant 2025
Stephen Persaud, MD, PhD
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA
Project title: "Toxin-free antibody-based conditioning for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation"
Project Summary - Stephen Persaud
DKMS John Hansen Research Grant 2025
Abdur Rehman, PhD
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
Project title: "Harnessing the potential of gut microbiome for improving the outcome of CART-cell therapy against hematological malignancies"
Project Summary - Abdur Rehman
DKMS Special Grant 2025
Dr. Brigid McMillan, MBChB
Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Project title: "Mapping Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Services in South Africa"
Project Summary - Brigid McMillan
John A. Hansen
The scholarships of the DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden named the 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.
DKMS John Hansen Research Grant Awardees and Alumni
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"
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)"
Awardees 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"
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"
Andri Lemarquis, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA
Project title: "The role of recirculating Tregs in endogenous thymic regeneration"
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"
Awardees 2022
Sarah Lindner, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA
Project title: “Bile acid signaling affects Graft-versus-Host disease”
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”
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”
Awardees 2021
Ignazio Caruana, PhD
University Children's Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
Project title: "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"
Shuichiro Takashima, PhD, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA
Project title: "STAT1-driven orchestration of the intestinal stem cell response to gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease"
Esteban Arrieta-Bolaños, PhD
University Hospital Essen, Germany
Project title: "Unraveling HLA-DM-sensitive T-cell alloreactivity against HLA-DP: mining for novel tools in leukemia immunotherapy"
Miguel Álvaro-Benito, PhD
Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Project title: "Beyond the classics: functional profiling of ncHLAII genetic variation"
Awardees 2020
Cynthia Perez, PhD
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (Lausanne)
Project title: "Exploiting SLAMF7 self-interactions to provide additional co-stimulation to CAR-T cells against multiple myeloma"
Andrea Schmidts, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center (Boston)
Project title: "CRISPR-based Modeling of Genetic Resistance to CAR-T Cell Therapy for Multiple Myeloma"
Mirjam Belderbos, PhD, MD
Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology (Utrecht)
Project title: "What is the optimal stem cell source for transplantation? Population dynamics of post-transplant hematopoiesis using single cell analysis of somatic mutations"
Yiouli Ktena, MD
Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore)
Project title: "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"
Awardees 2019
Dr. May Daher
MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston)
Project title: "CIS checkpoint deletion in cord blood derived iC9.CAR19.IL-15-NK cells for the treatment of B-cell hematologic malignancies"
Dr. Natalie Köhler
Universtitätsklinikum Freiburg
Project title: "Defensins as a potential treatment option for acute graft-versus-host disease"
Dr. Kate Markey
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York)
Project title: "Investigating the role of the microbiota in chronic GVHD and immune reconstitution after HCT"
Dr. Katarina Riesner
Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Project title: "Mechanisms and therapeutic targets of endothelial damage during GVHD"
Awardees 2018
Pietro Crivello, PhD
University Hospital Essen
Project title: "Impact of HLA-DM mediated peptidome editing on the immunogenicity of HLA-DP alloantigens"
Dr. rer. nat. Elke Rücker-Braun
Technische Universität Dresden
Project title: "NPM1mut-specific TCRs for immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia"
Awardees 2017
PD Dr. med. Frederik Damm
Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Project title: "Influence of donor clonal hematopoiesis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation"
PD Dr. med. Hendrik Poeck
Klinikum rechts der Isar (Munich)
Project title: "PROTECTOR – Protecting the barrier by engagement of CyTOsolic nucleic acid receptors"
Awardees 2016
Dr. rer. nat. Angela Jacobi
Technische Universität Dresden
Project title: "Evaluation of mechanical properties as a novel marker to characterize and to sort human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells for transplantation"
PD Dr. med. l-Kang Na
Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Project title: "The role of the bone marrow vascular niche for memory immunity after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation"
Awardees 2015
Jarrod Dudakov, PhD
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle)
Project title: "Developing strategies to enhance T cell reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation"
Dr. Luca Vago
Fondazione Centro San Raffaele (Milan)
Project title: "Novel approaches to decipher the biological mechanisms of post-transplantation leukemia relapse"