Clinician and Medical Scientist Program

Since 2016 the UCT Mainz Clinician and Medical Scientist Program has been integrated into the Mainz Research School of Translational Biomedicine (TransMed).

TransMed offers a training curriculum with maximum flexibility for both clinician and medical scientists. All participants receive an individualized training plan that includes modules for fundamental scientific skills, lab-based research rotations, and transferable skills development. Each fellowship spans 2 to 3 years, depending on the trainee’s career stage. The hosting institutions are committed to providing at least 12 months of protected research time exclusively dedicated to scientific work. All fellows benefit from dual mentoring by both a clinician and a medical scientist throughout their training.

The UCT Mainz Clinician Scientist Program was established to support highly motivated physicians engaged in cancer research. Specialized oncology training formats were developed, including the Oncology Class, Oncology Lab Seminar, and the interdisciplinary Molecular-Pathology-Oncology Seminar. In addition, the UCT Mainz actively supports rotations of medical scientists in clinical trials units and oncology departments. Since 2016, 14 clinician scientists have been funded by the UCT Mainz and have participated in its structured training program.

In 2019, the UCT Mainz successfully applied for the Else Kröner-Research College focusing on the pathogenesis and progression of liver cancer. The first of the now 20 Else Kröner-Research College fellows started their research in January 2020.

Since 2023, the Else Kröner School for Medical Scientists “RNA-based therapeutic strategies in tumor immunology and immune-mediated diseases, TheRNAtik" builds a bridge between basic scientific and clinically active researchers with a view to modern RNA-based immune and cancer therapies. Here, 3 fellows started already.

Since 2024, the Else Kröner Graduate School for Mecial Students "ImmunYoAge: The Immune System – Young versus Aged" has further expanded the program. 4 fellows have commenced their research projects as part of this new venture.

The Clinical Research Fellowship, a dedicated program to support clinical research, was established at the University Medical Center Mainz in 2021. The program was integrated into the organizational structure of the TransMed program and provides protected research time for physicians, allowing early-career clinician scientists to prepare, initiate, or analyze clinical studies. In 2021 and 2022, 12 candidates were selected for 3- or 6-month fellowships, including physician-scientists from the field of oncology. After a temporary suspension of the program in 2023 due to funding limitations, the initiative was resumed in 2024 with five new fellows.

The Advanced Clinician Scientist Program ACTIVATE (Advanced Clinician Scientist Program in Immunology, Vascular Immunology, Tumor Immunology and Neuroimmunology), funded by the BMFTR, offers outstanding clinician scientists in the fields of immunology, vascular immunology, tumor immunology, and neuroimmunology 50% protected research time over a total funding period of six years. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, ACTIVATE aims to advance innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and establish sustainable translational structures at the University Medical Center Mainz. The program starts in 2026.