Colony of human induced pluripotent stem cells - Expression of pluripotency markers at the cell surface (red) and in the nucleus (green, additionally stained with DAPI, blue) [Copyright: Institute for Biomedical Engineering – Cell Biology, UK Aachen]
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.
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.
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:
Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Department of Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine
German Sport University Cologne
Chairman
Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology
University Hospital of Bonn
Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (ELSA)
Institute of Philosophy
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Institute of Immunology
Witten/Herdecke University
Department of Philosophy
University of Bielefeld
Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology
Ruhr University Bochum
Group of Sphere Models and Risk Assessment
Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine
Institute of Human Genetics
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics
University Hospital Münster
Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (Biomedicine)
Institute for Transfusion Medicine
University Hospital Essen
Automation in Life Sciences
Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT
Department Hamm 2
Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences
Department of Neurology
University Hospital of Cologne
Faculty of Catholic Theology
University of Bonn
Department Cell and Developmental Biology
Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science e.V.
Molecular Dynamics of Cell Fate Decisions
Max Planck Institute of molecular Physiology
Medical School OWL
University of Bielefeld
Department of Natural Sciences
Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences
Institute for Cell Biology
RWTH Aachen University Medical School
Fakulty for Chemistry and Chemical Biology
TU Dortmund University
Institute for Political Science
University of Münster
Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology
RWTH Aachen University
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.
Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (ELSA)
Institute of Philosophy
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Department of Philosophy
University of Bielefeld
Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (Biomedicine)
Institute for Transfusion Medicine
University Hospital Essen
Department of Law
Ruhr University Bochum
Representative ELSA
Institute for Ethics, History and Theory of Medicine
University of Münster
Department of Natural Sciences
Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences
Institute for Cell Biology
RWTH Aachen University Medical School
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.
Representative ELSA
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Representative Industrial Applications
Miltenyi Biotec GmbH
Representative Biomedicine
TU Dresden
Chair
Representative Project Management Agency
Project Management Organisation Jülich
Representative of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
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.
Representative Science and Clinic
University Hospital Tübingen
Representative Politics
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
![[Translate to En:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/6/3/csm_2020-01-05_Messling-web_6b0edaf442.jpg)
Representative Patients' Interests
Representative of the state government for people with disabilities and patients in North Rhine-Westphalia
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Representative Industry
Qiagen
Chairperson of the Advisory Board
Representative Industry
AiCuris GmbH & Co. KG
©Picture People
Representative Patients' Interests
German Hereditary Ataxia Society
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Representative Regulation & Law
University of Mannheim
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Representative Science and Clinic
German Cancer Research Center
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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.
Spokesperson of the Board of Representatives (ELSA)
Institute of Philosophy
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Department of Philosophy
University of Bielefeld
Department of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine
Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf
Institute of Science and Ethics (IWE)
University of Bonn
Centre for the Law of Life Sciences
University of Bonn
Department of Law
Ruhr University Bochum
Faculty of Protestant Theology
University of Bonn
Faculty of Catholic Theology
University of Bonn
Institute for Ethics, History and Theory of Medicine
University of Münster
Centre for the Law of Life Sciences
University of Bonn
Institute for Medical Ethics, History and Philosophy of Medicine
University of Muenster
Institute for Political Science
University of Münster
Center for Life Ethics
University of Bonn
©Reiner Zensen
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.
c/o Life Science Center
Merowingerplatz 1
D 40225 Düsseldorf
Funded by:
