Vallee Scholar Award for Julian Stingele

Julian Stingele's research group at the LMU Gene Center uses a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches to identify the endogenous sources of DNA and RNA damage. Moreover, he investigates the mechanistic principles that underlie the responses of cells to this threat to their survival. The endogenous sources of damage include formaldehyde, which is a normal intermediate in certain metabolic processes in mammalian cells. However, the compound can cause formation of crosslinks between DNA and proteins – and these in turn can inhibit DNA replication. The principal aim of Stingele’s research is to characterize the processes that result in such damage – to reveal the causes for neurodegenerative disorders and cancers.
“This award is a tremendously gratifying international recognition of the work carried out by my team. We are looking forward to using the funding for novel, high-risk projects.” says Stingele.

The Vallee Scholar Awards Program supports outstanding young scientists at a crucial time in their research careers. The award sum of 340,000 euros per awardee can be spent on basic biomedical research. Candidates are competitively selected based on the originality and innovation of their science, the quality of their research proposal as evidenced by ideas and execution, and their track record. Since 2013, 41 early career scientists have been named Vallee Fellows, with an investment of nearly $12 million.

The Vallee Foundation was established by Bert and Kuggie Vallee as their legacy to advance medical science and medical education. The Foundation stimulates the development of interdisciplinary science related to human health by encouraging interaction among productive scientists worldwide. For more information, please visit their website at http://thevalleefoundation.org/
Vallee Foundation press release

For more information about Julian Stingele's career and his research projects, please visit the Stingele lab website.