Organization

The Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia is a non-profit association founded by 19 scientific institutions in NRW in September 2018. Prior to this, the network had already existed for 16 years under the German name “Kompetenznetzwerk Stammzellforschung NRW”, always supported by the Ministry of Science (currently the Ministry of Culture and Science) of the State of NRW.

The association has three bodies (General Assembly, Board of Representatives, and Executive Board), as well as advisory bodies (Board of Trustees and Advisory Board), and an office.

General Assembly

The General Assembly consists of at least one representative of each member. The network currently has 23 members (legal entities), for whom the legal representative (rector or medical director) or a representative appointed by the rector or medical director participates in the meeting of the General Assembly.

Overview of members

Board of Representatives

According to the statutes of the Stem Cell Network NRW, various tasks of the General Assembly were transferred to the Board of Representatives. In contrast to the General Assembly, it does not consist of legal entities, but of natural persons. The General Assembly elects the Board of Representatives. It also determines how many people it should consist of; the number of persons is currently 23 which have 27 votes:

Prof. Dr. James Adjaye

Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Prof. Dr. James Adjaye

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Bloch

Department of Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine

German Sport University Cologne

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Bloch

Prof. Dr. Oliver Brüstle

Chairman

Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology

University Hospital of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Oliver Brüstle

Prof. Dr. Frank Dietrich

Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (ELSA)

Institute of Philosophy

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Prof. Dr. Frank Dietrich

Prof. Dr. Thomas Dittmar

Institute of Immunology

Witten/Herdecke University

Thomas Dittmar

Prof. Dr. Annette Dufner

Department of Philosophy

University of Bielefeld

Bild Annette Dufner

Prof. Dr. Andreas Faissner

Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology

Ruhr University Bochum

Prof. Dr. Andreas Faissner

Prof. Dr. Ellen Fritsche

Group of Sphere Models and Risk Assessment

Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine

Ellen Fritsche

Prof. Jay Gopalakrishnan

Institute of Human Genetics

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Prof. Jay Gopalakrishnan PhD

Prof. Dr. Martin Götte

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics

University Hospital Münster

Prof. Dr. Martin Goette

Prof. Dr. Peter Horn

Institute for Transfusion Medicine

University Hospital Essen

Prof. Dr. Peter Horn

Bastian Nießing

Automation in Life Sciences

Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

Bastian_Nießing

Prof. Dr. Nilima Prakash

Department Hamm 2

Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences

Prof. Dr. Nilima Prakash

Prof. Dr. Dr. Maria Rüger

Department of Neurology

University Hospital of Cologne

Prof. Dr. Dr. Maria Rüger

Prof. Dr. Dr. Jochen Sautermeister

Faculty of Catholic Theology

University of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Dr. Jochen Sautermeister

Prof. Dr. Hans Schöler

Department Cell and Developmental Biology

Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science e.V.

Prof. Dr. Hans Schöler

Dr. Christian Schröter

Molecular Dynamics of Cell Fate Decisions

Max Planck Institute of molecular Physiology

Christian Schröter

Prof. Dr. Sven Thoms

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

University of Bielefeld

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Prof. Dr. Edda Tobiasch

Department of Natural Sciences

Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

Prof. Dr. Edda Tobiasch

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wagner

Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (Biomedicine)

Institute for Cell Biology

RWTH Aachen University Medical School

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wagner

Prof. Dr. Ralf Weberskirch

Fakulty for Chemistry and Chemical Biology

TU Dortmund University

Prof. Dr. Ralf Weberskirch

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Willems

Institute of Political Science

University of Muenster

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Willems

Prof. Dr. Martin Zenke

Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology

RWTH Aachen University

Prof. Dr. Martin Zenke

Executive Board

The Executive Board conducts the business of the association, including its judicial and extrajudicial representation. It consists of eight members. The Board of Representatives elects the Executive Board, which consists of the two spokespersons of the Board of Representatives, one member each from the fields of ethical legal and social aspects (ELSA) and biomedicine, as well as four other persons from other fields.

Prof. Dr. Oliver Brüstle

Chairman

Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology

University Hospital of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Oliver Brüstle

Prof. Dr. Frank Dietrich

Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (ELSA)

Institute of Philosophy

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Prof. Dr. Frank Dietrich

Prof. Dr. Annette Dufner

Department of Philosophy

University of Bielefeld

Bild Annette Dufner

Prof. Dr. Edda Tobiasch

Department of Natural Sciences

Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

Prof. Dr. Edda Tobiasch

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wagner

Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (Biomedicine)

Institute for Cell Biology

RWTH Aachen University Medical School

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wagner

Prof. Dr. Sara Wickström

Department of Cell and Tissue Dynamics

Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Willems

Institute of Political Science

University of Muenster

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Willems

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees consists of five members and advises the General Assembly and the other bodies of the association within the scope of their respective responsibilities. It consists of a representative of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and one representative each in the fields of (i) biomedicine, (ii) ELSA, (iii) industrial applications, and (iv) public research funding.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter Birnbacher

Representative ELSA

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Prof. Dr. Dieter Birnbacher

Dr. Andreas Bosio

Representative Industrial Applications

Miltenyi Biotec GmbH

Dr. Andreas Bosio

Em. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Ehninger

Representative Biomedicine

TU Dresden

Gerhard Ehninger

Dr. Bülent Genç

Chair

Representative Project Management Agency

Project Management Organisation Jülich

Dr. Bülent Genç

Dr. Beate Müller

Representative of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

Dr. Beate Müller

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board consists of personalities from public life, who can make contributions due to their own expertise and references to the topic. The members of the Advisory Board are representatives from the fields of science and clinic, politics, regulation and law, religion and belief, patient representatives, and industry.

Prof. Dr. Claudia Lengerke

Representative Science and Clinic

University Hospital Tübingen

Prof. Dr. Veronika von Messling

Representative Politics

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

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Claudia Middendorf

Representative Patients' Interests

Representative of the state government for people with disabilities and patients in North Rhine-Westphalia

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Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Detlev Riesner

Representative Industry

Qiagen

Profile Picture Detlev Riesner

Prof. Dr. Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff

Chairperson of the Advisory Board

Representative Industry

AiCuris GmbH & Co. KG

Prof. Dr. Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff

©Picture People

Prof. Dr. Jochen Taupitz

Representative Regulation & Law

University of Mannheim

[Translate to En:]

Prof. Dr. Andreas Trumpp

Representative Science and Clinic

German Cancer Research Center

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ELSA working group

The ELSA working group (ethical, legal, and social aspects) is composed of experts from philosophy, theology, law, and social sciences. It addresses matters such as the legal framework of stem cell research or the ethical and social scientific assessment of new stem cell-related scientific findings and methods.

Prof. Dr. Frank Dietrich

Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (ELSA)

Institute of Philosophy

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Prof. Dr. Frank Dietrich

Prof. Dr. Annette Dufner

Department of Philosophy

University of Bielefeld

Bild Annette Dufner

Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Euchner

Fliedner Fachhochschule Düsseldorf

Profilepicture Eva-Maria Euchner

Prof. Dr. Heiner Fangerau

Department of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine

Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf

Prof. Dr. Bert Heinrichs

Institute of Science and Ethics (IWE)

University of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Bert Heinrichs

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Matthias Herdegen

Centre for the Law of Life Sciences

University of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Hartmut Kreß

Faculty of Protestant Theology

University of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Hartmut Kreß

Prof. Dr. Julia Metag

Department of Communication

University of Muenster

Profilepicture Julia Metag

Prof. Dr. Dr. Jochen Sautermeister

Faculty of Catholic Theology

University of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Dr. Jochen Sautermeister

Prof. Dr. Bernd Schlipphak

Institute of Political Science

University of Muenster

Profile Picture Prof. Dr. Bernd Schlipphak

Prof. Dr. Dr. Tade Spranger

Centre for the Law of Life Sciences

University of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Dr. Spranger

PD Dr. Marco Stier

Institute for Medical Ethics, History and Philosophy of Medicine

University of Muenster

PD Dr. Marco Stier

Prof. Dr. Oliver Treib

Institute of Political Science

University of Muenster

Profilepicture Prof. Dr. Oliver Treib

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Willems

Institute of Political Science

University of Muenster

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Willems

Prof. Dr. Christiane Woopen

Center for Life Ethics

University of Bonn

Chrisitane Whoopen ©Reiner Zensen

©Reiner Zensen

Office

The office supports the bodies of the association in implementing the stated goals and putting in place the proposed measures. The team consists of the managing director, a science manager, an event management and communications officer, and a finance and procurement officer. 

Office team