Translational Molecular Imaging
Frauke Alves heads the interdisciplinary Translational Molecular Imaging group, which is based at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences and at the Göttingen University Medical Centre (UMG), Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology and Centre for Radiology.
The group focuses on using non-invasive, high-resolution imaging techniques in conjunction with molecular probes to better understand the development and progression of diseases and to evaluate and optimise diagnostic procedures and novel therapeutic concepts, particularly for tumours and lung diseases. These include, for example, imaging-guided surgical procedures or nanoparticle-based therapeutic strategies such as nanocarriers for chemotherapeutic agents or nanovaccines.
To this end, disease-relevant organoids and mouse models are established and used for breast, pancreatic, colon and lung tumours, as well as for inflammatory and metabolic diseases, among others. We use various X-ray-based imaging techniques that depict disease-related structural changes in the organism in vivo over time or ex vivo in tissue samples at high resolution. In addition, optical imaging is used to visualise biological processes in vivo or ex vivo. We use this to identify new imaging biomarkers to characterise tumours and degenerative muscle diseases in support of personalised treatment strategies.
Our team places particular emphasis on translating preclinical findings into clinical application. This is achieved through our interdisciplinary working environment and close cooperation with the clinical departments at the UMG, as well as internationally through participation in various EU projects and national joint projects.
Frauke Alves was the President of the European Society for Molecular Imaging (ESMI) in 2021 and is an Associated Investigator in the Multiscale Bioimaging (MBExC) Cluster of Excellence at the University of Göttingen.
Standing from left to right: Md Motiur Rahman Sagar, Paulina Chojnacka, Sarah Garbode, Stefan Lesemann, Bärbel Heidrich, Arne Herfert, Wiebke Timner, Silas Hoffmann, Alisha Di Carmine, Dana Marie Plohnke, Dolma Choezom, Regine Kruse.
Current third-party funding
EU H2020-JTI-IMI2-2020-23: Screen4care “Screen4care Ecosystem for rare NMDs”, ID 101034427-1
H2020-ICT-36-2020: Disruptive photonics technologies. FairCharm „Fast Infrared Coherent Harmonic Microscopy“, ID 101016457
Agile Bio-inspirierte Architekturen (ABA), MWK Niedersachsen, “Imaging Biomarker zur Stratifizierung von Kolonkarzinomen”, ZN3822 (Press release of the MWK Niedersachsen, in German)
