Dr. med. Simona Schlereth

Scientific career

2015- Clinician-Scientist (Gerok) at the Post-Doc level in Project 4 “Tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis and its inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy in conjunctival melanomas” in the DFG Research Unit FOR 2240 “Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis and Cellular Immunity in Inflammatory Diseases of the Eye” at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne

2018- Affiliated Clinician-Scientist at the Post-Doc level in Project P4 “The role of midkine in tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis and metastasis of ocular malignant melanoma” in the DFG Research Unit FOR 2240 “Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis and Cellular Immunity in Inflammatory Diseases of the Eye” at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne

Prizes and honors

2012 Henning Zügel Prize for basic research in Ophthalmology

2013 Travel Grant der WEAVR (Women in Eye & Vision Research) to the ARVO-Kongress in Seattle, USA

2016 Science Prize of the Eye Foundation (“Wissenschaftspreis Stiftung Auge”) awarded for outstanding original publications in ophthalmology

Selected publications

Schrittenlocher S, Schlereth SL, Siebelmann S, Hayashi T, Matthaei M, Bachmann B, Cursiefen C. Long-term outcome of descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) following failed penetrating keratoplasty (PK). Acta Ophthalmol. 2020 Nov;98(7):e901-e906.

Schlereth SL, Iden S, Mescher M, Ksander BR, Bosch JJ, Cursiefen C, Heindl LM. A Novel Model of Metastatic Conjunctival Melanoma in Immune-Competent Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2015;56(10):5965-73.

Refaian N, Schlereth SL, Koch KR, Notara M, Hos D, Mescher M, Iden S, Bosch JJ, Jager MJ, Cursiefen C, Heindl LM. Comparing the Hem- and Lymphangiogenic Profile of Conjunctival and Uveal Melanoma Cell Lines. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2015;56(9):5691-7.

Hos D, Schlereth SL, Bock F, Heindl LM, Cursiefen C. Antilymphangiogenic therapy to promote transplant survival and to reduce cancer metastasis: what can we learn from the eye? Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2015;38:117-30.

Schlereth SL, Refaian N, Iden S, Cursiefen C, Heindl LM. Impact of the prolymphangiogenic crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment on lymphatic cancer metastasis. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:639058.