Curriculum Vitae

PD Dr. med. Rafael S. Grajewski

Department of Ophthalmology
University of Cologne
Kerpener Str. 62
50937 Cologne, GERMANY
Tel. (+49)-221-478 84586
Fax. (+49)-221-478 5094
Email: rafael.grajewski@uk-koeln.de

Scientific career

1992-1998 Study of Medicine at the Medical School of Hannover (MHH), Germany, Medical Licensure

2001 Doctorate degree (Dr. med), (summa cum laude) at the MHH

1999-2002 Residency, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Würzburg

2002-2006 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, USA in the Section on Immunoregulation, Professor Rachel Caspi

2006-2008 Continuation of Residency, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Würzburg

2008 Board Certification in Ophthalmology

2009- Head of the Clinical Uveitis Section, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne

2014 Habilitation and Venia Legendi at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne

2015- Principal Investigator of Project 8 “The role of interleukin (IL)-10 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune uveitis in mice and man” 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

2004 Joseph M. and Eula C. Lawrence Travel Grant Award der Retina Research Foundation and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

2004 Cora Verhagen Prize – Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

2004 The Experimental Uveitis Research Award of the DUAG (German Uveitis Patient Group)

2006 Fellows Award for Research Excellence, Bethesda, NIH

2006 The Experimental Uveitis Research Award of the DUAG

2007 The Experimental Uveitis Research Award of the DUAG

Selected publications

Cursiefen C, Bock F, Clahsen T, Regenfuss B, Reis A, Steven P, Heindl LM, Bosch JJ, Hos D, Eming S, Grajewski R, Heiligenhaus A, Fauser S, Austin J, Langmann T. [New Therapeutic Approaches in Inflammatory Diseases of the Eye – Targeting Lymphangiogenesis and Cellular Immunity: Research Unit FOR 2240 Presents Itself]. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2017 May;234(5):679-685.

Grajewski RS, Barahmand Pour N, Burian K, Caramoy A, Kirchhof B, Cursiefen C, Heindl LM. Analysis of the impact of allergy and atopy on new onset of uveitis. Acta Ophthalmol. 2017 May;95(3):e236-e241.

Grajewski RS, Bosch JJ, Bruns H, Cursiefen C, Heindl LM. The Trojan Horse Tale Revisited: An Eye on Metastatic Spread of Carcinoma Cells. Cancer Immunol Res.2016;4(2):92-4.

Schlereth SL, Neuser B, Caramoy A, Grajewski RS, Koch KR, Schrödl F, CursiefenC, Heindl LM. Enrichment of lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1(LYVE1)-positive macrophages around blood vessels in the normal human sclera. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014; 10;55(2):865-72.

Grajewski RS, Li J, Wasmuth S, Hennig M, Bauer D, Heiligenhaus A. Intravitreal treatment with antisense oligonucleotides targeting tumor necrosis factor alpha in murine herpes simplex virus type 1 retinitis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2012;250 (2): 231-8).

Grajewski RS, Hansen AM, Agarwal RK, Kronenberg M, Sidobre S, Su SB, Silver PB, Tsuji M, Franck RW, Lawton AP, Chan CC, Caspi RR. Activation of invariant NKT cells ameliorates experimental ocular autoimmunity by a mechanism involving innate IFN-gamma production and dampening of the adaptive Th1 and Th17 responses. J Immunol. 2008 Oct 1;181(7):4791-7.

Grajewski RS, Silver PB, Agarwal RK, Su SB, Chan CC, Liou GI and Caspi RR. Endogenous expression of IRBP can be dispensable for generation of natural CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells that protect from IRBP-induced retinal autoimmunity. J Exp Med. 2006;203(4): 851-56.

Avichezer D, Grajewski RS, Chan CC, Mattapallil MJ, Silver PB, Raber JA, Liou GI, Wiggert B, Lewis GM, Donoso LA, Caspi RR. An immunologically privileged retinal antigen elicits tolerance: major role for central selection mechanisms. J Exp Med. 2003;198(11): 1665-76).